From The Orcadian

By Lorraine Shearer

The county could be home to two community radio
stations later this year after it emerged this week
that a second application for a broadcast licence has
been lodged with Ofcom.
Under the terms of their existing licence, officials
behind Superstation Orkney, which was successfully
trialled in late 2004, have just seven months to
launch the station onto the airwaves.
However, a rival bid for a community station has been
launched by Martin Gilbert, of Avonlea, Dounby, who
was originally involved with the Superstation project
but now plans to launch his own venture, called Radio
North Isles.
The man behind Superstation says he is confident that
his “dream” project will still go ahead.
Dave Miller quashed rumours that he is planning to
sell the licence, although he admitted that he has
been approached by buyers.
He said: “We have until September left on the licence
and have now asked Ofcom to obtain clearance for our
frequency and allocate us a spot on the FM dial.
“Our company has had a number of interested parties
wanting to purchase the Orkney licence and we are
always happy to speak with people.
“It is not in our plans to sell the licence and we
fully intend to launch the station as soon as we have
all systems in place.
“Eventually, we would like the Superstation to go into
Orcadian hands, so that it’s the people of Orkney’s
very own station. It is not the current board of
directors’ intention to keep the radio station
forever.”
Mr Gilbert, who pulled out of Superstation following a
disagreement over the way it was run, hopes his
application to Ofcom for a community radio licence
will be successful.
He claimed that he does not see his project as being
in competition with Superstation.
“It is entirely different,” Mr Gilbert said. “Radio
North Isles will be entirely for the population
of Orkney, run by Orcadians for Orcadians.
“From the application, Superstation was more about
leaning towards the commercial side and bringing in
incomers from outwith the area, which I do not see as
being community radio.”
Mr Gilbert was instrumental in bringing the radio ship
Communicator to Orkney, from where Superstation
broadcast during the three-month trial period in 2004.

“At the last minute, Dave Miller said there was not
going to be any local community in there. I said if
that was the case, I would pull out. I did not see
that as being community-orientated.”
Superstation’s set-up costs are estimated to be
£348,000, with a total of £237,980 outgoings in the
first year, according to Mr Miller’s application to
Ofcom.
Half the first-year costs of £124,000 are expected to
come from European social funds with £20,000 from
government enterprise through Learndirect Scotland and
Support Training and £144,000 from on-air advertising
and programme sponsorship.
The Ofcom application says the station took in just
under £30,000 in local advertising revenue during the
trial.
Mr Gilbert says he plans to run a non-profit-making
community station.
“All I want to do is cover our costs, which are
minimal. I would hope to raise some of the cash needed
to start up through Lottery funding, or the local
enterprise company. If there is any profit, it will be
donated to local charities.
“Hopefully, we will identify studios in Kirkwall. I am
expecting to hear back from Ofcom about the licence,
mid-April to mid-May. If that is okay, then I will
start setting it all up.
“I have checked with a few different areas where we
could put the transmitters. Hopefully, we will be able
to cover the Mainland and the isles.”