QUAY-FM

QUAY-FM is a VHF-FM broadcasting station on the island of Alderney. It holds the only Community Radio licence in the Channel Islands which was granted in 2014 to the Alderney Broadcasting Company (a non-profit organisation, limited by guarantee).[2][3]

QUAY-FM 107.1
Broadcast areaAlderney (Channel Islands) and territorial waters.
Frequency107.1 MHz
Slogan"In tune with Alderney!"
Programming
FormatMixed (Local information/hot adult contemporary)
Ownership
OwnerAlderney Broadcasting Company Limited
History
First air date12 February 2015 (2015-02-12)
Former frequencies87.7 MHz
Technical information
Power50 Watts.[1]
Transmitter coordinates
Links
Webcastquayfm.ci-servers.gg:1071/quay-fm
Websitewww.quayfm.gg

The scheme under which community radio stations were established in the United Kingdom by Ofcom originally did not apply to the Channel Islands, each of which has separate legal systems. Further legislation was in order needed to enable the establishment of community radio stations in the Islands.[4]

After representations from the QUAY-FM volunteers who had been operating an twice-yearly RSL and from the Government of Alderney,[5] this was enabled by the extension, by Order-in-Council of the relevant parts of the UK's Communications Act, 2003 to the Bailiwick of Guernsey.[6]

Applications were invited by Ofcom in December 2013[7] and closed in March the following year. This application round resulted in a licence being granted to the Alderney Broadcasting Company Limited, a non-profit company incorporated in Alderney, limited by guarantee (company number 1899) which was the only applicant within the Bailiwick, no applications having been received from either Guernsey or Sark.

History

The station was founded in the summer of 2000 by a number of volunteers, several of whom had backgrounds in BBC Radio, independent local radio (ILR) in the UK, and university radio.[8]

The station was originally authorised to transmit on 87.7 MHz FM under a Restricted Service Licence (RSL) issued by the UK's Radio Authority. It broadcast only during the peak summer vacation period, including Alderney Week. In 2004, a regular Christmas broadcast period was added. The station equipment was kept available to be activated in times of civil emergency, which happened once during extreme weather conditions in the winter of 2010 (which was nicknamed "SNOW FM" locally, although the familiar QUAY-FM name was used on-air).

Since the start of 2015, QUAY-FM has broadcast year-round under a Community Radio Licence issued by Ofcom (successor licensing body to the Radio Authority).[9]

Live, year-round transmissions were commenced at 7:00 a.m. on 12 February 2015 with the first transmission being made by Tim Butler (who was one of the original presenters on the very first RSL broadcasts in August 2000) presenting the Early Morning Show.[10]

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, QUAY-FM became a vitally important part of the Island's contingency measures, with President Tate making daily broadcasts to update islanders on the situation during the emergency powers lockdown and in the period during which restrictions were eased.

References
  1. "UK and Ireland FM Transmitters" (PDF). Frequency Finder UK and Ireland. Retrieved 17 February 2015.
  2. "Alderney Community Station Given Radio Licence". BBC. 12 June 2014. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  3. "New Radio Station for the Channel Islands". Radio Today. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  4. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-guernsey-22523397
  5. http://alderney.gov.gg/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=74961&p=0
  6. http://www.commedia.org.uk/news/2014/06/channel-islands-get-first-community-radio-station/
  7. http://licensing.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/radio/community/thirdround/Invitation_Guernsey_December_2013.pdf
  8. Roberts, Nigel. "About QUAY-FM". QUAY_FM. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  9. "Ofcom Awards First Community Radio License in the Channel Islands". 12 June 2014. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  10. http://www.itv.com/news/channel/2015-02-12/quay-fm-starts-broadcasting-year-round-from-today
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