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Friday 23 November 2012, PM

UKTV secures fourth Freeview slot - News - Broadcast

It takes just 2 minutes and offers full, instant access to the Broadcast website along with a copy of the magazine delivered every week. - broadcastnow.co.uk

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Ofcom delays local TV licence decision - Media - guardian.co.uk

Ofcom has delayed the decision on awarding the eight remaining local TV licences, including Londons, which will cater for 4.3 million households. This delay means the local TV licence for the London area, which caters for 4.3 million homes, is expected to be awarded by the end of February. The five London bidders had been told informally by Ofcom to expect a decision in November. - guardian.co.uk

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Friday 23 November 2012, AM

Pollard findings delayed until December - News - Broadcast

It takes just 2 minutes and offers full, instant access to the Broadcast website along with a copy of the magazine delivered every week. - broadcastnow.co.uk

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DTG :: News :: Ofcom consults on white space devices

Ofcom has published detailed proposals for a framework to allow white space technology to be used in the UK. Use of white spaces, which exist in between frequency bands that have been reserved for TV broadcasting, would allow devices to transmit and receive wireless signals for applications such as broadband access for rural communities or machine-to-machine networks. Ofcom's proposed framework is designed to ensure that the devices do not interfere with existing licensed users of the spectrum, which include DTT and wireless microphone users.As part of that framework, Ofcom proposes to allow white space devices to operate without the need for a licence. - dtg.org.uk

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BBC News - Hall has hands full with BBC job

Lord Patten has revealed that he talked to Lord Hall about the requirements of the post, before George Entwistle was appointed as director general in the summer. At that stage, the head of the Royal Opera House made it clear he would not apply because he was also tied up running the Cultural Olympiad, and, at 61, he also felt it was a job for someone younger. To start with there is the immediate fallout from the two separate BBC crises over Newsnight investigations into child abuse. - bbc.co.uk

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Thursday 22 November 2012, PM

Ariel - Tony Hall is new director general

Lord Hall is currently chief executive of the Royal Opera House, and was chairman of the board for the Cultural Olympiad. The 61-year old is expected to take charge of the Corporation as its 16th director general in early March, with acting DG Tim Davie to remain in the role until then. He believed Hall was 'the right person to lead the BBC out of its current crisis and help rebuild public trust in the organisation'. - bbc.co.uk

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Wednesday 21 November 2012, PM

News - SES.com

The company provides satellite communications services to broadcasters, content and internet service providers, mobile and fixed network operators and business and governmental organisations worldwide. - ses.com

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A Peek at TV's Future, Via Google Fiber - Peter Kafka - Media - AllThingsD

The Google Fiber experiment/maybe-not-an-experiment in Kansas City is important because it shows Googles ability to compete directly with broadband providers for control of the Internet pipe itself. If Google doesnt need to rely on the Comcasts/Time Warner Cables of the world to connect with your computer, then all kinds of interesting stuff could happen if Google really does want to get into the business of becoming a broadband provider. Google says thats the case, but its hard to imagine the company really following through. - allthingsd.com

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Wednesday 21 November 2012, AM

Ofcom - Ofcom sets out process for ITV, STV, UTV and Channel 5 licence renewal

This means that Ofcom can now work towards issuing new 10-year licences ahead of the expiration of the current licences at the end of 2014. However, the Secretary of State has also indicated that she is willing to extend the Channel 3 and 5 licences for a period of one year at Ofcoms request in the event that Ofcom is unable to reach renewal settlements before the required date. Ofcom will carry out an assessment of the financial terms on which the new licences should be offered with a view to publishing a statement in summer 2013. - media.ofcom.org.uk

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Ofcom - Licensing of Channel 3 and Channel 5: A report to the Secretary of State under section 229 of the Communications

Ofcom has a duty under the Communications Act 2003 'the Act' to report to the Secretary of State about matters which are relevant to the question of renewal. 1.2 In this report, we are required to give our opinion as to whether the existing licence holders will be able to contribute, at a commercially sustainable cost, to the fulfilment of the public service broadcasting purposes in the 10 years from 2015. 1.3 The Secretary of State's powers in relation to relicensing provide for three options intervention to block licence renewal, requiring Ofcom to auction the vacant licences no intervention, so that Ofcom proceeds with the renewal process and extending the existing licences, potentially until after the Communications Bill is completed. - stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk

