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Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!

Have just been reading abou the spread of community radio in the neck of the woods where I was born and raised, Suffolk.

Community radio services typically cover a small geographical area and are provided on a not-for-profit basis focusing on the delivery of specific social benefits to enrich a particular geographical community or a community of interest.

On a more personal note, I also discovered recently that an old school friend was broadcasting on Ipswich Community Radio and I tuned in.

Their aim is to offer "people the opportunity to have a voice on radio, especially those who are under-represented on other local stations.

[They] run regular training courses in radio skills, so you can get directly involved – from presenting your own weekly show to helping out occasionally behind the scenes.

[They] aim to provide a radically different kind of radio, with music beyond the mainstream, and a multicultural mix of views and voices that fully reflects the town [they] live in."

So what about a community radio station for our neighbourhood? If we thought that just Harringay was too small, we could include Wood Green and the Chestnuts area. However, one of the new licences was for Southwold which I'm sure has less people living there than in Harringay.

So any budding Smashy and Niceys , Adam and Joes or Liz Kershaws out there?

Community Media Association

Tags for Forum Posts: community radio, local ideas

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As long as it's properly engineered and a frequency allocated..

My FM car radio works perfectly all over the south of England but anywhere in North London it's subject to bursts of interference from stations that shouldn't be there. A few years ago I couldn't listen to any BBC radio programme because of interference from a pirate station on top of one of the (happily now demolished) tower blocks at the junction of Wightman /Turnpike.

Thank Dog for DAB :-)
What happened with the Ipswich one was that they did short broadcasts from events beginning in 1989, then became an Internet based station before being granted a licence in 2006. Their history is here

So as you can see not a short term or fly by night project but quite a long haul. Beginning as an Internet based station would no doubt be how you got started...unless anyone has better knowledge of this?
What would you put on this radio station? Who would listen? Could a Harringay radio station fill a gap not already covered by existing services (local radio, TV, the internets etc.)
A radio station would be expensive to set up and maintain compared to, say, a weekly podcast.
I am no expert on this having only just picked up on it via a friend but the point is that it needs to not cover the same ground as other media and have a social benefit.

I guess it would be hyperlocal news, talking to local people about issues and so on.

The Ipswich one has a large number of funding streams and also takes advertising and sponsership. It is not just about listeners either. An enterprise like this provides training and work experience both on and off air. Here's a list from the website of tasks:
Researching interviews and features
Editing programmes
Liaising with record companies
Developing contacts within the community
Designing publicity material
Selling advertising
Writing funding applications
Updating the website
Preparing events lists and other material for presenters

There is also opportunity for other language users to present local issues in their own languages and local voluntary groups to access the airwaves. The ICR site is pretty good at explaining it, better than me.

A HOL podcast is an excellent idea...could grow into HOL FM . ICR took 20 years to grow. From small acorns and all that...
Good point. I hadn't thought about the opportunities for training and work experience.
Do a podcast Liz!
I could all the technical gubbins for it.
Hold that thought, Danzigger. You may find a message in your inbox one day soon.
Did a stint on Resonance FM two years ago. One of the nice things about the set up there was the opportunity it gave to the different communities to hear programmes in their own language. I think a podcast is the way to go. If you get the right mix of editorial, it could work really well Liz. Set up a 20mins pilot and get some feedback. Happy to help should you need it.
This is beginning to sound like a plan. Are either of you going to the HOL drinkies in 12th March? We could talk about it then, bearing in mind I have no experience in doing anything like this save some badly paid voice over work 20 years ago.
Liz - I can do audio work but not the internet stuff. (That would seem to be the way to go, I think ) Probably chat on the 12th.

Wouldn't it be nice to have Mr Lammy's Q&A available on line ? :-)
Okay, that sounds like a good idea. I reckon we could get a 20 min pilot going as Filmex suggests.
Have no experience in setting up a podcast, or driving the desk, but a little experience in planning, researching and scripting editorial for radio, and still do voice over work. Be good to lock down some ideas and a plan of action, see how far we can get. Will try to make drinks, will know for sure in a few days. If I can't, happy to meet another time.
I'm game.
I reckon I can make drinks on the 12th

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