Radio BGWS
UPDATE
BACKGROUND
Everyone must be wondering as to why it has taken so long to establish a radio station. I can fully understand the sense of uncertainty that some of the members’ may have been harbouring in their minds. Since its inception, a great deal of background work has been carried out involving feasibility study, antenna survey, establishing contacts with licensing authorities, market research for the procurement of studio equipment and, most importantly, the provision of radio training to the future broadcasters. Initially it was perceived to be a straight forward project with few twists and turns along the way. However, as the project slowly gained its momentum, we were introduced to the complex world of broadcasting engulfed in multitudes of bureaucratic formalities bound together by series of broadcasting acts. I will not labour into these details and further confuse our members with the technical jargons and formalities that had to be understood and overcome in order to establish a way ahead. It was a long winded process which required a great deal of investment in time and effort. I am glad to say that we have now been able to overcome the majority of these hurdles and ready to move forward.
Short-term Restricted Licence Service (RSL) : Whilst we await the announcement of an invitation for applications, it has been agreed that we run a trial broadcast service called Short-term Restricted Service Licence (RSL). The trial broadcast service is a completely separate procedure where any organisation can buy air time for up to 28 days. This is particularly useful in preparation for our intended application for a community radio licence. Currently the plan is to run the trail broadcast service from Farnborough to test reception, coverage and, more importantly, to test the market. The application for an RSL could be applied for at any time up to six weeks prior the launch date.
BROADCASTING MATERIALS: A number of broadcasting agencies have been contacted through our contact in Nepal for the provision of recorded materials. A link has also been established for the steady supply of audio materials such as CDs and cassettes. Initial orders have already been placed and awaiting their arrival.
MEDIA TEAM: We have a dedicated team of volunteers responsible for looking after different aspects of the radio production. It has not been possible to take full advantage of their service at the present moment because the project is still in its infancy considering the magnitude of the project. Their service will be in greater demand once the Radio BGWS takes off.
Production Team: The radio training for volunteers drawn up from the wives of our members began in earnest towards the end of last year. Since then the following ladies; Mrs Jamuna Pun, Mrs Goma Rana, Mrs Muna Rana, Mrs Sushila Gurung, Mrs Hema Rana, Mrs Sita Thapa, Mrs Mina Gurung and Mrs Asha Pun have been undergoing radio training and practising their skills in their free time. I am very pleased to report that our ladies have made remarkable progress and have shown considerable potential in radio broadcasting. The standard of their broadcasting skills has reached such a level that they have now outgrown the use of the existing studio equipment which is very basic by today’s standard. As a result, it has been decided to replace the existing studio equipment with a new computer based playout system capable of carrying out a number of broadcasting functions. The quest for a new set of radio equipment, yet again, presented us with new challenges in un-chartered waters and demanded investment in time and effort. After much market research and process of evaluation a company called Station-Z was identified, which provided value for money. An order has now been placed for new sets of equipment.
WAY AHEAD: The studio equipment are being delivered on 5/6 April 2006. It is hoped that a proper studio with new sets of equipment will be set up by the second week of April. The computer based playout system needs to be tried and tested by running a series of dry runs. Once our broadcasters have received hands on training on the new system we should be able to identify an auspicious day for the launch. I regret I cannot be more specific about the launch date as it cannot be confirmed unless we have all the resources and technical expertise to support the production team in place and ready to roll. Until then, I request for your patience. As the saying goes, Rome was not built in a day! It takes a great deal of investment in time and effort on our part if we are to realise our dream to its fullest.
Finally, on behalf of all the members of BGWS I would like to express our immense gratitude to Mr Bijay Thapa for very kindly providing the radio equipment without which we would not have been able to take this project this far.
JAI BGWS!!
Maj(Retd) Sonam T Sherpa
Media Director BGWS
RADIO BGWS
119 WREN WAY
FARNBOROUGH
HANTS
GU14 8TA
CONTACT: 01252 513317
FAX: 01252 510794
email:radiobgws@btconnect.com
BACKGROUND
Everyone must be wondering as to why it has taken so long to establish a radio station. I can fully understand the sense of uncertainty that some of the members’ may have been harbouring in their minds. Since its inception, a great deal of background work has been carried out involving feasibility study, antenna survey, establishing contacts with licensing authorities, market research for the procurement of studio equipment and, most importantly, the provision of radio training to the future broadcasters. Initially it was perceived to be a straight forward project with few twists and turns along the way. However, as the project slowly gained its momentum, we were introduced to the complex world of broadcasting engulfed in multitudes of bureaucratic formalities bound together by series of broadcasting acts. I will not labour into these details and further confuse our members with the technical jargons and formalities that had to be understood and overcome in order to establish a way ahead. It was a long winded process which required a great deal of investment in time and effort. I am glad to say that we have now been able to overcome the majority of these hurdles and ready to move forward.
