Diane Reid, Director of the CMA, said: “It’s exciting to see the number of Community Radio stations growing.  We offer our congratulations to the communities who have worked so hard to get to this point.”

Following the announcement, Lyz Turner, Project Manager of newly licensed Seaside Radio in Withersea, East Yorkshire said: “It’s absolutely fantastic! We have waited a very long time for this.  Community Radio is the key to engaging our rurally isolated community.  This is what we’ve been waiting for the past four years.  We have been giving the community the skills to participate and in six months time they could put these skills to good use.”

Darren Powis, spokesman for Toradio in Torfaen, South Wales said: “Fantastic!  This project is a team effort and getting the licence is just reward for all the hard work all involved have put in.  There’s a lot more work to do yet, but this is a giant leap for us.”

Community Radio stations are a new tier of not-for profit broadcasters, owned and run by local people, mostly volunteers, which enable communities throughout the UK to use the medium of radio to create new opportunities for regeneration, employment, learning, social cohesion and inclusion as well as cultural and creative expression. For more than 20 years the CMA and its members have campaigned for Community Radion licences, achieving this last year, when the Community Radio Order was passed.

Applications for the first wave of full time Community Radio licences were invited in September 2004. Ofcom received 194 applications for full five year licences to be issued in 2005 and is currently assessing those applications and examining frequency availability options.

-ends-

The new community radio licensees in each of these areas are:

Lionheart Radio
Contact: George Millar
Alnwick Community Development Trust, The Centre, 27 Fenkle Street, Alnwick, Northumberland NE66 1HW
Tel: 01665 602244
email: studio@lionheartradio.co.uk
website: www.lionheartradio.co.uk
Lionheart Radio will aim to serve all the residents of Alnwick and surrounding areas in this rural district of Northumberland.

Community Broadcast Initiative Tyneside (CBIT)
Contact: Elaine Parker
CBIT, 41 Jesmond Vale, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 1PG
Tel: 0191 278 2957
email: admin@cbit.org.uk
website: www.cbit.org.uk
CBIT will aim to broadcast to, and encourage participation from, some of the deprived communities of Newcastle.

LVR FM ( Lune Valley Radio)
Contact: Paul Broadbent
LVR FM, 9 Market Street, Kirkby Lonsdale, Cumbria LA6 2AU
Tel: 015242 71294
email: paul@lakelandtoday.com
LVR will serve the semi-rural community within the Lune Valley area, and centred on the market town of Kirkby Lonsdale.

Seaside Radio
Contact: Lyz Turner
Seaside Radio, 27 Seaside Road, Withernsea, East Yorkshire HU19 2DL
Tel: 07903 729993
email: lyz@seasideradio.org
website: www.seasideradio.org
Seaside Radio aims to become an essential participatory service to the rurally isolated and socially deprived communities along the Holderness coastline in East Yorkshire.

Youth Community Radio ( Worcester)
Contact: Chris Fox
Youth Community Media, Saint John’s Youth Centre, Swanpool Walk, Worcester WR2 4EL
Tel: 0845 226 1246
email: chris@youthcommunitymedia.org.uk
website: www.youthcommunitymedia.org.uk
This service will be ‘owned’ and operated by local young people (11-25 year olds) in Worcester.

Gloucester FM
Contact: Derrick Francis
The Trust Centre, Conduit Street, Gloucester, GL1 4XH
Tel: 01452 521693
email: Gfmno1@hotmail.com
website: www.gfm.org.uk
Gloucester FM will provide a service targeting black and ethnic minority communities as well as disadvantaged groups in the City of Gloucester.

Toradio
Contact: Patrick Graham
c/o CoStar, 6 Blenheim Square , St. Dials, Cwmbran,Torfaen NP44 4RS
Tel: 01633 838063
email:patrick@costar-cwmbran.co.uk
website: www.tormedia.info
Toradio aims to provide an inclusive service for all residents in the County Borough of Torfaen. (This service will broadcast on AM.)