1. Station Name Guidance Notes 2. Community to be · PDF file1. Station Name Guidance Notes...

1. Station Name Guidance Notes

What is the proposed station name? This is the name you expect to use to identify the station on air.

Flex FM

2. Community to be served Guidance Notes

Define the community or communities you are proposing to serve. Drawing from various sources of data (e.g. from the Office of Population, Census and Survey) and in relation to your proposed coverage area, please determine the size of the population concerned and the make-up of the population as a whole, along with any relevant socio-economic information that would support your application.

(Please tell us the sources of the information you provide.)

It is a legislative requirement that a service is intended primarily to serve one or more communities (whether or not it also serves other members of the public) and we need to understand who comprises that community or communities. The target community will also be specified in the licence, if this application is successful.

The legislation defines a ‘community’ as: people who live or work or undergo education or training in a particular area or locality, or people who have one or more interests or characteristics in common. 300words

The proposed transmission area includes Merton, Wandsworth, Sutton, Croydon and Kingston boroughs with a combined population of 1,220,272. Our primary target age group is 15-30 but we anticipate a broader profile by virtue of the fact that the love of dance music transcends age, race and gender. The population aged 15-40 in our proposed area is 298,967. We therefore envisage a total potential audience of around 120,000 with a 60/40 female/male bias.

Ethnic Overview

Flex FM will broadcast to some of the most ethnically diverse areas in the UK. The ratio of ethnic groups is quite different within each of the boroughs but, compared with England as a whole there are some pronounced variations.

The white population in the five boroughs is 68.9% compared with 85.5% across England as a whole. Croydon has the highest level of ethnic representation with 20.2% of a Black/African/ Caribbean/Black British background and 16.2% of Asian heritage. Kingston has a slightly higher Asian figure of 16.3%. Sutton’s ethnic makeup is more in keeping with that of England.

Adult Population – Flex FM Area

Source: ONS – UK Census 2011

Community Radio Application Form

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Ethnic Composition – Flex FM Area / England

Socio Economic Overview

Croydon is a borough of contrasts with pockets of deprivation at one extreme and some of the most expensive houses at the other.

Merton has relatively low levels of deprivation. Only two of the 124 LSO areas in the borough are in England’s 20% most deprived.

Wandsworth ranks lowest nationally in terms of unemployed households with no dependent children (17.5%) and second to lowest for households with one person with a long-term health problem or disability (13.9%).

There are pockets of relative social deprivation in Sutton, characterised by limited access to employment, social infrastructure and transport services.

The Indices of Deprivation ranks Kingston as the 3rd least deprived local authority in London. In Kingston 15.7% of children live in poverty compared with 20.9% across England.

3. Proposed area Guidance Notes

What is the area you propose to serve? It is Ofcom policy that community radio stations usually serve an area of up to a 5-kilometre radius from the transmission site. See ‘Coverage and planning policy for analogue radio broadcasting services’.

http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/broadcast/radio-ops/coverage/analogue-coverage-policy.pdf

The station will serve the boroughs of Merton, Wandsworth, Sutton, Croydon and Kingston-Upon-Thames in South West London.

Source: London Borough Profiles




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Programmes and programme output:

4. Programming output Guidance Notes

Please fill-in all three questions below

Question A asks you to describe your programme service.

Question B relates to how your output will serve the tastes and interests of your target community.

Question C is about how your service will broaden the range of local (non-BBC) services available in

your area.

Later in this form you will be asked to draft your own ‘key commitments’. This will form the basis of your licence and is what Ofcom will judge you against. It should include a summary of your proposed programme output as set out below and reflect your commitment to cater for relevant tastes and interests, to broaden the range of relevant programmes and services and to provide a service with a distinct nature and content as set out in the Guidance Notes in the column opposite.

The law requires applicants to state their proposals for providing a service that would:

(i) cater for the tastes and interests of members of its target community or communities (or for any particular tastes and interests in those communities);

(ii) broaden the range of programmes available on non-BBC local services (commercial and community stations) to members of the relevant community or communities;

(iii) broaden the overall range of such non-BBC local services provided in the area concerned; and

(iv) have a distinct nature, or provide distinct content, from any non-BBC local services with which it would overlap.

Ofcom is required to consider the extent to which an applicant’s proposals will cater for the tastes and interests of members of its target community or communities.

Ofcom is also required to consider the extent to which proposals for a community radio station would broaden the range of programmes available by way of non-BBC local services (both commercial and community stations) in the area concerned (especially, the extent to which a proposed service would have a distinct nature or provide distinct content from any overlapping non-BBC local services).

The information given here should be more detailed than what you set out in your draft key commitments (later in this form), and will help us gain a fuller understanding of how you will serve your target community and what the station will sound like.

4. Programming output

A: Please tell us about your programme service. The following questions may help you describe your programme service (but should only be used as a guide):

What will the service sound like?

What music will you play?

What are the main speech elements of the service and how will the social gain/community benefits you propose be reflected on-air?

What is the likely music to speech ratio?

Will this vary at different times of the day or week (or year)?

Do you intend to broadcast live output? If so when and how much do you propose to do?

Will you broadcast in languages other than English (what languages and how much)?

Will your output be original i.e. specifically produced for your service?

Will it be locally produced?

Do you intend to repeat material?

Flex FM will be an upbeat, music-intensive radio station driven by a passion for the dance and urban music scene. It will be energetic and ‘edgy’ but community-focused with a proud social conscience.

The station will specialise in Dance and Urban styles that do not feature on mainstream radio. Flex FM will be at the forefront of the London music scene, championing emerging trends in Dance music and providing a platform for new music and DJ talent. Our focus is to support the various scenes in South West London and to help push forward new artists and gifted young performers from our broadcast area.

The station will maintain the highest presentation and production values but the output will be unashamedly youthful in style and attitude. Over the years the Flex ‘family’ of presenters has grown and developed into an impressive roster of credible and authoritative Dance and Urban DJs.


