Building a local Community Radio Station

Aim

We are wanting to raise funds to buy equipment to be able to broadcast live on air for the community.

We have been door to door letting people know about our radio station and what information we plan on broadcasting

regarding the local area and community activities throughout the year. We also want to help people who are lonely, isolated

and suffer with mental health issues and raise the aware in the area that we are also a medium for people to get involved

with. We see it that people within the community can meet others and make new friends. We also want to be a media

training centre for people with interests in all types of broadcasting which is great for confidence building and helping those

who wish to look into it further as a career.

Oxygen Community Radio is proposing to serve the Community of South East Northumberland from Bedlington.

Northumberland’s population is concentrated in the South East corner of the county. South East Northumberland

comprises the whole of the former districts of Blyth Valley and Wansbeck and extends westward to include the market

town of Morpeth; its main settlements are Ashington, Bedlington, Blyth, Cramlington and Morpeth. Ashington is a formerly a

coal mining community, as is Blyth which has seen some of its other major industries decline in recent times. Cramlington

was classed as a ‘new town’ when development started in the 1960’s, Morpeth is classed as a market town. South East

Northumberland is adjacent to the Tyne and Wear Conurbation but it is an area with its own distinct identity, history and

culture. The area also contains a number of smaller settlements including Choppington, Stakeford, Guide Post and

Newbiggin-by-the-Sea. (Service Area Profile – South East – Northumberland County Council Infonet) At present, South

East Northumberland Residents are under informed regarding local affairs due to the focus of the Regional Media on the

Tyne-Wear conurbation. Population summary Data is for 2010 and the source is the Mid-Year Population Estimates

produced by the Office for National Statistics

(ONS). Population by Age All Ages 0-15 16-29 30-44 45-64 65+

Within 5km of Bedlington 62,672 11,950 10,279 12,198 17,988 10,257

Oxygen Community Radio has been online since January 2019 and provides a local general music and information service

with a wide range of genres and music from across the ages. There is a focus on older music during the day and late

evening, reflecting the demographic of the area, which shows 65% over 30s and 45% over 45s years old. There is more

current/recent music at Breakfast and Teatime when the younger audience can be greater. We play General Popular music

from the last 60 years, together with specialist shows – for example, we will continue our current online programming for

Hot Adult Contemporary, Rock and Roll, Reggae, Soul, and Classic Rock, with others as demanded. Local News supplied

by Johnston Press’ News Post Leader, National News from Radio News Hub in Leeds. Local, National and Sports

information from Bedlington Terriers FC, FiveMinuteFiction.co.uk among others, “YOU Tell Northumberland” - community

“adverts” made by the groups themselves. The likely music to speech ratio is Music 80%, Speech 20% This will vary,

mainly at weekends depending on local sports coverage, although some midweek sports coverage is anticipated.

As other events become available for broadcast within, or by, the local community, such as local debates, plays etc. we will

endeavour to broadcast them, either live where possible, or recorded highlights. Oxygen Community Radio will broadcast a

minimum of four hours per weekday live. Oxygen Community Radio makes extensive use of Social Media to interact with

our audience. This has been proven to be particularly effective during recorded programming with requests for subsequent

programmes. We will also continue with outside broadcasts from various local Fairs, Busker Evenings, National Trust

Properties in the Area, such as Seaton Delaval Hall, as well as continuing to cover local sporting events.

This project successfully funded on 20th May 2019