Ridgeway
Radio
the radio station for Dorset County Hospital and the community

Newsletter No 4 – February 2018

OFCOM allocate our frequency

As some of you will already know OFCOM have allocated 106.3 Mhz FM as our frequency. This is a good allocation as the only stations using this frequency in the south of the UK are a station in Bridgend in South Wales and according to OFCOM a station in the Exeter area but I was unable to find this stations listed. Neither of these station will affect reception in the local area.

We finally have a station name!!

After much debate the directors met recently and in a secret ballot voted for the name KeeP 106. No its not a typo on my part there is a capitol P at the end of the word KeeP!!

I know feelings have run high over the station name but I am sure everyone will get used to it and even learn to love it. You will be pleased to know that the views of both our members and the general public were taken into account in making this decision. The name of the company will continue to be Ridgeway Radio CIC.

The station now has a phone number, a web site and a great logos! 

Rob installed a BT versatility phone exchange and handsets with LCD displays in the studio recently. This system allows hands free communication between the 2 studios and the office. To make a phone call you need to press the button for line one or put a 9 in front of the number. Don’t worry as part of the induction members will be shown how to use the phone system. The station number is 01305 267545 and eventually we will also have voice mail facilities when the studio is not occupied to enable listeners and potential sponsors to leave a message.

Andy Venton has started on building our website and you can view the progress to date at keep106.com. We will also have          e-mail, facebook and other ways of contacting the station too. When the station goes on air we will have listen again facilities for some of our programs and even some video clips of local events on the website. Why not go to it to see the progress that Andy is making.

Membership

Thanks to everyone who has submitted a membership form and cheques. We will be in contact with you membership and training as soon as possible. If you have not yet submitted a membership application please do so as soon as possible as we need to start looking at programming in the near future.

Items for inclusion in the news letters should be submitted to Rob Mott by e-mail  

Station Programing

Anyone who is interested in joining and has not yet submitted a membership form please do this as soon as possible and also include times when you might be available for programs and to help set up the station.

Rob Mott is putting together a spreadsheet of potential programs and time slots, if you have an idea of a program that you would like to produce and present please contact him via the phone or e-mail ridgewayradiocic@gmail.com  or phone the studio during office hours.

Grants and money

West Dorset District council have awarded us a maximum of £1500 towards the cost of setting up the station which is good news. The money comes from the leisure and development fund and we can only claim 20 percent of invoices for setting up the station. This means we have to spend the money up front and then reclaim it.

Andy and Rob had a meeting with Adrian Stuart the Dorchester town council Clerk regarding the purchase of our FM transmitter. The town council has kindly agreed to purchase the transmitter for the station at a cost of around £1500. There is a article in the Town Councils news letter about KeeP106 that will be arriving on door mats in the town very soon.

We have other £500 grants pending as well. We have also applied to the Dorset Masonic discretionary fund for a grant.

Donations for start up costs

As well as the membership fees, we would ask all signed up members to please consider making a donation towards the start up costs for the station. Once we get on air we should be able to raise the money to keep us going but in the mean time we need money to carry out building work at the studios, install the transmitter, pay for radio licence fees of about £1,000 per year and  music copyright fees. Not to mention other costs involved in setting up the station. Every donation will help get us on the air.

Community Bank Account        

A Community account has now been set up with Barclays bank and we should have all the paperwork in the next few days. We would like to thank the local small business manager at Barclays Dorchester Jessica Irvine for her help in progressing the set up process.. If you would like to set up a standing order for membership the account details are as follows:-

Sort Code 20-11-43   Account Number 63917258  Account name Ridgeway Community Radio CIC

Record  and CD sale

Trevor Bevins has been very busy collecting records, CD’s and cassette tapes from members of the public and the pile is steadily growing. We hope to have the sale around Easter time. The money raised from this event will go towards building studio 2 and the production area. If you have any records or CD’s to donate please contact Trevor on 01305 261472.

Our Transmitter site

The amateur radio group (South Dorset Repeater Group)  who’s mast we will be using on Ridgeway hill held an AGM on the 8th of February. Rob Mott is the chairman of this group and during the meeting explained to the members present what equipment would be installed on site. The members unanimously agreed that this arrangement was to the benefit of both not for profit organisations. A meter will be installed to keep a check on what electricity we use and we will pay SDRG both site rent and our electricity bill.

Thanks to all the Ridgeway Hospital Radio members  for support with this project, don’t worry the Ridgeway Radio brand will not be forgotten!

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