The Tower is a brand of local social enterprise Artisan Intermedia Ltd (soon to be converted to a CIC).
With the loss of truly local radio, the reduction in local programming from the BBC, and the soaking-up of smaller local stations into large national brands, regional audiences are constantly crying out for 'truly local radio' here.
We are launching our new community radio station to provide a platform for several sectors of the local community, from young people to carers and the cared for, from local businesses to local musicians. We are already establishing relationships with local authorities across the district. We have already received support from County Councillors such as Cllr David Harrison, who wishes us good luck with our new venture, and Cllr Fran Carpenter. Both councillors have helped us secure our music licences for year one. The team is very grateful and excited to get started.
We are therefore committed to bringing community media back to The New Forest under our new brand, The Tower (Radio & Podcasts). The benefits and valuable experiences we witnessed during our last project far outweighed the basic costs of providing them. We interviewed 150 guests from around the New Forest in our first year, reached thousands of people and trained our volunteers, including a youth team - one member of which went on to embark on a career in TV and is currently a Production Manager for the company behind Formula-E motor racing coverage!
We seek support from local authorities, businesses, organisations, voluntary groups, and residents to help raise the new service(s) profile. We are also keen to involve the local business community in making this an invaluable service to those who live, learn, work, rest and play in and around our special part of the South Coast. We want to encourage local people - both young and old(er) - to listen and participate.
We will spotlight the different sectors of the community, from young people to carers and the cared for, from local businesses to musicians and the rising talent on our doorstep.
The station will be a platform on which we can stream coverage of local events, live music and interviews at gigs locally, snapshots of festivals locally to help promote them or reach those who would have liked to have gone but can’t for whatever reason, as well as providing training and work experience in a broadcast organisation that can encourage young people especially to seek a career in the media with some essential knowledge.
We're even going to produce a regular 'Live Lounge' show at The Lighthouse Community Studio in Christchurch and broadcast the show on the station for all to hear. Local music is at the heart of The Tower, as we have so much singer-songwriter talent in our area, and it needs to be heard by as many people from the local community as possible.