New Forest Community Media

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There are a growing number of community media projects across the UK, many of which already have or are applying for licences to operate Community Radio Stations, who run Community Internet Services or have launched Community Television Stations - predominantly staffed by volunteers and set-up for the good of the local community.

The page is about the project serving the New Forest National Park.

1 Introduction
2 Objectives
3 NFCM Project Links
4 References
5 Neighbouring Projects
6 External Links

[edit] Introduction

New Forest Community Media is a not-for-profit organisation that aims to provide a comprehensive media service, both online and on-air, to both those who live and work in the New Forest and the great many tourists that visit the National Park each year.

NFCM was founded by Catherine Lake, a Fordingbridge-based Community Broadcaster and Online Promotion Consultant, in March 2007.

[edit] Objectives

The organisations principal objectives are:

1. To provide and maintain an online presence that doubles as an 'Internet Media Service' serving the local community and visitors to the National Park. Set-up and run as a hub that links all of the local authorities, agencies and other not-for-profit organisations together, resulting in an extensive resource site and "news feed" accessible free of charge by our users. The site will carry banner advertising and sponsorship from commercial supporters with a view to raising funds to further our online acitivities and our community radio project.

2. To provide and maintain a community radio service that, whilst serving the population (some 380,000 people) who live and work in the National Park, also supports Ofcom's stated ‘characteristics of a community radio service’. The characteristics are as follows:

Be provided primarily for the good of members of the public or of particular communities and in order to deliver social gain, rather than primarily for commercial reasons or for the financial or other material gain of the individuals providing the service;
Be intended primarily to serve one or more communities (whether or not it also serves other members of the public). (A community is defined as either 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);
Not be provided in order to make a financial profit, and uses any profit produced wholly and exclusively to secure or improve the future provision of the service or for the delivery of social gain to members of the public or the target community;
Offer members of the target community opportunities to participate in the operation and management of the service;
Be accountable to the target community.

NFCM would also like to form good relationships with other local media organisations in the public and private sectors (i.e. BBC South and Wave 105). We may also tap into the existing skills and experience of those already involved in hospital and community radio locally.

NFCM hopes that, for the longer-term, we might set-up an office and radio studios towards the centre of the New Forest - preferably near a railway station and close to bus routes. The ideal location will ensure ease of access from all sides of the National Park, making use of existing car-free transport means, thus helping to promote sustainable development and green business practices.

The project is lead by a core management team and, subject to a licence being granted, the proposed station will set up a listener panel to encourage feedback from its audience.