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Music

The station’s core music offering will be built around the following genres:

House - Originating from the Disco era in Chicago in the early 1980s, House is the forefather genre of all electronic dance music. Contemporary and established House artists include Shadow Child, DJ S.K.T, Duke Dumont, Kerri Chandler, Ron Trent, Mood II Swing and Masters at Work.

Drum ‘n’ Bass - A style and branch of electronic music which emerged from the rave (Acid House, Hardcore & Jungle) fad during the early 1990s. The style is typified by the music of LTJ Bukem, Roni Size, Goldie, Andy C, Ed Rush & Optical and Chase & Status, D-Bridge, Om Unit, Ivy Lab, Alix Perez and Noisia.

UK Garage – An electronic genre usually featuring a distinctive 4/4 percussive rhythm with syncopated hi-hats, cymbals and snares. Top current artists include names like El-B, Wookie, MJ Cole, Tuff Jam, DJ EZ, Craig David, Disclosure, Joedan and Perception.

Grime - Emerging predominantly in East London during the early 2000s, Grime is a development of UK Garage and Jungle/Drum 'N' Bass. Prominent artists include Dizzee Rascal, Ghetts, Logan Sama, General Courts and Novelist.

Dubstep – A movement that was formed in Croydon – Flex FM’s heartland. It is the sister genre to Grime, emerging at the same time from the UK Garage movement and was the first underground genre to gain worldwide success via the modern internet era. Credible artists include, DJ Hatcha, Skream & Benga, Joe Nice, V.I.V.E.K and Kromestar.

Other styles ‘in the mix’ include Bass, Techno, Hip Hop/Rap/R'N'B, Trap, Soul, Old Skool and a limited amount of classic and contemporary Commercial Dance.

General Programming

Flex FM’s unique proposition is community service set against a solid backdrop of carefully-chosen Dance and Urban music. Music will constitute around 80% of station output during daytime with a range of tracks scheduled from all the genres referred to above.

Output will be peppered with music features reinforcing the overall Dance/Urban ‘flavour’ of the station. These will include extended mixes, listener requests, retrospectives and guest slots designed to make the station distinctive and appealing at all times.

Listener dedications and ‘shout outs’ will be encouraged and delivered routinely throughout the day.

A 60 second Headline News break on the hour will be compiled and presented in partnership with Northcliffe Media which publishes the Croydon Advertiser, one of London’s best-selling paid-for weekly newspapers.

Other non-music output will include local travel information through the day, gig guides, film, music and game reviews together with community information of specific interest and relevance to our target audience of people who love rhythmic dance music.

Flex Action

Listener engagement and interaction is at the heart of our ethos and ‘Flex Action’ is the umbrella title of the various social campaign elements that will appear across the schedule.

There will be regular themed short-form features addressing a range of community issues from across South West London.

The topics will be carefully selected by our programme production team to ensure that they are of interest and value to our distinctive audience.

Typically, we will tackle subjects such as drug abuse, cyber bullying, health matters, adult learning, anti-social behaviour, unemployment and safe sex with guests from local agencies, the Metropolitan Police, the borough councils, and various community action groups.

The on-air element of these campaigns will be succinct and concise so as not to detract from the music flow, thereby minimising audience drift.

There will, nevertheless, be a wealth of support information which will made available via the


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station’s social media channels and website. This will include fact sheets, links to useful online resources and podcasts.

There will be extended items on weekday evenings during an hour-long programme produced in partnership with South Thames College. As part of our joint training initiative students will be tasked with recording and editing social action features which will be broadcast and made available as audio downloads. This hour, running from 7pm, will comprise 70% music and 30% speech.

Evenings and Weekends

The format of Flex FM will reflect the lifestyles of our target listener. Accordingly, from 7 in the evening and across the weekend we will be even more music-intensive with around 90% music to 10% speech. Research shows that during evenings and at weekends younger people are more available to listen, so there will be a discernible gear change when the station focuses more closely on the tastes and interests of the local teen and 20s audience.

Flex FM will broadcast live output on weekdays 18 hours a day from 7am through until 1am. The remaining 6 hours will be replays of past shows played-in by our station system. From Friday across the weekend we will run a live 24/7 schedule.

Speech output will be entirely in English, but we will work closely with all the minority ethnic groups in our area. Already we have trained and nurtured young DJ talent from the Asian and Eastern European minorities of South West London and other languages will be incorporated into our schedule should the ethnic shift continue.

The station does not intend to carry any syndicated or shared programming.

B: What is the address of the proposed studio?

Merton

C: Based on what you have said above, how will your proposed radio service cater for the tastes and interests of your target community/communities?

With precision-targeted music, community information and participatory programming, Flex FM will become the station of choice for the community of Dance and Urban music devotees across South West London.

The Dance Music Community is largely neglected by local radio and has hitherto been forced to turn to unlicensed stations in the hope of hearing music relevant to them and their community. For many years people looking for targeted music on radio, or those seeking involvement in the music business, have been forced to turn to ‘pirate’ radio to get their voice and music heard.

Many of the Flex FM presentation team are well known personalities locally and in the wider London music scene. Because of the nature of Dance music and the way it’s consumed, Flex FM has a network of DJs and contributors working the live scene which means we’re always on the pulse of what’s trending. We’re constantly tracking what’s ‘in vogue’ amongst the community in all aspects of music, fashion and lifestyle interests.

Music trends move extremely quickly in the Dance and Urban scenes. We have many of the DJs/producers creating the music, working closely with record labels and playing it to clubs across London and further afield enabling us to provide unique musical content for the South West London’s Dance and Urban enthusiasts.

Our music policy has been refined over many years in line with listener feedback. Most recently, in September 2016, we ran an online survey which provided us with a revised blueprint for this application:


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We were greatly encouraged by the scale of the response to our survey. Of the 11 Dance music sub-genres we tested the top 5 in terms of ‘Love/Like’ score were as follows:

Old Skool – UK Garage – House – Drum’n’Base – Hip-Hop

In response to this feedback we have made some minor tweaks to our category structure and scheduling parameters to ensure that our daytime output meets the expectations of our target audience.

