Somer Valley FM is delighted to announce that following last year’s very successful Summer broadcast the radio station have been awarded a full time community radio license.
The station will be live and on air some time next year. The station will have a studio in Midsomer Norton. Somer Valley FM aims to create a vibrant and exciting, socially inclusive, training-orientated radio service. It will serve the communities of Midsomer Norton, Radstock and surrounding areas.
Cllr Chris Watt, B&NES Councillor for Midsomer Norton Redfield and Co-Director of Somer Valley FM said,
“This is really great news. Congratulations to all of those who supported and participated in last year’s broadcast. A special thanks to the Radco, our main local supporter, and to B&NES who finacially supported the bid. The station will provide an excellent social and cultural focal point for our community. There will be with opportunites for all local groups to promote themsleves and for locla people to air their views. We had a great time broadcasting last year, anyone interested in join in should get in touch through www.somervalleyfm.co.uk”
In awarding the license Ofcom stayed,
“Somer Valley FM demonstrated a strong commitment to delivering locally-focused and diverse material that would appeal to the communities of Midsomer Norton and Radstock. The group has established strong links with Somer Vale School, which will enable the radio station to provide comprehensive training programmes to the community in the future. The group received considerable support from the community during its temporary RSL broadcast, and this support has been maintained.”
Deputy Headeacher from Somervale Mark Kenny and Co-Director of Somer Valley FM said,
“The school is excited to be part of this new community venture. We are looking for ways of promoting the views and ideas of young people in the community and Somer Valley FM will be an ideal platform to allow young people to be heard across their own community. We are particularly excited that the station will offer real life experience of the world of work for our students in the future as the community radio project lies at the heart of how we are developing Creative and Media Arts for 14/119 years olds, particularly in vocational education”