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Monday 19 November 2012, PM

10 new HD channels for Freeview as Ofcom backs BBC plan - CNET UK

After some confusion over airwaves during the switch from old-fashioned analogue telly to 4G, Ofcom is looking far, far in advance -- to 5G,the next, next generation of super-fast mobile Internet. The telecoms watchdog already plans to sell the 700MHz frequency to mobile operators in 2018 to carry 5G signals. Peeved that they'll have to switch frequencies after spending the last couple of years getting people to switch to digital TV in the first place, the broadcasters want to start making use of 600MHz spectrum now to spread out the transition before 700MHz is sold off in 2018. - crave.cnet.co.uk

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Sky magazine tax loophole saved broadcaster up to £40m a year - Media - The Guardian

Accounts show most of the income from Sky magazine was recycled back to Sky TV. The broadcaster had been saving millions in VAT by charging satellite customers a nominal 2.20 a month for the Sky magazine, using a tax loophole that has now been closed. The saving, at about 3 to 4 per person, would have amounted across Sky's 10 million subscribers to at least 30m to 40m a year. - guardian.co.uk

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informitv - Tablets becoming first screen for some online video

Tablets are encouraging more viewing of long-form online programming. Online video platform provider Ooyala reports that the usage it has seen highlights continued growth in mobile and tablet video consumption. The overall share of tablet video viewing has increased by 90 in over six months. - informitv.com

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informitv - Releasing more spectrum for mobile broadband

This is in addition to the planned auction of spectrum released by the recently completed switch off of analogue television services in the United Kingdom. The latest proposals aim to draw on the 700 MHz band, currently used for digital terrestrial television, as part of future harmonised spectrum planning across Europe and the rest of the world. A final decision will be taken at the conference in 2015. - informitv.com

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Cutting the cord UK-style: can the Brits succeed where the US has failed? - The Verge

Over in the UK, however, things are starting to look a little brighter. The past five years has seen virtually all of the major players embrace digital content in some way, while American giants like Amazon and Netflix have invested heavily to capture the attention of the worlds second-largest native English-speaking population. The state of play The UK has around 50 free-to-air, terrestrial channels that can be accessed by anyone with an aerial or a satellite dish. - theverge.com

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Sunday 18 November 2012, PM

Ofcom - Ofcom unveils plans to avoid mobile ‘capacity crunch’

New mobile spectrum to avert a capacity crunch as usage doubles Protective measures to maintain digital terrestrial TV Ofcom today published plans to enable the release of new airwaves for future generations of mobile devices, which will help meet consumers growing demand for data on the move. Alongside the announcement, Ofcom has published new data on the UKs communications infrastructure, which shows that 20 million Gigabytes of data is now being consumed in amonth over the countrys mobile networks more than twice as much as last year 9 million Gigabytes. That is the equivalent of downloading 5 billion music tracks. - media.ofcom.org.uk

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Press releases - Programme press releases - ITV reveals first details of major rebrand - ITV Press Centre

Therebrandwill also extend to ITVs buildings, internal branding and services. When the logo appears on coloured background, such as marketing images for ITV programmes - it will adapt and change according to the background colour scheme of the image. The on-air changes will be visible from January 2013, and in addition to new brand identities, the ITV network broadcast business will have a brand new creative style in promotional junctions. - itv.com

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BBC - Research and Development: IRFS Weeknotes #130

Well, I'm supposed to be across all of the work from the Internet Research and Future Services team so today's weeknotes is a look at the current state of projects. Chris Newell is currently looking at Storm for distributed and fault-tolerant data stream processing. Michael has fallen in love with the seer gem for his graphs, we've been grappling with analytics and trawling through the feedback we've received. - bbc.co.uk

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Ofcom admits to local TV gaffe - News - Broadcast

It takes just 2 minutes and offers full, instant access to the Broadcast website along with a copy of the magazine delivered every week. - broadcastnow.co.uk

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ITV drops '1' from channel branding - News - Broadcast

16 November, 2012 By Balihar Khalsa ITV is to drop the 1 from its main channel logo and adopt a handwritten-style design which will constantly change colour in a major re-brand. It takes just 2 minutes and offers full, instant access to the Broadcast website along with a copy of the magazine delivered every week. - broadcastnow.co.uk

