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North East Manchester License: Page Four
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Page Four |
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Article |
Date Added |
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Radio Authority News Release: Licence Awards 3/9/98 |
8/9/98 |
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Oldham Evening Chronicle 4/9/98: It's Ours! |
8/9/98 |
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Bolton Evening News 3/9/98: Local radio verdict due today |
8/9/98 |
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Bury Times 5/9/98: Tower FM is taking to the air |
8/9/98 |
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UK Radio Group Press Release: 3/9/98: UKRD Major shareholder in Greater Manchester Winner |
17/9/98 |
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Oldham Advertiser: 10/9/97: Radio Dream About to Become Reaity! |
17/9/98 |
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Oldham Evening Chronicle 15/9/98: Chosen Radio Station Has Good Resources |
17/9/98 |
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TheRadio Authortiy issued this Press Release on September 3rd 1998, annoucing the succesful bids:
Radio Authority News Release 3 September 1998
RADIO AUTHORITY AWARDS TWO NEW SMALL-SCALE LOCAL LICENCES WITHIN NORTH/EAST
GREATER MANCHESTER.
The Radio Authority has decided that, after considering the proposals submitted
by the seven applicants, it is offering a new small-scale Independent Local
radio (ILR) licence on the FM (VHF) waveband for a service within north/east
Greater Manchester to:
TOWER FM LTD. - 10 Harvey Street, Bury BL8 1NJ (contact: Julian Hotchkiss
or Peter Weidbaum, 0161 705 2049); a fresh and lively, full service local
radio station, providing 24-hour entertainment and information aimed primarily
at listeners aged 25-54 throughout the Bolton and Bury area.
This licence will come into effect as soon as the successful applicant is
ready to begin broadcasting.
The Authority has also conditionally awarded a small-scale FM licence within
north/east Greater Manchester to:
OLDHAM FM LTD - P.O.Box 877, Oldham OL8 1US (contact: Liam Forristal, 0161
628 8787; or John Gracie, 0161 620 0006); a truly local 'full service' radio
station playing a broad mix of adult contemporary and soft-rock hits from
the past four decades together with the best ballads, soul and love songs,
with an emphasis on meaningful local news, exciting sports, local views and
local entertainment, for Oldham Metropolitan Borough and the surrounding area.
The ratification of the award is subject to Oldham FM's agreement to a minor
change in its proposed equity holdings. This change is necessary because the
Authority has determined that Oldham Chamber of Commerce, Training and Enterprise
Ltd is a publicly funded body within the terms of the broadcasting legislation.
In June 1998, in order to enhance transparency and openness in the Authority's
proceedings, Members of the authority decided in principle that they wished
to make information public on why they have chosen successful applicants for
licences. Members subsequently decided that they would do so from Autumn this
year. The Authority will therefore be publishing its appraisal of Tower FM's
licence award shortly. If Oldham FM meet the Authority's conditions, the Authority
will also publish its appraisal of this licence award.
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
1. The Broadcasting Act 1990 (Schedule 2 Part II paragraph 3), disqualifies
publicly funded bodies from being a participant with more than a 5% interest
in a Radio Authority licence other than a restricted service licensee.
2. Following the award of two local radio licences today for services within
north/east Greater Manchester, there is now a total of 776.33 points in the
radio ownership system (subject to review once transmission proposals have
been finalised).
3. The Radio Authority is responsible for licensing and regulating Independent
Radio in accordance with the statutory requirements of the broadcasting Acts
1990 and 1996. It plans frequencies, awards licences, regulates programming
and advertising, and plays an active role in the discussion and formulation
of policies which effect the Independent Radio Industry and its listeners.
Contact: Tracey Mullins 0171 405 7058
Press and Information Office 0171 430 2724
Out of Hours 0370 375283
Top
The Oldham Evening Chronicle ran this front page story on 4th September 1998:
IT'S OURS!
OLDHAM will have its own radio station soon.
The Radio Authority decided yesterday to grant one of the two licences for
the north-east Greater Manchester area to Oldham FM.
A second licence was awarded to Tower FM, which will broadcast in Bolton.
The Oldham FM bid beat off rivals from across the area, stretching from Bolton
to Tameside, including one bid in Rochdale and two bids in Tameside.
Station director Liam Forristal, from Failsworth,w as ecstatic about the bid's
success - the realism of a lifelong dream - and so were the bid's backers,
Hirst Kidd and Rennie Ltd, proprietors of the Oldham Evening Chronicle, Oldham
Chamber and UK Radio developments Group Ltd.
FULL STORY - PAGE 12
[Photograph: "Broadcast Bonanza...Oldham FM directors Mr Philip
Hurst, Mr Liam Forristal and Mr Bernard Stone celebrate their bid news" With
Oldham Fm car and logo in front of NTL's Oldham Edge transmitter site.]
