Redstone
FM - Who Are We?
Redstone FM is
the new radio station for East Surrey. We will be broadcasting on DAB
across Surrey although are editorial area will be East Surrey and
Crawley. We plan to start broadcasting in 2012 when the new Surrey
DAB frequency goes live.
We are a membership
organisation incorporated as a Company Limited (Redstone
Community Broadcasting Ltd). We are committed to:
Our current
board of 8 has three visually impaired members and one wheelchair
bound member. Board members are elected by the membership for their
knowledge and abilities but not their disability.
Our aim is
for weekday daytime programmes to be presented by visually impaired
persons (or those with other physical disabilities). This continues
the structure of our previous temporary broadcasts.
We plan to
continue running training courses for those with disabilities
(subject to funding). This training gives the core knowledge that
will allow participants the opportunity to present or produce shows
on Redstone FM.
A youth
group will be launched in October 2011 with training and recording
activities taking place during the autumn.
Programmes
will be broadcast that will include local news and information about
the voluntary sector and provide a platform for local people and organisations.
History
Redstone
FM has developed from the radio training courses run at the RNIB
Redhill College. Since 2005, Redstone FM has broadcast with 6
temporary licenses issued by the media regulator, Ofcom. A full
history of the station can be found on our archive
page but highlights are listed below.
-
2005
The birth of the station. Redstone FM broadcasts its first
programmes on Tuesday 5 July. The station is officially opened by the
then Mayor of Reigate & Banstead, Cllr. Mrs Francis Dixon. Based
at the RNIB Redhill College, programmes were largely produced and
presented by students, most of whom were blind or partially sighted. More
-
2006
Redstone FM is still based at the RNIB Redhill College and
broadcasts two temporary broadcasts. The first in is January followed
by one in October. Students and former students of the college again
take a central role in producing and presenting many programmes. More
-
2007
The Radio broadcasting course at the RNIB ceases in March 2007 prior
to the college's closure in July that year. Former students and staff
commit themselves to continuing the radio station and to offer
opportunities to visually impaired people. In June 2007, Redstone FM
returns to the air with its fourth temporary broadcast. Based at the
Surrey County Council's Youth Centre at The Oakley in Merstham, the
broadcast was organised
in conjunction with the Redhill Carnival. Redstone
FM
broadcast live programmes from Redhill Town Centre and the Memorial
Park over the weekend of 2/3 June 2007. More
-
2008
Back on the air in May, Redstone
FM
covered that year's Adult Learners' Week with a range of interviews
and features on local adult education. In November that year, Redstone
FM
submitted its formal application to Ofcom for a full time community
radio license. More
-
2009
Perhaps the busiest year yet. Apart from a broadcast in June that
year (the 6th temporary broadcast), Redstone
FM
received considerable funding to run training courses for blind and
partially sighted students. Funded by the European Social Fund (ESF)
the training was based at the new Merstham Community Facility. The
broadcast itself came from new studios within the Belfry Shopping
Centre in Redhill and covered the annual Volunteers' Week and the
2009 Redhill & Reigate Carnival. Towards the end of the year, Redstone
FM
received further ESF funding to run additional radio training courses
for visually impaired persons during 2010. More
More
information here:
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