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TVs will need retuning again to make room for mobile services - Technology - The Guardian

Some rooftop aerials will need replacing in another round of disruption for TV-lovers. Photograph Graham Turner for the Guardian You may only just have worked out how to use your set top box after the digital switchover, but there is bad news for the nation's TV lovers on the horizon it will soon be time to adjust your television sets again. It took five years of wall-to-wall advertising and engineer visits to complete the digital switchover, which saw flatscreen digital televisions replace bulky cathode ray sets. - guardian.co.uk

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DTG :: News :: Report: Connected TV in 55% of UK homes

The study found that more than one in ten 11 Brits intend to purchase a Connected TV in the next year. According to YouGov projections, sales of Connected TVs over the next year could equate to nearly 2.54 billion. The bad news is that there are a lot of competing technologies out there that can be confusing to the consumer. - dtg.org.uk

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DTG :: News :: Ofcom to release new spectrum in preparation for '5G'

Ofcom has published plans to enable the release of spectrum for future mobile services, most likely '5G'. Alongside the announcement, Ofcom has published new data which shows that 20 million Gigabytes of data is now being consumed in a year over the countrys mobile networks the equivalent of downloading 5 billion music tracks. To help meet growing demand for mobile data more mobile spectrum is needed over the long term, together with new technologies to make mobile broadband more efficient, according to Ofcom. - dtg.org.uk

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Ofcom - Local TV Licensing

Below you will find information on how to apply for both the local television multiplex licence and the L-DTPS licences. Applications excepting any confidential information and awards are also published below as they become available. Further information on the local television framework can be found in the stakeholders section of the website. - licensing.ofcom.org.uk

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Saturday 17 November 2012, AM

BBC - BBC Internet Blog: What's on BBC Red Button 17-24 November

Rock legends The Rolling Stones are 50 this year and we've got some brilliant extras coming up on the Red Button to celebrate. Speaking to Radio 2's Jo Whiley and Huey Morgan just before their 50th anniversary tour, the band reveal the highs and lows of five decades in rock 'n' roll. Press red to see this previously unbroadcast footage. - bbc.co.uk

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Friday 16 November 2012, AM

Google TVs killer app is simply amazing

This week, Google brought a little something from ill-fated Nexus Q to Google TV. The new YouTube for Android app installed on smartphone or tablet now acts as a remote control to Google TV, taking interaction far removed and clumsy and making it intimate, fun and easy. You open the app, which prompts with a circle to touch to sync with the TV. - betanews.com

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ITV launches major brand overhaul - Media - guardian.co.uk

New ITV brand will have 'colour picking' facility that will allow the logo to be branded with hues that 'flex with the mood' of programmes. The rebranding, to be introduced on air in January, will lead to the introduction of a chameleon-like logo that changes colour to match different programmes. ITV is to retire the ITV1 channel brand it introduced in August 2001. - guardian.co.uk

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Thursday 15 November 2012, AM

YouView loses trademark appeal - Media - guardian.co.uk

YouView may be sued for infringement of the registered mark of telecomms company Total. Total registered the Your View name on 20 November 2009, before YouView made its own application in 2010. Total, which uses the Your View brand for its online billing service, intends to take further action after winning the court ruling, including a claim for damages. - guardian.co.uk

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Tuesday 13 November 2012, AM

BBC - Radio 4 and 4 Extra Blog: Feedback: The future of digital radio

I live in Hertfordshire, in the Chiltern Hills, less than 30 miles from London . This is hardly the back of beyond, and you would not think that hills barely 500ft high would prove an impenetrable barrier to a digital signal, but that seems to be the reality in parts of my village, though not where I am. I have a digital radio in my car and often drive up to Cumbria, losing the digital signal on parts of my journey. - bbc.co.uk

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Monday 12 November 2012, PM

BBC - BBC Internet Blog: What's on BBC Red Button 10 November - 17 November

Find out on the Red Button as we host the grand final live from Blackpool. From 800 entrants, six funny hopefuls will battle it out, hoping their killer lines will deliver them the New Comedy Award 2012 title. Get more details on the 1Xtra website and, of course, don't miss a minute of it on the Red Button. - bbc.co.uk