CHRONICLE-BACKED STATION SET TO BE BROADCASTING BY EASTER
SWITCHED-ON TOWN TUNES INTO RADIO HISTORY
OLDHAM was gearing up to tune into radio history today - after Oldham FM won
permanent permission to take to the airwaves.
The partners behind the successful bid were celebrating a Radio Authority
decision to grant them an eight-year licence.
And station director Mr Liam Forristal said work had already begun to ensure
that Oldham's first radio station was broadcasting full-time by Easter.
For the 29-year -old, the news is the reward of five years' work in which
Oldham FM broadcast on five temporary, one-month licences.
BUSIER
He said: "It's marvellous. I don't have children, but I imaging this is what
a new father feels like after his first child is born.
"I know life is going to get very, very much busier from here on in. We are
already looking very much towards the future."
Setting up the new 24-hour station will cost Oldham FM around £300,000
for an office, studios, transport and transmitter equipment on Oldham Edge.
In addition to freelancers, the station plans to employ 12 full-time staff
- including three journalists providing up-to-the minute news reports.
Mr Forristal added: "While we are backed by the Evening Chronicle, the station
will be totally independent. It will not be Radio Oldham Chronicle.
"Listeners can expect the same mix of music and local news, travel and community
information as before on Oldham FM - hopefully with the same presenters.
"We have won the permanent licence on what we achieved with the one-month
specials. It's a winning formula, why change it?
"It will be absolutely fabulous for community groups and businesses in Oldham.
We will be able to focus on all their events - live and instantly."
Mr Forristal will have a 5 per cent financial stake in the station, with a
similar size holding taken up by Oldham Chamber.
Its main backers - with 45 per cent each - are Evening Chronicle publishers
Hirst, Kidd and Rennie Ltd and the media group UK Radio Developments Ltd.
Evening Chronicle editor MR Philip Hurst said: "It's an exciting development
for a family owned company like the Oldham Evening Chronicle.
"It will be our first step into another area of the media, and we are looking
forward to being part of it immensely.
"Oldham FM will add another vital layer to life in Oldham - the greatest of
all the Greater Manchester districts."
Mr John Gracie, chief executive of Oldham Chamber - who is chairman of Oldham
FM - heard the news first hand: he was contacted by the Radio Authority on
his mobile phone while in a meeting.
SUPPORT
He then phoned the news back to Oldham.
He said: "We knew after the five occasions when Oldham FM operated for a month
that there was a strong case and strong support for the station.
"But it was still a very competitive arena, and we have won. I am absolutely
delighted. It will be great for Oldham's communities and businesses.
"I am especially pleased for Liam. He has done all the work, and it was his
drive and passion which has made this all come about."
[Photograph: "Celebrating...Liam Forristal is finally wired
for sound." Liam in Oldham FM's(RSL)Studios]
FANATIC LIAM SEES DREAM COME ALIVE
LIAM FORESTAL is the man behind Oldham FM, and the station director who will
have the job of making it successful.
It will be the culmination of a lifelong dream for the 29-year-old Failsworth
radio fanatic.
When other 12-year-old boys were out playing football, Liam invented Failsworth
Bedroom Radio which broadcast by wire across the garden to his neighbour's
kitchen.
He became a member of North Manchester Hospital Radio at 16, and later studied
on the performing arts course at Oldham College.
After a short spell as an editor, scriptwriter and location manager at an
independent television production company, he returned to radio, becoming
the breakfast travel presenter for the AA Roadwatch service.
He joined Piccadilly Radio, moved on to Signal Radio, but then expanded his
experience with a spell as a presenter with KEZY radio station in Los Angeles.
Back home in Oldham, he started working to make Oldham FM a reality. While
holding down a job as programme Leader of Media at The Oldham College, he
ran the five commercially successful, temporary, month-long broadcasts of
Oldham FM from 1994-7.
The Bolton Evening News on the 3rd September ran this story:
Local radio verdict due today
THE Radio Authority was expected to announce today which company had won the
licence to broadcast on the airwaves in Bolton and Bury. As reported in the
BEN, a number of prospective stations have tabled bids.
Bfm Limited submitted one of the applications.
Bfm is part of the Independent Radio Group (IRG) and also includes Reach FM
and Radio Bolton.
Other bids were lodged by Tower FM and Variety FM. Bfm's bid proposed broadcasting
24 hours a day to an audience aged 25-55, with contemporary soft adult music
and 20-25 per cent of airtime speech.
The board of Bfm is made up of John Waters, managing director of Newsquest
(Lancashire) Limited, publishers of the Bolton Evening News and Bury Times
group; Laura Nuttall of Hargreaves Hamilton Group; Gerry Fitzhenry of Bolton
City Challenge, Andrew Dickson of St Andrew's Travel, Radio Bolton's Simon
Young, BBTEC's Mirza Hamie and Bolton JP Jim Shaw.
Friday 4th September Bury Times contained this article:
Tower FM is taking to the air
STAFF at Bury-based Tower FM popped the champagne corks yesterday (Thurs Sept
3) to celebrate the awarding of a radio broadcast licence.
