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Chancellor to be radio's Robin Hood?

A community radio station for Newcastle and Gateshead is calling on Alistair Darling, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, to redistribute a £1.1m fine windfall to help struggling community radio stations across the country, including those in the North East.

NE1FM want the fine levied against radio giant GCap Media, for misleading listeners in a paid for phone-in competition, to be given back to the poor – community radio stations across the country.

NE1FM’s Bev Hill said: “We think this money should be shared by community radio stations like NE1 FM which are run mostly by volunteers who broadcast day in and day out, serving their communities whilst struggling to get by on very little money. “If the £1.1 million was shared equally amongst the UK’s 162 community stations, they would get £6,790 each - and best of all, it wouldn’t cost the taxpayers a single penny, because the money is an unexpected windfall as far as the government is concerned.”

NE1FM has been broadcasting to the people of Newcastle and Gateshead since June 2007. The station, based at Shieldfield, is on air for 24 hours a day with programmes showcasing local acts from around the region.

Bev Hill said: “This is potentially a one off golden opportunity for the government to recognise the work of community radio stations up and down the country and provide a much needed financial boost for these very small stations that are poor in pocket but rich in diversity and community spirit. So I do urge the chancellor and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, to play Robin Hood and distributing the windfall fine to help community radio here in Newcastle, Gateshead and across the UK.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .