10Radio
10Radio started life in 2004 when a small group of local residents with an interest in community development read about a community radio station in Manchester and thought ‘…wouldn’t it be great to do it in rural Somerset as well…’, In September the following year 10Radio was born with a month of varied broadcasts that took the Ten Parishes by storm. A year later, and the second month of broadcasts attracted 200 presenters and 50 studio volunteers. Inspired by this success, it was decided to apply to Ofcom for a community radio licence and two months later we heard that we had been successful. Then followed a frantic year of finding permanent premises, fundraising, specifying equipment, converting and fitting out our new home, and launching ourselves on the listening public in January 2008.
10Radio is formally constituted as a Community Interest Company limited by guarantee. All the company’s assets are locked into the community’s benefit and no-one makes a private profit. Anyone living, working, being educated or trained in the Ten Parishes, or sharing their interests, can become a member of the company. 10Radio’s stated objects are to carry on activities which benefit the community and in particular (without limitation) to:
We believe in providing radio services that are by the people for the people. To this end we will help all members of the local community make programmes (pre-recorded or live) for broadcast and get involved in the activities of 10Radio (as staff, volunteers, presenters, members or supporters) without prejudice to their age, sex, ethnicity, religion or sexuality.
We will value the programme ideas of everyone and seek to enable them to develop their ideas through to transmission. To this end we are essentially supply driven in our programming output and believe that if someone locally wants to make a programme, someone else locally will want to listen.
We understand that there are various legal and regulatory requirements on what and how we broadcast but over and beyond that, we will not broadcast programmes that promote or encourage racism, sexism, religious intolerance or other forms of bigotry.
We believe that we should set an example in the local community as to how organisations should be run and how they should include people. To this end we will seek to be highly flexible and adaptable to the wishes of the local community; to maintain a high standard of ethics in our activities; and to reduce our environmental impact to the minimum possible.
1. To provide high quality radio, in terms of sound, programme content and clarity of expectation, for the Ten Parishes and beyond that is unique in terms of its mix of news, information, discussion, drama, comedy and not least music; its focus on the local area; and the platform it provides for community members to broadcast.
2. To maintain a broadcast studio in the Ten Parishes.
3. To provide ongoing training and mentoring for local people and a wider audience to enable them to plan, record, edit, present and produce material for broadcast to the Ten Parishes.
4. Actively create opportunities and encourage local people to treat 10Radio and its studio as a resource and to become involved in all aspects of its management from the day-to-day to the strategic.
5. To carry out other activities that support and enable the broadcast, training and management activities of 10Radio.
Barry Somers – Training and OB Truck
Mike Padden – Engineering Genius
Robin Vanags – Breakfast Reception and News Reader
Toby Duckett – Website Wizard
Mary Auton – Grant and Funds Guru
Dave Wellington – Technical Support
10Radio does not currently employ any staff and is instead powered by voluntary effort, supported by some freelance skills as and when required. The first point of contact for 10Radio matters is the Chair chair@10radio.org
Occasional meetings are held to which any member or interested person is welcome to attend.
Board meetings – held monthly in Wiveliscombe and dealing with the ‘big issues’ affecting 10Radio
Community meetings are often held providing a chance for listener feedback, discussion about general issues and to meet each other
There are also a number of sub-groups of the Board dealing with specific issues:
It costs about £1000 to cover our monthly running costs. This includes:
While we do get some grant funding to cover these costs we depend mainly on donations and sponsorship. You can help by becoming a Friend of 10Radio – just Download the form, fill it in with your bank details and a monthly amount, return it to us and we’ll sort out the rest. Thank you!
10Radio is a community radio station serving the 10 parishes in West Somerset which incorporate Wiveliscombe, Ashbrittle, Bathealton, Brompton Ralph, Chipstable, Clatworthy, Fitzhead, Huish Champflower, Milverton, Stawley and Wellington and the surrounding area.
Mindline – a friendly, anonymous and non-judgmental listening service for people feeling isolated or distressed. Also available to those concerned about a friend, relative or neighbour experiencing mental distress.
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