The station, which has been involved in trial broadcasts since 1993, will
begin a full-time service throughout the Bury and Bolton areas from next March.
They beat off challenges from six other bidders to clinch the Radio Authority
licence.
Jubilant Tower FM managing director Mr Julian Hotchkiss said: "We hope to
begin on March 1 and will be broacasting 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
"We have a potential audience of 270,000 throughout Bury and Bolton and we'll
be recruiting 20 local people."
Commercial-funded Tower FM will broadcast what Julian describes as "classic
hit music" aimed at the 25-54 age group as well as regular news bulletins
and local information. The station is receiving minority backing from the
Radio Partnership and has a nine-strong board of directors headed by well-known
Radcliffe businessman Mr Peter Weidenbaum.
Mr Hotchkiss added: "The fact we have a wholly local board was a key to our
success. Our first main task will be to determine where our premises will
be. Ideally, we'd like to build studios somewhere in the middle between Bury
and Bolton."
The 32-year-old managing director, a senior radio engineer who has worked
for Piccadilly Radio, has been involved in the industry since the early 1980s.
Tower FM is well-known to music fans throughout Bury, having been involved
in numerous trial broadcasts during the last five years.
The UKRD Group issued this press release on September 3rd:
UKRD MAJOR SHAREHOLDER IN GREATER MANCHESTER WINNER - OLDHAM FM
For the third time this year UKRD Group Ltd, has been part of a consortium
awarded another licence by the Radio Authority - this time for a radio station
which will broadcast to over a quarter of a million adults in Oldham and the
surrounding area north-east of Manchester.
The radio station will be jointly owned by UKRD Group and the Oldham Evening
Chronicle which will each own 42.1% of the company. The Oldham Chamber of
Commerce will own 15.8%. The application for the licence was masterminded
by UKRD Group's radio consultancy arm, Infinity Radio Ltd - both companies
are based at Dolphin House in North Street, Guildford.
The win in Oldham follows earlier radio licence wins this year in Gloucestershire
and South East London. In November last year the group also won a licence
to broadcast to East London - that radio station went on air in May. UKRD
Group already owns three radio stations Surrey, two in Hampshire, one in the
Westcountry, and one in Berkshire. It also has investments in other radio-related
companies. Last year in sold minority interests in radio stations in Manchester
and Yorkshire, netting £5.3 million which it promised it would be earmarking
to invest in other radio licences.
Chief Executive of UKRD Group and the County Sound Radio Network, Mike Powell,
said: 'This is yet more excellent news for our company and its talented team.
We have built a terrific portfolio of radio stations over the last six years
and we have many more projects in the pipeline.'
ENDS
(Further information from Mike Powell on 01483 306156)
The Oldham Advertiser of Thursday 10th September included this story:
RADIO DREAM ABOUT TO BECOME REALITY!
OLDHAM's new radio station bosses say now they've got a license they're here
to stay.
Bosses of Oldham FM say they've done their homework and there's a niche for
a radio station dedicated to Oldham.
They were given the go-ahead to broadcast by the Radio Authority this week.
For station chiefs it's the culmination of five years' work to get the station
off the ground.
Board Chairman, Oldham Chamber chief, John Gracie said he was "trilled to
bits" to get the license.
"All the pilots have been successful and profitable and we're confident it
can be a commercial success," he said
Station director Liam Forristal said Oldham FM hopes to be on air 24-hours
a day, 365 days a year from Easter. Liam said that local content would be
their winning formula.
Liam said that the station hope to hang onto their Spindles [shopping
centre] base, but will defiantly stay in the town centre.
They will have a 12-strong full-time staff plus freelance workers.
As well as news. Oldham FM promises a broad mix of music, sport and entertainment.
[Photograph: "Celebrating: Station director Liam Forristal of Oldham FM"]
The Oldham Evening Chronicle 15th September 1998:
CHOSEN RADIO STATION HAS GOOD RESOURCES
THE Radio Authority revealed today why it has chosen to let the Chronicle-backed
Oldham FM hit the local air-waves.
The body is published details of its broadcast license decisions for the first
time, in a bid to boost the transparency and openness of the process.
In its report, the RA said it had been impressed by the board of Oldham FM
- one of the two stations to win small scale licenses in north-east Greater
Manchester.
It said the directors "combine strong local knowledge, business experience
and a solid understanding of the media generally, and radio in particular."
Sensible
The RA felt the bid had a sound business plan, supported by research and documentary
evidence of the local demand and support for the new station.
And it considered the station had a good understanding of the local population,
with a "sensible and popular music format with a strong community focus".
The RA said it was also impressed by Oldham FM's plans for local news - with
three full-time journalists supported by access to resources at the Chronicle.
But the RA revealed that, before agreeing to grant a license, it had asked
for changes to the financial stakes held in Oldham FM.
It said, as a publicly - funded body, Oldham Chamber must not own more than
5 per cent of the station, despite original plans for it to have 15 per cent.