Non-Music Output

Our proposition is unashamedly music-led because the station has been conceived to serve the Dance music community, but we strongly believe that presenter personality and the spoken word will give Flex FM its unique character. Rather than formal news and information that mainstream audiences traditionally highlight as important elements, our audience considers interviews, gig guides and DJ ‘Shout Outs’ as ‘very important’ parts of the station’s output. Accordingly, our schedule has been formulated to accommodate these needs.


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D: How will your proposed community radio service add to the range of programmes available on non-BBC local services (commercial and community stations) to members of the relevant community or communities, add to the overall range of such services in the area concerned and be different and distinct from them? Please tell us which non-BBC local services your station will overlap with.

London is a developed and diverse radio landscape. It is the host city for the UK’s big national commercial radio brands – Capital, Heart, Smooth, Radio X, Kiss, LBC and Magic. The listener experience is further enriched by dozens of community stations and scores of DAB services, many of them targeting clearly-defined niche markets. Audiences have become fragmented and, with increasing listener promiscuity, there is widespread switching between stations driven by the specific need of the listener at any given time.

The Flex FM MCA will be completely overlapped by all the national and Londonwide commercial services. There will also be a small degree of overlap with community station Rinse FM to the East.

The two obvious stations of comparison are Kiss 100 and Capital Xtra.

Capital Xtra’s is described as “a targeted music, news and information service primarily for listeners of African and Afro-Caribbean origin in the Brixton area but with crossover appeal to other listeners who appreciate urban Contemporary Black music”.

Kiss 100 is described as “a Contemporary and Classic Dance music station primarily for Under 30s”.

Unlike Capital Xtra and Kiss, Flex FM will provide a unique and distinctive alternative for the Dance music community across South West London. Capital Xtra was borne out of the fondly-remembered Choice FM and, as such, has an obligation to serve the African and Afro-Caribbean communities. Kiss has morphed into a national ‘super-brand’ from Bauer Media and no longer claims to superserve London. Rinse is an established and successful community station but it is strongly focused on Central and East London. We aim to provide an equally well-focused service for South West London.

Our recent analysis shows that the musical overlap between the stations is minimal:


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In summary, Flex FM has been conceived to compliment and contrast with the other commercial stations. It will offer an eclectic mix of music and Dance-orientated programming, featuring fresh and emerging broadcast talent. Our music programming will fully reflect what’s happening “on the streets” at grassroots level across the boroughs we serve.

Social gain

5. Social gain Guidance Notes

Community radio is required to be for the public good and to bring community benefits, or social gains, to listeners and participants. The requirement for ‘social gain,’ is one of the key factors that makes community radio stations different from other radio services.

Please tell us what community benefits your service will bring to your target community(ies) and/or the general public. Please include summaries of evidence to support your answer.

Your draft ‘key commitments’ (later in this form) should include a summary of your proposed social gain set out below.

Broadcasting legislation specifies a number of ‘characteristics of community radio services’. Licence holders need to ensure their services conform to these characteristics, including in this case the delivery of social gain.

The legislation sets out social gains that stations must provide. These are the achievement, in respect of individuals or groups of individuals in the target community, or in respect of other members of the public, of the following objectives

(a) the provision of a radio service to individuals who are otherwise underserved by suchlike services,

(b) the facilitation of discussion and the expression of opinion, (c) the provision (whether by means of programmes included in the

service or otherwise) of education or training to individuals not employed by the station, and

(d) the better understanding of the particular community and the strengthening of links within it.

Social gain may also include the achievement of other objectives of a social nature.

Applicants are required to provide evidence that their service will result in significant social gain to the public or the target community(ies). Copies of letters or research reports etc. should not be submitted, but brief relevant extracts from them, which represent an accurate and comprehensive summary, may be included. If we wish to see the source


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material, we will ask for it.

Ofcom is required to have regard to the extent to which your proposed service would result in the delivery of social gain to the public or target community.

Since our formation in 1992, Flex FM has worked tirelessly to give our audience of Dance music enthusiasts a sense of identity. The station has become a focal point for that community and a catalyst for sharing and solving issues of wider relevance to South West London. We passionately believe that music and the delivery of bespoke music-led radio programming for an underserved community of interest is not just about entertainment value; we are convinced that it also constitutes a social gain:

“The increase in the welfare of a society that is derived from a particular course of action”.

People across all age and ethnic groups attribute massive value to music and use it to demonstrate their allegiance to a particular community of interest.

Flex FM is targeted at people whose lifestyles and defined by a love of Dance music. The station has become an integral part of that local community and we are constantly seeking to develop a range of partnerships to ensure that our output and non-broadcast initiatives continue to serve the needs of our community. Our target audience feels excluded from mainstream broadcast activities and related opportunities. Flex FM will operate a diverse radio schedule that focuses upon the aspirations and needs of the Dance music community of South West London.

Our long-held ambition, which underpins the broad purpose of our group, has been to obtain a licence to run Flex FM as a legal FM community radio station. Once on-air, the radio station will drive a substantial progression of the community work already achieved and deliver real benefit to many members of our target audience of Dance enthusiasts and the wider local communities of South West London. The licence will enable an expansion of our existing operations and services, and provide the means by which to expand the community benefit that we have been developing over the past 14 years.

We will deliver a wide range of services resulting in social gain and residual benefit for the wider local public. These benefits are summarised below:

South West London will gain a unique radio service specifically aimed at the Dance music fraternity and filling a void that currently exists.

Flex FM will give the area something positive to be proud of whilst bringing a new focus and direction to an often overlooked community of interest.

Our radio station will provide a cohesive voice to members of the public within our immediate and wider community of all ages and of all social, ethnic and religious backgrounds.

We will offer enthusiastic support for all local charities and community groups. This will help engender a community spirit amongst our audience by keeping them in touch with what is happening in their community.

We will establish a contingency to ensure a rapid response from the radio station at times of acute social need. From public health matters to crime and disorder flare-ups or even adverse weather conditions. Being local and fully focused on the boroughs of South West London we are uniquely positioned to meet these essential needs in a timely and effective manner.

