Not For Profit Radio

Not For Profit Radio

 

Not for profit radio includes hospital, community, student and special event radio. Not for profit radios cannot raise more than 50% of their operating costs from a single source, which includes advertising and sponsorship. Other operating costs must be raised via other means, such as donations and fundraisers or grants from the government.

Community radio stations are smaller local stations that offer opportunities to individuals, such as training and experience working in the radio industry. Community Radio gives people of all ages a chance to give something back to their community. They typically broadcast within a small are-usually about 5 km Salford City Radio is an example of a community radio stations. The majority of presenters are unpaid volunteers and usually have a show of around an hour discussing things that benefit their communities. The stations need to become a part of the community by reflecting the community’s interests

Ofcom allows applications for community radio licenses on a region by region basis. To gain a license, the applicants must demonstrate that their station will meet the needs of a specified target community. The station also needs objectives, such as things that will benefit the community, such as committing to training people in broadcasting or providing a certain amount of programming for a certain amount of people.

Another form of not for profit radio is hospital radio. It is designed for the in-patients of the hospital and also offers volunteers to take part within its broadcasts. The volunteers may go around the wards and ask the patients what sort of music they would like to listen to. Features of hospital radio typically include news about the hospital and interviews, as well as catered music based on general tastes of the patients. The radios are usually transmitted by low-powered AM or FM radio licenses or via the internet. Live programming is restricted as to when volunteers can attend the radio studios.

Student Radio is a station which broadcasts within a college or university. The features are more often than not created by students but may feature people from the surrounding community. Student radios typically feature music, interviews and news and sports relating to the campus. They may also provide opportunities for up and coming artists, giving them airtime through playing their songs or promotional material.

Restricted Service Licences (RSL) are used for special event radio stations or for a trial before an application for a more permanent license. Short term RSL’s typically last for a 28 days and can only be used twice  a year, with four moths separating each broadcast.