RADIO LICENCE
Community Radio Licence: After much deliberation and consultation with various professional bodies it was decided to apply for a Community Radio Licence as opposed to Commercial Licence which demands a high level of financial and professional commitment. Contrary to popular belief this licence is not awarded as and when required. The Office of Telecommunications (Ofcom) invites groups of applications from across the UK once a year and grants a licence for a period of 5 years to those who meet certain characteristics of service. A total of 21 community radio licences were awarded in February 2006 to those who had applied last year. We could not apply last year because the deadline for application had already passed when the idea for a radio station was conceived. Ofcom is yet to announce the invitation for this year. It is hoped that the invitation for applications will be announced sometime within the next couple of months. The initial idea was to apply for one licence for Farnborough and transmit the programmes to Ashford and Folkestone from Farnborough using ISDN lines. This would have saved us a considerable amount of money on copyrights that each radio station is required to pay to various music industries and their partners. However this is being reviewed in light of revelation that we may now be required to apply for separate licence for each of the three locations. The results of this review may slightly change our approach to the licensing authorities with some financial implications but our primary objectives remain the same i.e. to provide radio service in Farnborough, Ashford and Folkestone.Short-term Restricted Licence Service (RSL) : Whilst we await the announcement of an invitation for applications, it has been agreed that we run a trial broadcast service called Short-term Restricted Service Licence (RSL). The trial broadcast service is a completely separate procedure where any organisation can buy air time for up to 28 days. This is particularly useful in preparation for our intended application for a community radio licence. Currently the plan is to run the trail broadcast service from Farnborough to test reception, coverage and, more importantly, to test the market. The application for an RSL could be applied for at any time up to six weeks prior the launch date.
BROADCASTING MATERIALS: A number of broadcasting agencies have been contacted through our contact in Nepal for the provision of recorded materials. A link has also been established for the steady supply of audio materials such as CDs and cassettes. Initial orders have already been placed and awaiting their arrival.
MEDIA TEAM: We have a dedicated team of volunteers responsible for looking after different aspects of the radio production. It has not been possible to take full advantage of their service at the present moment because the project is still in its infancy considering the magnitude of the project. Their service will be in greater demand once the Radio BGWS takes off.
Production Team: The radio training for volunteers drawn up from the wives of our members began in earnest towards the end of last year. Since then the following ladies; Mrs Jamuna Pun, Mrs Goma Rana, Mrs Muna Rana, Mrs Sushila Gurung, Mrs Hema Rana, Mrs Sita Thapa, Mrs Mina Gurung and Mrs Asha Pun have been undergoing radio training and practising their skills in their free time. I am very pleased to report that our ladies have made remarkable progress and have shown considerable potential in radio broadcasting. The standard of their broadcasting skills has reached such a level that they have now outgrown the use of the existing studio equipment which is very basic by today’s standard. As a result, it has been decided to replace the existing studio equipment with a new computer based playout system capable of carrying out a number of broadcasting functions. The quest for a new set of radio equipment, yet again, presented us with new challenges in un-chartered waters and demanded investment in time and effort. After much market research and process of evaluation a company called Station-Z was identified, which provided value for money. An order has now been placed for new sets of equipment.
WAY AHEAD: The studio equipment are being delivered on 5/6 April 2006. It is hoped that a proper studio with new sets of equipment will be set up by the second week of April. The computer based playout system needs to be tried and tested by running a series of dry runs. Once our broadcasters have received hands on training on the new system we should be able to identify an auspicious day for the launch. I regret I cannot be more specific about the launch date as it cannot be confirmed unless we have all the resources and technical expertise to support the production team in place and ready to roll. Until then, I request for your patience. As the saying goes, Rome was not built in a day! It takes a great deal of investment in time and effort on our part if we are to realise our dream to its fullest.
Finally, on behalf of all the members of BGWS I would like to express our immense gratitude to Mr Bijay Thapa for very kindly providing the radio equipment without which we would not have been able to take this project this far.
JAI BGWS!!
Maj(Retd) Sonam T Sherpa
Media Director BGWS
RADIO BGWS
119 WREN WAY
FARNBOROUGH
HANTS
GU14 8TA
CONTACT: 01252 513317
FAX: 01252 510794
email:radiobgws@btconnect.com