AHBS are delighted with the announcement today ( 20 th May, 2009 ) by Ofcom, the communications regulator, that they have been awarded a community radio licence to broadcast to the Ashford area.

AHBS been awarded a commercial free FM radio licence and will broadcast a full service of entertainment and health information, aimed especially at those directly involved in healthcare, but also encompassing the wider community, with special attention paid to voluntary organizations, important civic and social services. Other community organizations, including the Council, schools and churches, will also provide regular content and information.

In addition to this will be the continuation of the service's commitment to a wide and diverse musical repertoire, including that of local performers, not currently heard on the radio as well as extensive training and community access.

Community radio licences are for small-scale, not-for-profit radio stations operated for the good of members of the public, or of particular communities. They deliver a much more localised service than the existing tiers of radio presently on offer.

AHBS is a registered charity and has been providing a radio service to hospital patients in Ashford since 1971. T he community radio licence will see AHBS increase and expand its service to cover an expanding audience across the borough.

Hospital patients will notice an improved service with more programmes, with patient request programmes taking precedence everyday as they have done since the station began in 1971.

The licence is award for a period of 5 years and will come into effect when broadcasts commence. AHBS intends to launch the service within the next six months .

Project Manager for the licence application, Richard Collins says: “ AHBS has been operating for 38 years in Ashford, providing information and entertainment to the hospital patients and staff. The addition of non-commercial FM broadcasts will extend the service's role to encompass more aspects of the general health community in the borough.

We will also be extending links and opportunities to other community organisations, both large and small, to benefit the wider community from our very targeted and unique radio service.

It's been a long process to finally be awarded this non-commercial license to broadcast to Ashford on FM. Plans were started 2 years ago and we were finally able to put together and submit our application to Ofcom last November. I'm absolutely delighted at the outcome, but the real work begins now organising everything before we switch the new transmitter on!”

AHBS Chairman Daniel Jones says: “The NHS and health & social care provision has changed widely since 1971 when AHBS started. In-patient hospital stays have significantly reduced and many people can now be treated in the community.”

“There are also a wealth of charities and community support groups in the borough. Being able to reach the wider community is a further extension of what we already do and this is a very exciting development for AHBS, the hospital and the Ashford community and we are grateful to our volunteers, supporters and East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust for supporting us in this application.”

- ENDS -

NOTES TO EDITORS:-

Further information will be released shortly and the full press release from Ofcom can be found on their website at:-
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/media/news/2009/

FOR MORE INFORMATION please contact:-

Richard Collins (07970 820 109) or : Richard.Collins@ahbs.org.uk
Daniel Jones - (07764 655 690) or : Daniel.Jones@ahbs.org.uk

Issue date: 20th Aprill, 2009