The station will provide a new platform for creative, artistic and musical expression enabling previously unknown people with creative gifts, talents and skills to be showcased and celebrated.

We will encourage local issues, concerns and interests to be raised and given time for thought and discussion, acting as a catalyst for people to speak about what really matters to them.

The station will provide a training ground for young people to learn how to put together and devise radio programmes of different kinds and to create entertaining and informative programmes relevant to them and their world today.

Flex FM will enable people in the local community to work together passing on skills, abilities and training to others, demonstrating how working together can achieve greater success for all.

We will work closely with the borough councils in publicising local events and bringing about


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community cohesion.

Our website and social media channels will form an essential part of the Flex FM social gain strategy. All local voluntary groups and support organisations will be listed together with contact information and details of what they do. Our site will be heavily promoted on air with the various organisations receiving promotion in a controlled way.

We are passionate about these proposals and extremely proud of our achievements so far. Our Directors and team members have worked steadfastly to forge solid links with scores of local organisations and we have achieved some outstanding social gain delivery results over the years. We are now eager to benefit a larger audience via our proposed FM broadcasts.

Access and participation:

6. Participation in the service Guidance Notes

How do you propose to ensure that members of your target community (or communities) are given opportunities to participate in the operation and management of the service?

Your draft ‘key commitments’ (later in this form) should include a summary of your proposed participation objectives as set out below.

Legislation specifies a number of ‘characteristics of community radio services’. Licence holders need to ensure their services conform to these characteristics, including in this case providing opportunities to participate in the operation and management of the service. Ofcom requires information as to how this would be achieved.

What will be the involvement of members of the target community in the radio station? How many volunteers do you anticipate will be involved in your service per year?

As a community-focused organisation we believe that input from Dance music enthusiasts and the general public across the area we serve is essential in delivering the best possible service for those communities; a service that, over time, our community of interest will grow to value and rely upon.

We will actively encourage direct participation by volunteers in all aspects of the station activity and we see clear benefits here for both Flex FM and for those who contribute.

We will continue to proactively engage with local community groups to form media partnerships allowing the station to add value to their work. These will be mutual agreements working together for the benefit of the people of the boroughs we serve. There will be no barriers to anyone with an interest or aptitude from becoming involved.

By partnering with local schools and colleges, training opportunities will be offered to help develop the confidence levels, skills and talents of volunteers. It is anticipated that once the station is fully functioning there will be around 50 volunteers involved in the various areas of station activity creating a reservoir of creativity and skills from which to draw.

Our programmes will reflect the tastes and interests of the Dance music fraternity but we intend to involve a wide range of local organisations, clubs, groups and societies in our output and other activities. The specific nature of involvement will vary according to need and circumstance but will include ‘What’s On’ listings, ‘Flex Action’ coverage, short-form on-air interviews, and podcasts.


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7. Access to facilities and training Guidance Notes

Set out the practical (formal and informal) mechanisms which you will use to ensure that members of your target community can gain access to your facilities that would be used for the provision of your service and to receive training in their use.

Your draft ‘key commitments’ (later in this form) should include a summary of your proposed access and objectives for training people in the use of the facilities as set out below.

Ofcom is required by the legislation to have regard to the provision each applicant proposes to make to allow for access by members of the target community to the facilities to be used for the provision of the service and for their training in the use of those facilities.

The city-based commercial stations are now completely inaccessible to ordinary local people, denying any opportunity for public access or involvement. We will address this situation in South West London by adopting an open-door approach, building upon what has already been achieved over the last 14 years.

We already provide opportunities for disadvantaged local people in the form of training courses and ‘hands on’ voluntary involvement with the radio station. Flex FM offers a unique learning environment characterised by an open door policy, informal atmosphere, participatory ethos and a commitment to equal opportunities. It allows for a practical and flexible teaching method, giving options for those who may have found a more formal approach to learning unsuccessful.

Our successful joint training programme with South Thames College in Wandsworth will form the nucleus of a far wider range of partnerships once we commence broadcasting. We work with the College on inclusively delivering opportunities and training to develop employability skills, such as media and digital literacy as well as social skills and social awareness and community participation. We have embraced ‘hard to reach’ groups who have been previously underserved, whilst allowing grass roots training to still be at the heart of what we deliver.

Flex FM is becoming an NCFE approved training centre and below is a selection of the courses we intend to provide. All training will take place at our premises in the same site as the radio studio and recording studio we work closely with. We have kept a 2-hour radio show slot free for exclusive use by anyone to showcase their work and anyone wishing to broadcast their own.

Audio Editing (R/602/2288/UNIT)

Digital audio in radio production (M/506/6420/UNIT)

Recording audio for radio production (T/506/6418/UNIT)

Multi track audio recording (F/602/2268/UNIT)

Sound and audio production skills (A/505/4173/UNIT)

Planning and creating a radio programme (H/506/6415/UNIT)

Scripting a radio commercial (D/506/6414/UNIT)

Radio journalism skills (Y/506/6413/UNIT)

We will arrange regular open day sessions for youth clubs, schools, community action groups as well as our own members. These visits will incorporate a guided tour of the studios, meet and greet sessions with our on-air personalities, and the possibility to record ‘Shout Outs’ for broadcast.

The Flex FM workshops will provide broadcast training, and we will endeavour to assist in any way we


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can to help young people embark upon a career in media. Where appropriate we will offer a route into radio through involvement in the Flex FM product.

8. Accountability Guidance Notes

Please set out your proposed community accountability mechanisms. These should cover matters such as:

How will members of your target community:

make contact with your service, and

influence the operation of the service?

How will suggestions or criticisms from members of your target community (or communities) be considered and acted upon?

Your draft ‘key commitments’ (later in this form) should include a summary of your proposed accountability measures as set out below.

Broadcasting legislation specifies a number of ‘characteristics of community radio services’. Licence holders need to ensure their services conform to these characteristics. One is that, in respect of the provision of the service, the provider makes itself accountable to the community (or communities) the service is intended to serve.

