Our Broadcasting Philosophy

Inspiration FM aim’s to put the unity back into the community by raising the awareness, achievements, knowledge and understanding of diverse cultures, within the community, to help promote the views and opinions of others. Our aspirations will be to involve as many cultures and age groups within the target audience in the planning, sound and style of the broadcasting output.

History

Since 1996 Inspiration FM have completed 15 Restricted Service Licences (RSL). These broadcasts have developed into a popular, successful and well loved multicultural radio venture. The organisation was set up by community volunteers with support and funding from the Northampton Borough Council and Northamptonshire County Council.

Over the past 12 years Inspiration FM have developed close working relationships with grass roots level organisations, voluntary groups, diverse communities, local businesses, schools, colleges, training education providers, job centre, Northants Police, Health & Primary Care Trust, a variety of departments & resources in the Northampton Borough & County Council, as well as the key development and infrastructure organisations responsible through consultation for shaping the future of Northampton. Inspiration FM continues to make valuable contributions to Northampton, using the experience, knowledge they have gained.

Inspiration FM is now ready and able at to take this radio project forward. Organisations such as ALL FM and Radio Region (Manchester), New Style FM (Birmingham) and The Community Media Association (Sheffield) are advisors to the Board and Committee. Inspiration FM is now starting to get its training programme accredited by working in partnership with other organisations. Inspiration FM has been based at 20 Sheep Street, Northampton, NN1 2LU since its inception in 1996.

Inspiration FM have won a number of prestigious awards, a true reflection of Inspiration FM dedication and professionalism but also the warm regard and esteem it is held in by the local public and business community.

Key Facts

Over the years, listed here are just a few of the organisations we have received support from: • Northampton Borough Council 12 years • Northampton County Council 12 years • BBC Radio Northampton 8 years • Community Volunteers 10 years age range from 6 to 60 • Tony Clarke ex Labour MP • Sally Keeble Labour MP • SRB5 Training Funds • SRB6 Training Funds • Local Network fund Training Funds • Catalyst Fund Training Funds • Princes Trust Training Funds • Black Police Association • Crown Prosecution Service • Connexions • Northampton College • Many Statutory organisations and Community groups • Northampton Carnival

Broadcasts

RSLs Compleated

1. 18/11/1996-15/12/1996 (frequency 107.4)
2. 26/05/1997-22/06/1997
3. 24/11/1997-21/12/1997
4. 22/06/1998-19/07/1998 (frequency 105.8)
5. 23/11/1998-20/12/1998
6. 12/07/1999-08/08/1999
7. 06/12/1999-02/01/2000
8. 17/07/2000-13/08/2000
9. 11/12/2000-07/01/2001
10. 16/07/2001-12/08/2001
11. 24/12/2001-20/01/2002
12. 25/11/2002-22/12/2002
13. 08/12/2003-04/01/2004
14. 05/12/2005-01/01/2006
15. 10/12/2007-06/01/2008

The Future

On 24 July 2008 Inspiration FM was awarded a 5 year Community Radio Licence by Ofcom. If all goes well and with the support of our listeners, advertisers, sponsors and volunteers this will enable us to begin broadcasts 24/7 by July 2010.

We wish to provide a service for the multi-cultural/diverse ethnic minorities and the socially excluded members of the community. Information from previous broadcasts, has indicated that listeners from the wider community have also shown great interest and have participated in our programming, community issues, news, information, local topics and widely based niche music programmes.

We have members from the communities broadcasting Asian, African, Irish, Greek, Mediterranean, Somali, Punjabi, Eastern European, speech and specialist music shows.

Northampton is the largest town in the county with a population of 200,000. The population is projected to expand up to 300,000 within the next 12 years. Inspiration FM intends to provide a service for those in the community who are under represented and who don’t have a voice.

The nature of Inspiration FM's proposed radio service is to create a radio station that breathes harmony into the community. Inspiration FM aim is to sound as slick as a BBC Radio Station but with ultra community values, bringing voices, more choices to the airwaves. A mouthpiece for the community, a place to feel as one, promoting racial harmony, cultural understanding breaking down barriers and stereo types. Inspiration FM will put the Unity back into The Community.

Since 1996 Inspiration FM has successfully completed fifteen 28 days Restricted Service Licenses. These broadcasts were developed with the consultation of volunteers, the community and corporate statutory bodies and organisations. With this information & statistics Inspiration FM Radio have been able to develop a unique format of community radio for our listeners and target audience, which has been put to the test and works well with the communities of Northampton. The rich blend of music mix, and the broad range of information, topics and features delivered by local faces in the community have proved to be a success and a true reflection of the communities needs and makes Inspiration FM service different from the other local radio services. Publicising, advertising small & big events, recruitment, jobs, neighbour hood watch schemes with the police, has helped voluntary groups and community groups inform their community of the activities happening in it and around it.

Local Sports Show, Kids Show, Teenagers Show, College Students show, History/Facts Show (Did You Know….. Show), Come & Play Show (out of the hat draw show where members of the community come in and play songs from their music collection) are shows on Inspiration FM that are not found on any other local stations.

Inspiration FM has unique radio programmes that have won awards. The Greek show on Inspiration FM is the only Greek show on radio outside of London. The show was featured in Greek magazines/newspapers. The wide variety of music played on Inspiration FM will never be heard on any other local stations.

Niche music radio shows for music lovers and dancers bringing back memories of revival classics, tunes played at clubs and pubs by the Dj’s of that time.

Inspiration FM will look to produce in the future a 24 hours broadcasting service seven days per week.

Elements

We intend to produce a range of regular features which may vary.

Additionaly we will produce features which stimulate and challenge such as:

We will broadcast these items on a regular basis:

Music/Speech Ratio

Styles of Music to played on the station will include Chart, Dance, RnB, Classics Sounds, Reggae, Gospel 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, 90’s right up to date. Traditional Asian/Punjabi African Mixtures, African Caribbean, Northen Soul, Jazz, Drum & Bass, House, Garage, Soca, RnB, Bhangra, Hip Hop, Dancehall, Ambient, Local Bands & Music, Country, Rock, Urban

Daytime Playlists

The unique blend of cultures and music and interviews & information will give listeners a new choice of station to listen too. It will be local people doing true local community radio from the grass roots levels right up. Some of the music played shall be local artists, New UK talent, bedroom producers and a wide variety of multicultural music from ethnic minority origins. Inspiration FM will also play artists in these genres that are not just on main stream record labels; these categories of music will include – R&B, Hip Hop, Bhangra, Greek, Soca, Jungle, Irish, African, Reggae and Dance.

Topical Content

Ultra Local community news will be our key unique selling point. Presently ethnic minorities are the most difficult communities to reach, due to there being no local form of media that represents their community. Therefore having a central focal point to disseminate local information that will reach ethnic minority/young communities. Interviews with key community figures and organisations from different ethnic communities. Interviews will include listener participation, phone-ins, open discussions as well as one to one formal interviews. A percentage of the language will be in Asian, Greek, African but the majority will be in English.

• English 92.9% • Urdu 1.9 % • Greek 1.0% • African 1.0% • Somali 1.1% • Punjab 1.0% • Other 1.1%

Inspiration FM aims to produce 8 -10 segments a day of locally produced broadcast material between the week day hours of 6 am to 12am. Some of these segments may be played back during automation hours between 12am & 6am weekdays. For weekends Inspiration FM aims produce to 6-8 segments per day over the weekends Sat & Sun. News reports are planned to come from IRN, BBC local radio and Northampton Herald & Post (local newspaper).

News Sources