Breakfast saved as Quaywest axes local programmes

WEST Somerset’s commercial radio station Quaywest FM has been allowed to axe all but its breakfast programme from locally-produced broadcasts.
The Watchet-based station was saved last year from administration by a buy-out by Bath businessman Paul Roberts.
Now, it has received permission from broadcast regulator Ofcom to share 20 hours’ a day of programming with its sister Quaywest station in Bridgwater.
Although the Watchet and Bridgwater stations were required to provide at least 10 hours a day of local programming, changes to the format agreed by Ofcom mean six of the hours can be shared.
Mr Roberts told Ofcom: “We believe that the move will not only be imperceptible to the local market place, but will also allow us to provide a better quality of service through the economies of scale that this change would allow.
“It will also allow the services to compete more effectively in the local market place.”
A statement from Ofcom said: “There is a clear logic in allowing these two small stations to create regional broadcasting outside breakfast.
“They have been linked through their history and the regionalisation of the drivetime show is most unlikely to create a substantial change to the character of service of either station, or become problematic for listeners.”

ITV companies fined for failing to spend enough on local programmes

THE two ITV commercial television stations broadcasting to West Somerset viewers have been fined a total of £40,000 for not spending enough money on local programmes.
The broadcasting regulator Ofcom said ITV West and ITV Westcountry had failed to invest at least 50 per cent of their budgets on programming outside the London area in both 2007 and 2006.
Licensees for the ITV regional stations stipulate a minimum level of investment required for programmes produced outside the M25.
An investigation by Ofcom also found some ITV programmes made in London had initially been misallocated as ‘out of London productions’ when they were audited.
The out-of-London quota applies by both value and volume of programming and although ITV met the 50 per cent volume quota in both years, it failed on the value test.
The proportion of investment outside London in 2006 was only 45.6 per cent and fell further to 44.3 per cent in 2007.
Ofcom’s content sanctions committee, which issued the fines, noted that in both rulings the breaches had been repeated, with the size of the shortfall against quota greater in the second year.
ITV West and ITV Westcountry were each fined £20,000, as were each of ITV’s other nine regional stations.
ITV executive chairman Michael Grade said: “This fine is yet more clear evidence that the regulatory burden on ITV is 20 years out of date.
“Our duty is to invest as efficiently as possible in UK production, not to be an instrument of Governmental industrial policy or social engineering.”

BBC saves money by axing plans for Somerset

THE BBC has dropped plans to give Somerset its own dedicated full new radio station.
The cost-cutting measure follows a review of spending plans because of a lower than expected licence fee settlement..
However, the BBC is to start broadcasting its existing Somerset Sound station on its own FM frequency, 95.5 FM, from December.
In addition to improved sound quality on FM, BBC Somerset is also set to benefit from new broadband video investments over the next few years, subject to necessary approvals.
It would mean Somerset licence fee payers being given access to an increasing range of audio, video, and text information about what was happening in their area.
BBC Somerset editor Simon Clifford said: “For years now our listeners have been asking why we do not broadcast on FM.
“So this is great news and puts us on an equal footing with other BBC local radio stations by having our own FM frequency on 95.5.
“With the new frequency and our BBC Somerset mobile studio, which allows us to broadcast from virtually anywhere in the county, I am really excited about the way the station is developing.”
The FM presence will be made possible by changing BBC Radio Bristol’s FM frequency to an enhanced 94.9 FM service.
In turn, Somerset will have 95.5 FM as its main frequency and the station’s output will reach more of the county with a higher quality signal for its existing dedicated local programming

BBC Somerset will continue to be broadcast on 1566 AM and online at www.bbc.co.uk/somerset.

The Somerset programming currently splits from BBC Bristol at breakfast, mid-morning and for the drive programmes on weekdays, breakfast on Saturdays, and ‘Pick of the Week’ on Sundays.
More details are available by visiting www.bbc.co.uk/somerset, or the BBC Reception Advice website at www.bbc.co.uk/reception or by telephoning BBC Information on 08700 100 123.