Ofcom is required to have regard to the provision each applicant proposes to make in order to ensure its accountability to the relevant community (or communities).

Flex FM will ensure accountability by constantly reviewing and modifying the programme service and off-air initiatives based on information received via a range of feedback channels:

A Local Advisory Panel

Online and on-street Listener Surveys

Media Forums

Evaluation Forms (Completed by users of the service)

Monitoring/discussion with user service providers/ volunteers/ station listeners

Comments fed-in via our website and social media channels

The station’s Directors will recruit an independent ‘Advisory Panel’ to monitor the station and provide feedback on a regular basis. The panel will comprise a representative cross section of people from across the Flex FM broadcast area. Station management will meet with the Panel members quarterly and the action points of each meeting will be circulated to Directors.

There will be an annual Public Meeting during which station management will present a review of past achievements and set out future plans. They will also encourage questions and suggestions from attendees. Any South West London resident may attend the Public Meeting.

We will encourage comment and feedback from individual listeners, community groups and organisations by 'phone, email, SMS, social media channels and the station’s website, where a ‘Listener Feedback’ section will be clearly signposted. We will proactively engage with local community groups to form media partnerships allowing the station to add value to their work. We aim to nurture a range of mutual agreements working together for the benefit of South West London’s Dance communities.

All participants in the service will be encouraged to complete a short survey contained in an Evaluation Form, copies of which will be available from our reception area and distributed at outside events. The form will also be made available as a download from our station website.

We will implement and enforce a thorough complaints and grievance policy. This will cover

equality and fairness, editorial policy of the radio station, privacy and programme standards. We will use our radio broadcasts, station web site and social media channels to advertise the many opportunities available for volunteers at Flex FM, including the various training programmes that are available.


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KEY COMMITMENTS:

Station name Flex FM

Licence Area The South West London boroughs of Merton, Sutton, Croydon, Wandsworth and Kingston-Upon-Thames

Description of Character of Service

Flex FM will target the burgeoning dance music fraternity living and working within South West London and parts of Surrey. It will be an upbeat, music-intensive radio station driven by a passion for the dance and urban music scene. It will be energetic and ‘edgy’ but community-focused with a proud social conscience. Flex FM will be at the forefront of the London music scene, championing emerging trends in Dance music and providing a platform for new music and DJ talent.

The Broadcast Service:

The station’s core music offering will be built around a range of sub-genres of Dance. These will include: House, Old Skool, Drum’n’Base, UK Garage, Grime, Hip-Hop, Dubstep, Breakbeat and Soul.

There will be headline news on the hour, local information throughout the day plus music-based features, listener dedications and ‘shout outs’. ‘Flex Action’ short-form social campaigns will be carried daily.

All output will be broadcast in English.

Flex FM will broadcast live output on weekdays 18 hours a day between 7am and 1am. From Friday across the weekend the station will broadcast 24 hours a day.

There will be no shared or syndicated programming.

The studio is located in Merton

The service provides a range of community benefits for the target community, both on-air and off-air, and in doing so, achieves the following objectives:

The facilitation of discussion and the expression of opinion,

The provision of education or training to individuals not employed by the person providing the service, and

The better understanding of the particular community and the strengthening of links within it.

Members of the target community contribute to the operation and management of the service.

The service has mechanisms in place to ensure it is accountable to its target community.

9. Company details Guidance Notes

The legislation requires that:

Community radio services should not be provided primarily for commercial reasons or for the financial or other material gain of the body providing the service or the individuals involved in it

Any profits produced may only be used to either improve the future provision of the service or for the delivery of social gain to members of the public or the target community


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Provide the name of the body corporate (e.g. company) submitting this application and the type of body corporate.

Please provide copies of the company’s Memorandum, Articles of Association and Certificate of Incorporation (or, where it is another type of body corporate, its founding documents and those which set out its objectives and rules of operation)

Only a body corporate can hold a community radio licence. A body corporate is almost always a (registered) company, although it can also include, for example, some bodies created by statute (an individual or a registered charity on its own is not a body corporate).

Your application must therefore be submitted on behalf of a registered company (or other body corporate). There are different types of company (e.g. a company limited by shares, a community interest company, a company limited by guarantee) and we need to know what kind of company is applying for a licence.

We will not consider a licence award to a company if it has not yet been registered. If the application is successful the licence will be awarded to the body corporate (e.g. company) submitting this application.

Company (or other body corporate) name: Flex FM Limited

Date of registration: 12 October 2016

Company registration number: 10422584

Type of company (or other body corporate): Company Limited by Guarantee

Where your body is not a company, please explain how it meets the requirement to be a body corporate: N/A

10. Ownership Guidance Notes

Please provide details of who controls and who owns the body corporate (e.g. company) applying for this licence, and on what basis this control and ownership is achieved. (If this will be different once the station starts broadcasting please say so (a licence is not issued until broadcasting starts.)

The information provided must include:

all the subscribers, members, shareholders, or whatever is appropriate for the applicant company (or body corporate), and state the extent of their interest (e.g. % shareholding) (if the company will be controlled by members, but the members are not yet recruited, please say so). (You will also be asked about the board of directors in 11 & 12 below.)

details of any individual, company or other body that may exert control over the applicant.

Ofcom needs to know about the ownership of the company (or other body corporate) applying for this licence, and any issues regarding its control. We will also consider how the company (or body corporate) will be run (this will usually be specified in the Articles of Association of the company).

In relation to exerting control over the applicant, the information provided should include the name and address of any individuals or corporate bodies in accordance with whose wishes the applicant’s affairs are or will be conducted in most cases or in significant respects.

As a community enterprise, Flex FM Limited is constituted as a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee. Therefore, the ownership of Flex FM rests with the membership - the subscribers to the articles of association. The control of the company resides with the directors who are elected from amongst the membership.

All trainees and volunteers are eligible to become members of Flex FM. Membership will be offered on award of licence. On joining, members will be required to pay the annual membership fee, agree to the station’s aims and objectives and comply with policies and practices. Members will also be entitled to vote at the AGM.

