Comments on: Goodbye Pennine FM (again) (again) http://james.cridland.net/blog/goodbye-pennine-fm-again-again/ Radio futurologist and beer drinker Mon, 21 May 2012 11:08:42 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: James Cridland http://james.cridland.net/blog/goodbye-pennine-fm-again-again/#comment-2756 James Cridland Tue, 06 Apr 2010 08:56:18 +0000 http://james.cridland.net/blog/?p=2135#comment-2756 Oddly, I'd rather like to run it. I'd rebroadcast Nick Ferrari's breakfast show from LBC, and podcasts from around the world during the rest of the day. I'd make no pretence of being local. It would offer a real choice for speech radio fans in the area. It would be very cheap to run, requiring no studios, and I could run it from my house in North London: the only cost would be the cost of the transmitter. Better to offer some extra choice, Ofcom, or none at all? Oddly, I’d rather like to run it. I’d rebroadcast Nick Ferrari’s breakfast show from LBC, and podcasts from around the world during the rest of the day. I’d make no pretence of being local. It would offer a real choice for speech radio fans in the area. It would be very cheap to run, requiring no studios, and I could run it from my house in North London: the only cost would be the cost of the transmitter. Better to offer some extra choice, Ofcom, or none at all?

]]> By: Paul Easton http://james.cridland.net/blog/goodbye-pennine-fm-again-again/#comment-2755 Paul Easton Tue, 06 Apr 2010 07:15:20 +0000 http://james.cridland.net/blog/?p=2135#comment-2755 "My understanding is that the licence is being given back to Ofcom. I wonder if they let anyone have another go?" To date none of the other licence 'hand-backs' have been re-advertised - with the exception of Diamond FM in Plymouth, who won a licence but never launched. Those licences now coming up for re-advertisement that don't qualify for automatic renewal because of qualifying DAB carriage, are currently only being re-awarded until 31/12/2015 - which is also the cut-off for all other licences. Such a short-term period is unlikely to prove attractive to potential new applicants who would have to launch a station from scratch. Presumably Pennine FM had sought a potential buyer but none was forthcoming. It's a sad day for radio but also a harsh truth of the difficult conditions under which radio operates right now. I also suspect, sadly, that Pennine will not be the last to close this year. “My understanding is that the licence is being given back to Ofcom. I wonder if they let anyone have another go?”

To date none of the other licence ‘hand-backs’ have been re-advertised – with the exception of Diamond FM in Plymouth, who won a licence but never launched.

Those licences now coming up for re-advertisement that don’t qualify for automatic renewal because of qualifying DAB carriage, are currently only being re-awarded until 31/12/2015 – which is also the cut-off for all other licences. Such a short-term period is unlikely to prove attractive to potential new applicants who would have to launch a station from scratch.

Presumably Pennine FM had sought a potential buyer but none was forthcoming.

It’s a sad day for radio but also a harsh truth of the difficult conditions under which radio operates right now. I also suspect, sadly, that Pennine will not be the last to close this year.

]]> By: Dave http://james.cridland.net/blog/goodbye-pennine-fm-again-again/#comment-2754 Dave Mon, 05 Apr 2010 23:04:28 +0000 http://james.cridland.net/blog/?p=2135#comment-2754 It's been given a decent burial, let's not dig the corpse up once more. 107.9 went through several regime changes in ownership and management - and after twelve years, no-one, it seems, could take it close to profitability. From hyper-local as a stand-alone operation to being part of a would-be'big' sounding network, none of the approaches have borne fruit. Time to let it go. It’s been given a decent burial, let’s not dig the corpse up once more. 107.9 went through several regime changes in ownership and management – and after twelve years, no-one, it seems, could take it close to profitability. From hyper-local as a stand-alone operation to being part of a would-be’big’ sounding network, none of the approaches have borne fruit. Time to let it go.

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