About Us
Last Updated on Monday, 16 November 2009 01:04
Welcome to 'Riviera fm'! We intend to begin community radio broadcasting shortly to the Torbay area, providing coverage of local activities, facilities and services, as well as issues of particular importance to individuals and the community generally. We thus aim to have a distinct local focus, and to broaden local broadcasting choice.
The proposed station will have complete coverage around Torbay, and operate on FM frequencies and on the internet, using the broadcasting experience and skills of our expert team. At present we are in the stage of planning our operations, and preparing a license application to the regulator, Ofcom. We have been receiving support, and encouragement from people, and a variety of local organizations, who share the view that a Community Radio station of this type meets an important need of those who live, work or study in the Torbay area, where the service that we will be providing is not fully covered by a commercial local radio station.
'Riviera fm' will be run as a social enterprise, as a not-for-profit charitable trust, and funded from several different sources. Whilst unlike commercial radio stations in other regards, 'Riviera fm' will transmit radio commercials, although they will differ in content and clientele, and will not be in competition with commercial radio. We aim to contribute to economic development in the area, and to promote local businesses/trading in every way possible, for example by giving smaller local businesses for whom commercial local radio is not an appropriate channel the opportunity to advertise their goods, and services, and reach new customers. We hope to make commercial advertising rates affordable especially to businesses with small advertising budgets, so benefiting Torbay listeners, and business participants, especially in areas where there appear to be gaps not addressed by other radio stations in the locality.
Operating profits from advertising will be fed into securing, and improving future provision of the service, and contribute to charities, and initiatives in the community. We also will be encouraging volunteer staff to supplement the running of the station, promoting both volunteering, and work placements, and fulfilling our license commitments to Ofcom.
We aim also to bring social gain to Torbay through training, fund raising, student education (opportunities to participate in the service), and improvement of community knowledge to the residents of Torbay. This will include the strengthening of community links by promoting of social inclusion, and encouraging participation in cultural activities, in particular, explicitly addressing the younger, and the older, retired members of the community, .
We hope to promote the free flow of information, and opinion, and to encourage creative expression. We will not be a 'pop' station, although varied music content will be provided on a 60:40 basis.
There will be a weekly programme promoting a wide spectrum of local trades, and amenities. We will be in partnership with Social Services, The Devon & Cornwall Police, Health Services, The Coast Guard, CAB, Job Centre, Riviera Centre, Torbay Tourism, BBC Radio Devon, Churches, and many local voluntary organizations. We are also a member of the Torbay Chamber of Commerce.
'Riviera fm' will be promoting, and covering most annual events in Torbay, with our mobile unit running 'road shows' at local venues and fund raising, in house, and at local events. We will also be hosting a three hour 'phone in' programme, inviting local residents to phone our presenter (ex-BBC) on local or/and national topics, and inviting many guests into the studio, including GPs, Health Workers, Psychology Counsellors, Agony Aunt’s/Uncle’s, etc.
There will be an early morning, and late afternoon 'drive' programme. We have built into our schedule a one-hour slot in the early evening offering young people the opportunity to make, and participate in their own radio programmes.
We will also be in partnership with BBC Radio Devon, who will be our advisors during the start-up period. We hope to maintain this close liaison with the BBC throughout.
Local news will be generated in our studio, and national news will be obtained from Independent Radio News (IRN) in London, and broadcast for three minutes every hour. Local travel and weather information will be broadcast frequently.
'Riviera fm' will have a Steering Group made up from a cross section from local organizations, and the public, and the company board will be accountable to them. The group will advise on station policy, programme content, provide arbitration, and be the eyes and ears of the station. They will meet before we go on the air, and every three months thereafter. The steering group will identify local charities where any surplus monies will be paid each year.
'Riviera fm’ aims, then, to serve the community of Torbay through strengthening links between local groups, by having broad appeal, with discussion, expression of opinion, information, education and training at its core.
Yours sincerely,
The Broadcast Team