At present there are four directors; Carl Shepherd; Daniel Rae; Max Britton and Billy French. After the award of the broadcasting licence and a period recruiting members, the existing directors will convene a meeting of the membership to vote-in a full board of directors, in keeping with the Articles of


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Association.

11. Management and operations Guidance Notes

With regard to the applicant please provide:

A list of directors, indicating who is the managing director and/or chair (please see question 12 regarding directors’ details).

An indication of management structure (e.g. management committee or equivalent, if applicable), and/or

Information about who would be responsible for the day-to-day management and running of the station (there is a separate question regarding other staff below).

Explain the role(s) in the station, job titles, and indicate whether paid or voluntary, full or part-time (and the number of hours).

In addition to the notes above on ownership, Ofcom is also required to evaluate the human resources involved in the running of a community radio station. Answers should demonstrate how those who have relevant experience would work for the station. In addition, a diagram or organisation chart may help paint a clearer picture.

Directors

The founding directors of Flex FM are:

Carl Shepherd (Managing Director);

Daniel Rae;

Max Britton and

Billy French

Steering Group

In the pre-award phase, a steering group supports the directors. This is made up of individuals who are representative of the wider community and can bring valuable expertise to the station in its start-up phase.

Day-to-day Management

The day-to-day responsibility for running the station rests with the Station Manager:

Station Manager: (Daniel Rae) Full time, paid (40 hours per week).

The Station Manager reports to the board and is responsible for all human resources as well as financial and operational aspects of the day-to-day functioning of the station - in order to ensure that the station remains engaging, sustainable, diverse and accessible.

Other members of the management team Include:

Sales & Events: (A Moody) Part Time, paid The Sales Manager reports to the Station Manager and is responsible for sales of on-air advertising and sponsorship. In addition, the Sales Manager is responsible for maximising revenue by organising income-generating events – which will be a significant contributor to the station’s turnover.

Promotion and Marketing: (Max Britton) Part Time, paid Promotion and Marketing will be an import function as the station reaches out to maximize awareness amongst both the listener and business communities

Youth Project Manager / A & R: (M Gustave) Part Time, paid


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A dedicated part-time post is required to give focus on the various youth projects that will deliver social gain and also attract important funding for the station from various agencies.

Other members of the team include:

Studio Engineer: (W Ellis) Voluntary

Social Media & Website: (B Emler) Voluntary

Administration: (M Stevens) Part Time, paid

12. Management and operations Guidance Notes

Please provide information regarding each director as set out below (some or all of which may be regarded as confidential).

In addition if any individuals have been identified for management roles at the proposed station, please give further information in this section.

Ofcom needs to know about the proposed directors and chair of the applicant. Some or all of the information given in this section will usually be removed from the publicly available copy of this application form. (All community radio applications forms will be made available on our website.) If you request that any information be removed, please indicate which (and why by email to [email protected]).

PLEASE REDACT THE INFORMATION BELOW BEFORE PUBLICATION

13. Staffing structure Guidance Notes

What is the staffing structure of your proposed radio service? Provide a job title for each position and indicate whether the individual will be paid or will work in a voluntary capacity, will be full or part-time (indicate the number of hours for part-time posts). This may be provided as a diagram or organisation chart.

The legislation requires that Ofcom have regard to the applicant’s ability to maintain the proposed service (as well as to ensure the applicant is fit and proper to hold the licence). As well as its ownership, management and operations, the proposed staffing of the station is relevant to these considerations.

Flex FM Organisational Chart

14. Applicant’s experience Guidance Notes

Please describe the history of your group, and any relevant experience of the group, or the individuals

Ofcom is required to consider whether an applicant has the ability to run a community radio station for the licence


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within the group, by answering the questions below.

period (up to five years). To aid our consideration we want to know about any relevant experience the applicant group as a whole, or the individuals involved, may have.

A. Please provide a brief history of your group.

Flex FM was established in 1992 by South London dance DJs Carl Shepherd, Daniel Rae, Max Britton and Billy French who identified a gap in the market for a youth-orientated dance-led station. Driven by their passion for music and radio, the four Founding Partners established Flex FM as an unlicensed radio station, later taking it online. The station immediately attracted a significant audience by playing music that wasn't being played on other stations. They also attracted presenters and DJs who brought with them their own fan bases either from music releases, online radio shows or club residencies in South West London. More recently, Flex FM has operated as a small community enterprise with all costs being comfortably covered by contributions from Members, show sponsorship, donations and station events.

The Founding Partners have a combined radio broadcast experience of over 80 years. In establishing Flex FM, they have brought together a strong and dedicated team of volunteers including renowned music producers, DJs and MCs. They have added to this team administrative and clerical staff who have kept the Flex FM brand well established in the local community.

The team has now secured the support of a wider group to take Flex FM fulltime - including business owners, local agencies and the voluntary sector. This expertise will be invaluable in helping launch and sustain Flex FM as it launches on FM across South West London.

The management team has managed various events and club nights over the years. Station events like holidays, roadshows and club nights will continue to form an important part of generating off-air income for the station.

B. Please summarise the group’s broadcasting experience (e.g. internet radio, Restricted Service Licences (RSLs)).

Each member of the senior team at Flex FM has over 23 years broadcasting experience - currently at a not for profit Internet Radio station. Their expertise embraces technical, advertising, sound engineering, training, marketing and promotion.

C. Please summarise the relevant experience of the group or its members, in relevant non-broadcast areas (such as third sector, local business, fund-raising, training or education).

Flex FM has a long history of working successfully with many key stakeholder groups across South West London to build strong community partnerships. They have been highly successful in helping fund community projects via grant support streams and fundraising events. There is also in-house expertise in the area of information technology, website development and social media.

The group has experience of a variety of community-based initiatives including working with underprivileged young people. There is a wealth of project management experience, resources management and fundraising amongst our senior team.

The group has also staged music-based events for Dance enthusiasts and the wider population across South West London.

D. Please summarise the radio broadcasting experience of key individuals in the applicant group (only if not already described above).