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Ofcoms UK 4G Auction Plans: Entry by December 11, Rollout by June 2013

UK communications regulator Ofcom today announced the final plans for the roll out of 4G networks and services in the UK, setting the processes which operators will need to follow during the auction. The initial deadline day for submissions is December 11, 2012 ahead of a May/June rollout, the organisation has said. The auction now has confirmed reserve prices for the 800MHz and 2.6GHz bands, totalling a cool 1.3 billion 2.07 billion. - thenextweb.com

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Monday 12 November 2012, AM

The BBC: after Entwistle - Editorial - Comment is free - The Guardian

George Entwistle is a decent man and he did the decent thing. By the weekend it was plain that the director general was out of his depth in trying to manage the crisis gripping the BBC. As editor-in-chief, he was ultimately responsible for a catastrophic editorial misjudgment over Lord McAlpine probably worse than the original Newsnight decision over its Jimmy Savile investigation, now the subject of its own drawn-out inquiry. - guardian.co.uk

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Sunday 11 November 2012, AM

BBC News - George Entwistle resigns as BBC director general

Mr Entwistle took up the post of director general on 17 September, and his sudden resignation makes him the shortest-serving BBC director general. Continue reading the main story George Entwistle said he was stepping down because as director general of the BBC he was also its editor in chief. He said it was the honourable thing to do after a BBC Newsnight film alleged child abuse by an unnamed Conservative politician - which was proved to be unfounded. - bbc.co.uk

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Friday 09 November 2012, PM

BBC News - BBC Cymru Wales-S4C programme agreement for four years

BBC Cymru Wales said the partnership underlined its commitment to Welsh language broadcasting. It provides programmes to S4C including Pobol y Cwm and Newyddion. - bbc.co.uk

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Thursday 08 November 2012, PM

BBC iPlayer - Archive on 4: Tuning In

The press fulminated, the enthusiasts were frustrated, and the radio manufacturers fumed. Despite the fact that Marconi had invented radio before Queen Victoria had celebrated her Diamond Jubilee in 1897, radio in Britain took another 25 years to begin an official service to listeners. From Marconi to Savoy Hill via an old army hut in Essex, the story of the early radio in Britain. - bbc.co.uk

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Tuesday 06 November 2012, AM

Meet D Love digital radio s secret weapon : Radio Today with RCS

Broadcast Minister Ed Vaizey announced that the countdown to radio switchover now had inevitable momentum and that Government would announce a decision on radio switchover in 2013. The Minister said that digital listening had increased to nearly a third of all listening and that a quarter of new cars were now fitted with digital radio as standard. He said that this great progress demonstrated that listeners love digital radio and that the car industry was fully engaged with the transition to digital. - radiotoday.co.uk

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Monday 05 November 2012, AM

3D TVs plummet to as low as £150 - 3D News from 3D Focus

You can even buy an LG 3D Blu-ray player for less than 70. However, it is a different matter as to whether people will use the 3D functionality of these sets in any significant numbers, when many find 3D an uncompelling experience in the home. - 3dfocus.co.uk

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Sunday 04 November 2012, AM

BSkyB wins high court trademark battle over Now TV name - Media - guardian.co.uk

However, Arnold threw out PCCW's claim on Friday, ruling that the company's registered trademark was invalid and that there was no passing off. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. To get the latest media news to your desktop or mobile, follow MediaGuardian on Twitter and Facebook. - guardian.co.uk

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BBC - BBC Internet Blog: What's On BBC Red Button 3rd November - 10th November

You can also watch at bbc.co.uk/radio2 or on BBC Big Screens. Watch highlights of the concert and interview on the Red Button and online from 9pm on Friday 9th November. All you have to do is consider each of the objects featured in the programme, select an option before our experts give their valuation and see how many you get right. - bbc.co.uk

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Friday 02 November 2012, AM

News - SES.com

The capacity will be hosted on the SES satellites positioned at the orbital position 28.2 degrees East. SES is currently undertaking a large fleet investment programme at that orbital position. For further information, please contact Markus Payer Media Relations Tel 352 710 725 500 markus.payerses.com - ses.com

