It has been announced today, Tuesday October 18th, by OFCOM (The Office For Communications) that ToneFM’s parent organisation, The Tone Community Media Group CIC has been successful in their application for the Small Scale DAB Multiplex Licence for Taunton Deane. This will now mean TCMG CIC, will be able to bring a brand new digital radio service to the area.
In March of this year OFCOM announced that they would be inviting applications for organisations to step forward to take control of this brand new service for the Taunton Deane Area.
These new Digital Radio (DAB) services have been designed to give listeners a wider choice of content within a localised area, whilst also being managed and led predominately by Community Radio providers.
A small consortium led by the dedicated team of volunteers who run The Tone Community Media Group CIC, and who operate ToneFM in Taunton have today been confirmed as the winner of the licence application.
The award of this licence will now mean that ToneFM, amongst other local Community Radio Stations in the area will be able to add a truly digital service (DAB) to their outputs. It will also create the chance for other local Community Groups to also gain access to what will become a brand new platform for the area.
Director of The Tone Community Media Group CIC, and Station Director of ToneFM, Patch Jobson is thrilled with today’s news, and is now keen to progress with the installation;
“There was never any guarantee that we were going to secure this licence, even though we were the only applicant in the area. However, as a team of dedicated volunteers, today we are literally over the moon as this will signify a huge change for our community in the ability to access a wider range of content, whilst also giving not just ToneFM but other stations in the area a chance to reach a wider audience. There is a considerable amount of work still to do, but as we head towards celebrating the tenth birthday of ToneFM next year this is a superb way to head towards what will be an amazing 2023.”