The key individuals have, as detailed in section 10, extensive experience in broadcasting.


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15. Demand and/or support Guidance Notes

Please provide a summary of evidence of demand and/or support for your proposed service.

This may include a variety of information, for example:

summary of support from statutory or voluntary sector organisations which expect to contribute practically and/or financially to your operations, or which would expect to collaborate with you in joint activities;

evidence of interest generated through radio activity (e.g. RSLs, internet radio), community activity, training, voluntary sector work etc.;

results of research;

summary of support from local politicians, councils, educational or religious bodies etc.;

summary of support from local business or other sectors;

evidence of support from your proposed target community.

When considering community radio licence applications, Ofcom is required to take into account the extent of local demand for, or support for, the provision of the proposed service.

It is for applicants to decide what evidence of demand or support they wish to submit. However, Ofcom does not believe that generic support for the establishment of a new radio service is as meaningful as evidence of considered support for a specific applicant’s proposals. This means that Ofcom does not attach great value to numerous examples of similar generic or form letters of support by your group, or to petitions.

Copies of letters or research reports etc. should not be submitted. However, your response here may include brief relevant extracts from such material and must represent an accurate and comprehensive summary of any such supporting evidence. If we wish to see the source material, we will ask for it.

We have identified a demand and need for the development of a youth-focused community radio station in the South West London area. We know there are a wide range of partnerships with local youth and community organisations that would benefit from Flex FM being granted a community radio licence. These partnerships will allow us to access and channel the community’s use of the radio station and its service.

From its success as an underground station, Flex FM knows it has broad support at the youth and community level. As a licenced broadcaster it will be able to work with local strategic and regeneration partners. We will have access to funding and support from a wide range of public and private agencies and organisations.

A few years ago Ofcom published some of its own research findings in the document “Illegal Broadcasting”.

The objectives for the market research were to:

Measure accurate penetration and consumption data for illegal radio listening within the London boroughs of Hackney, Haringey and Lambeth;

Build accurate demographic, behavioural and attitudinal profiles of illegal radio listeners within each of the three London boroughs; and

Gain a deeper understanding of consumer motivations for listening to illegal radio and examine the needs that illegal radio stations fulfil vis a vis licensed radio stations.

Ofcom’s key findings revealed:

Listeners to illegal stations have a perception that licensed broadcasters are failing to cater sufficiently for all sections of society 30


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The appeal of illegal broadcasters is driven by ‘grass root’ talent, the urban music scene and minority community groups

A quarter of adults in London say they listen to illegal broadcasters

Flex FM was, for over 15 years, broadcasting on the FM band as an underground station. Today, Flex FM continues to broadcast on the internet. Over the years, we have developed an extremely high level of stakeholder support and a wide audience base. Due to the fact that there are little or no statistics on young people in our broadcast area we have conducted our own research and return to the following metrics to show that there is a clear demand for the service that we are providing:

11,672 likes on our Facebook page

43,400+ followers/listeners on TuneIn Radio

100,000 unique visits to our website a month

4,592 followers on Twitter

1,583 followers on Instagram

We have helped hundreds of the volunteer broadcasters who have come through the station over the years. Flex FM has been instrumental in progressing the careers of many DJs who have used the station as a springboard into some form of employment.

The overall sense from our listeners is that ‘there are still not enough legal stations playing the music that young people want to hear’

We have received letters of support from young people, other key individuals, local groups, local institutions, community organisations and agencies, etc.

In our online questionnaire during September 2016 respondents were asked whether South West London’s Dance and Urban Community is underserved by existing radio stations. 73.9 per cent of respondents agreed – or strongly agreed – that this is the case:


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Ability to maintain the service – financial information:

16. Pre-launch financial information

In assessing an applicant’s ability to maintain the service we need to know what funds and assets it holds, how

much it intends to spend getting the station on-air (pre-launch expenditure), and predicted funding for the pre-launch period. Please note ‘in-kind’ income is dealt with in 18 below.

Tick this box if you request Ofcom to withhold this information from the public copy of your application.

17. Year 1 financial information - income

Please provide information on the predicted income for your first year of broadcasting. N.B. there is a legislative restriction on income from on-air advertising and sponsorship/commercial references (this is usually 50% of total annual income (cash and value of in-kind support), but the amount of such income may be more limited in some cases and some stations cannot take any income from on-air advertising and sponsorship/commercial references).


18. Financial information – in-kind support

Please provide totals that reflect the in-kind support you expect to receive for the pre-launch period, and for year one. You may count some volunteer input as in-kind support – please see our guidance on this

http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/broadcast/radio-ops/volunteerinput.pdf


19. Year 1 financial information – outgoings

Please summarise year 1 outgoings – your expected operational expenditure to cover the first 12 months after

http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/broadcast/radio-ops/volunteerinput.pdf


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the service has commenced broadcasting. (Add rows if necessary).


20. Year 1 financial information – commercial activities on air


21. Pre-launch financial information - contingency


22. Year 1 financial information - contingency


23. Financial information – loans and other borrowings


24. Financial information – alternative funding streams


25. Engineering information

Note: there are fundamental differences between FM (VHF) and AM (MF) transmission systems. These include differences in mast and antenna size, transmitter site requirements, site location, installation cost, audio quality and night-time interference. Before completing this section, applicants may wish to take professional advice to ensure they understand these differences and their implications.

Waveband: Is the application for an FM licence? Yes

Is the application for an AM licence? No

Should a suitable FM frequency be unavailable, would a frequency on AM be acceptable?

If you have answered YES to this last question please complete the questions below separately for both an FM transmission site and an AM transmission site.

No

Do you understand the fundamental differences between FM (VHF) and AM (MF) services and have you incorporated these below and in, for example, your start-up and other costs, detailed earlier?

Yes

Transmission site address:

What is the postal address and post code: SW19 6RY

National Grid Reference (NGR):

The NGR is a reference code comprising two letters and two groups of three numbers (e.g. SW 123 456). It is available from Ordnance Survey. Further information can be found at: http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/index.html

TQ 240 736

http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/index.html


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About the site’s dimensions:

What is the height of the site, in metres, Above Ordnance Datum (AOD)?