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diamond geezer

- diamondgeezer.blogspot.co.uk

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Thursday 01 November 2012, AM

4G fears as first reviews claim speeds are 'oversold' - Mail Online

Initial reviews and online comments suggested speeds were not quite as promised while some even suggested that 3G connections had been slowed down to make the new service look quicker by comparison. Customers who sign up for a contract are being promised speeds of between eight and 12 megabits per second Mbps, as fast as the average home broadband connection. It is currently offered only by the EE network, with customers paying 36 a month upwards. - dailymail.co.uk

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BBC extends trial to switch off AM radio : Radio Today with RCS

Further trials to end transmissions on medium wave are under way at two more BBC local radio stations in England, aiming to save the corporation money. Radio Essex and Radio Hereford Worcesters AM transmitters are now broadcasting a message explaining why regular programmes are not available. As Radio Today revealed in August, the BBC is testing the switch-off of medium wave transmission for certain stations. - radiotoday.co.uk

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Wednesday 31 October 2012, PM

Freeview launches ads to boost preference - News - Marketing Week

Freeview is set to launch a festive marketing campaign to promote its premium Freeview box in a bid to increase the amount of consumers that make an active choice for its services as it marks the completion of the digital switchover. A still from the opening scene of Freeviews Christmas ad. An ad campaign will continue to feature its helium balloon creative, which will be married together with upcoming Christmas programming and will also symbolise Freeview services such as the ability to pause, rewind and record live TV. - marketingweek.co.uk

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Tuesday 30 October 2012, PM

Ariel - iPlayer catches up with Sky+

Those with a Sky HD box and broadband connection can directly access the BBC's video on demand service at no extra cost. Channel 4's 4oD is expected to be added early next year. Viewers can browse BBC content by channel, day and genre, before downloading their chosen programme directly to their Sky planner for viewing when convenient. - bbc.co.uk

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S4C eyes decentralised structure - News - Broadcast

30 October, 2012 By Jake Kanter S4C is assessing whether it should reorganise itself into three hubs across Wales. It takes just 2 minutes and offers full, instant access to the Broadcast website along with a copy of the magazine delivered every week. - broadcastnow.co.uk

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DTG :: News :: Report: Catch-up TV voted most important tech development in last decade

The ability to watch TV content at a time to suit the viewer has been hailed as the most important technological development in the last decade, according to a poll by Freeview to celebrate its 10th birthday. Digital Switchover, giving mass access to free digital channels across the UK also scored highly, with one in ten 10 stating this was the most important development of the period. The launch of 3D TV ranked eighth of the ten options 5, with mobile TV in 9th place 4, according to the poll. - dtg.org.uk

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Tuesday 30 October 2012, AM

Ad industry backs LondonTV Consortium bid for new channel - Politics - London news, sport events - London24

The battle is hotting up for the biggest publicly-awarded franchise since Channel 5 in the 1990s which will go on Freeview across London next year as well as globally on satellite, as part of the first round of local TV stations announced by the government. It is the only one of the five bidders that the big ad agencies say has the right commercial model to make a free public service station work commercially for a global city the size of Londonbecause it can surround its local programming with world class quality entertainment to get large enough audiences. The Consortiums chief executive, Richard Horwood, said The alternative is the wall-to-wall low budget, endless repeats and unwatchable programmes that have characterised local TV in the past and condemned it to commercial oblivion. - london24.com

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BBC iPlayer launches on Sky+ - Telegraph

The free service will use customers broadband connections, via any internet service provider, to access the web and download programmes available on the iPlayer to Sky boxes. Standard definition programmes will typically be available almost instantly, while HD will take longer because of larger file sizes. The BBC iPlayer is now available on over 650 platforms and devices, including apps built-in to smart TVs. - telegraph.co.uk

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Monday 29 October 2012, AM

Ofcom - 200 community radio stations now on air

Over two hundred community radio stations are now broadcasting in locations across the UK, Ofcom announced today, after new services went live in Kent and Dorset. The milestone comes as the first community radio station to hit the airwaves The Eye in Melton Mowbray nears its seven-year anniversary. Since Ofcom awarded the first community radio licence in 2004, new stations have launched in areas all over the UK from inner London to Orkney each serving a particular communitys needs. - media.ofcom.org.uk

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