97.2 BEACON FM

Public File

BEACON RADIO WEST MIDLANDS
PUBLIC FILE

Commercial radio stations in the UK are regulated by the UK government’s Office of Communication - Ofcom. Stations have requirements in respect of its music and local content (such as news, speech levels) which are set out in the station "Format", a document issued Ofcom.

This Public File contains details of the elements that Ofcom regulate Beacon Radio by and it is intended to give you a better understanding of our output and what we are doing for our local community.

1. News Bulletin Schedule including which bulletins provide local news and which provide only UK-wide bulletins (together with a note of extended bulletins where relevant to Format)
Beacon Radio broadcast news bulletins hourly from 0900 and 1900 and on the half-hour between 0600 and 0900 on weekdays. These bulletins contain a mix of local, national and world stories, along with sport, weather and entertainment news.

At the weekend, bulletins containing local, national and world news are broadcast on Beacon Radio between 0700 and 1300 on Saturdays and between 0800 and 1300 on Sunday. Additionally, national bulletins are broadcast from 2200 through until 0500 seven days a week. Extended bulletins of seven minutes are broadcast at 0700 1300 and 1700

2. Recent News stories covered on air
Recent stories can be seen on this website here.

3. Contact details for the News team
The Beacon Radio News team is led by Louise Easton with Broadcast Journalists, Julia Mills, Vicky Stone, Matt Price and Michelle Knight and has regular contributions from GCap Media correspondents and reporters.

You can phone the news on 01902 461260 or email them through their web page on this website here.

4. The programme schedule
A full and up to date programming schedule for Beacon Radio can be seen here.

5. The average number of hours of automated programming within weekday daytimes and within daytimes on Saturdays and Sundays

Each week Beacon radio automates the following hours.

Weekdays - Three hours per day - 0300-0600
Weekends – Two Hours on Saturday – 0500-0700

 
6. The amount of local programming per day produced by the station
All of Beacon Radio’s weekday daytime output (0300-1900) output is produced and presented from our local studios.  At the weekend peak shows are the following:

(Sat 0700-1900)
Sat 7am-10am  Locally produced and presented
Sat 10am-12pm  Jeremy Kyle (Produced by Beacon Radio’s parent company GCap Media)
Sat 12pm-2pm  The Kickabout (Produced by Beacon Radio & BRMB)
Sat 2pm-7pm  Locally produced and presented

(Sun 0600-1600)
Sun 6am-10am  Locally produced and presented
Sun 10am-12pm Ryan Seacrest  (Produced by Beacon Radio’s parent company GCap Media)
Sun 12pm-4pm  Locally produced and presented

Off peak programming (Music Control, Late Night Love, Music on Demand, Saturday Night Bam Bam, Entertainment Weekly, hit40uk, Myleene Klass) is produced at various studios, owned and operated by Beacon Radio’s parent company GCap Media plc.

7. Ofcom Localness Guidelines and how to complain to Ofcom (or link to the relevant part of Ofcom's website)
Ofcom has produced localness guidelines that this station adheres to. These guidelines can be read here.

In addition all local radio stations have written ‘formats’ that they must follow at all times. You can read ours here.

If you have a complaint to make about this station, in the first instance you should contact the programme controller at the address below.  If you are unhappy with the response you receive, you can complain directly to the regulator, Ofcom.

The Ofcom website has full details about how to do this here.

8. Station Contact details
We welcome comments about our output from listeners and advertisers and feel free to contact us on the details below.

West Midlands' Beacon Radio
267 Tettenhall Road
Wolverhampton
WV6 0DE

Tel Studio: 01902 754123
Text Studio: 07870 150 120

Tel Sales: 01902 461200
Tel News: 01902 461260

Further contact details of Beacon Radio can be found here.

9. Events/charities support or coverage
Details of all recent and up and coming local Beacon Radio events can be found here.

And information on our local charity activities can be found here.

10. Recent programme and/or news highlights
- Black Country Football Show  – Live Commentaries from Wolves and West Brom
- Stand Up for the Black Country – The Radio station supports the bid for £50 million of lottery money to come to the region

11. Any other issues or areas of interest likely to impact on localness
There are no current issues that impact on the localness of the station. However ooccasionally commercial radio stations from across the UK will join together for special causes which Beacon Radio would take part in and therefore broadcast a national programme.