42m

In metres, what is the total height of the mast / building Above Ground level (AGL)?

45m

What is the height, in metres, of the transmitting antenna AGL?

53m

Please supply photographs of the transmitter mast / building and aerial location.

Tick if enclosed (below)

About the transmission site:

Who owns the site and what are their full contact details?

Applicant group owns site?

Is this site already used for broadcasting and if so by whom?

Yes

Mobile Phone Companies

Transmission site availability:

Delete as appropriate the yes/no answers which describe your situation regarding proposed site (it may be that you cannot answer all four questions):

Delete as appropriate

Site identified? Yes

Provisional agreement with site owner in place? Yes

Or under negotiation? No

Applicant group owns site? No

Other – please specify. N/A

How to contact you:

26. Public contact details Guidance Notes

Provide the name of the person who will deal with enquiries from the press and public and the contact details for them.

Ofcom will publish community radio licence applications, and from time to time statements which may include public contact details, on its website. A point of contact is required to deal with press and other enquiries from interested parties.

Name: Carl Shepherd

E-mail: [email protected]

Website: www.flexfm.co.uk

27. Contact details for Ofcom Guidance Notes

Provide the name of the person who will be Ofcom’s primary contact and their contact details:

Ofcom will need to contact your group in relation to this application.

PLEASE ENSURE YOU ADVISE OFCOM OF ANY CHANGES TO YOUR CONTACT DETAILS


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Concluding declaration:

28. Declaration

APPLICANT’S, DIRECTORS’ AND OWNERS’ OTHER INTERESTS

1. In relation to the applicant and any body’s and/or individuals whose details are given in sections 11, 12 and 13 of this application, please state whether the applicant, anybody or individual is (and if so identify that body or individual) involved in any of the activities set out in the table below, and the extent of the involvement or interest. For these purposes, the applicant includes associates of the applicant (i.e. directors and their associates and other group companies): (Note: if none of the following categories in this section apply, this must be clearly indicated by writing “none” in any appropriate box.)

Activity/involvement By the applicant and/or a shareholder or member (section 11 of this application form)

By a director (section 12 of this application form)

a) Local authorities None None

b) Bodies whose objects are wholly or mainly of a political nature, or which are affiliated to such a body

None None

c) Bodies whose objects are wholly or mainly of a religious nature

None None

d) An individual who is an officer of a body falling within (c) above

None None

e) A body corporate which is an associate (as defined in paragraphs 1(1) and 1(1a) of Part I of Schedule 2 to the Broadcasting Act 1990) or a body falling within (b) or (c) above)

None None

f) An advertising agency or an associate of an advertising agency

None None

g) Other broadcasting interests (including radio, television, satellite and cable broadcasting and allied activities).

None None

Other interests

2. Give details of any other interest or activity of the applicant which is or could be incompatible with the requirements imposed by or under Schedule 2 to the Broadcasting Act 1990 (as modified by the Community Radio Order 2004) and Articles 6 and 7 of the Community Radio Order 2004. Please also give details of any other participant in the applicant whose interest is or could be incompatible with those requirements. (You may need to seek advice about these matters)

None

Other matters

3. In pursuance of its duties under Section 86(4) of the Broadcasting Act 1990 (as amended), Ofcom requires that the applicant should notify Ofcom of any matters which might influence Ofcom’s judgement as to whether:

(I) the applicant; (ii) any director of the applicant; (iii) any individual, or any director of a company, who will have an interest of 5 per cent or more in the applicant;

may not be considered a 'fit and proper person' to participate in a radio licence. Such matters would include, for example, the following (whether they occurred in the UK or any other country): any unspent criminal conviction, any undischarged insolvency and/or bankruptcy orders, any disqualification from being a director of a limited company, and any adverse findings made by Ofcom (or its predecessor broadcast regulators), any other regulatory authority and/or any court or tribunal in respect of any regulatory matters.

None


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Do you confirm, to the best of your knowledge and belief, that:

4. The applicant is not a disqualified person in relation to the licence by virtue of the provisions of section 143 (5) of the Broadcasting Act 1996 (relating to political objects);

5. The applicant is not otherwise a disqualified person in relation to the licence by virtue of Part II of Schedule 2 to the Broadcasting Act 1990 or any other rule prohibiting its holding the licence;

6. No director, member or other person involved directly or indirectly in the management of the applicant group is the subject of a disqualification order as defined by section 145 (1) of the Broadcasting Act 1996;

7. No person (body corporate or individual) involved in the application has been convicted within the past five years of an unauthorised broadcasting offence and that the applicant will do all it can to ensure that no person (body corporate or individual) so convicted will be concerned in the provision of the service, the making of programmes included in it, or the operation of the radio station if the applicant is granted a licence; and

8. Any matters which might influence Ofcom's judgement as to whether the directors or members of the applicant group are fit and proper persons to participate in a radio licence have been made to Ofcom.

Applicants should note that Ofcom reserves the right to revoke a licence if at any time any material statement made is found to be false and to have been made by the applicant or any member or officer thereof knowing it to be false, and that in the circumstances of section 144 of the Broadcasting Act 1996, the provision of false information or the withholding of relevant information with the intention of misleading Ofcom could incur a criminal conviction and a disqualification from the holding of a licence.

Please tick this box to confirm that the applicant agrees with the above statements.

Please tick the boxes below to indicate which additional documentation is included as part of this application. We are not willing to accept additional information with this application, other than that set out below:

Memorandum & Articles of Association

Certificate of Incorporation

Application Payment (UK £ 600.00) non-returnable

Photographs of the transmitter mast / building and aerial location.

I hereby apply to Ofcom for the grant of a community radio licence and declare that the information given in this application and any additional documentation is, to the best of my knowledge and belief, correct.

Carl Shepherd (Name of person)

Managing Director (Title or position in the applicant group)

21st October 2016 (Date)

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