Public Information File
Contents:
1 What is the Public File?
2 News Bulletins
3 Recent News
4 The News Team
5 The Programme Schedule
6 Automation and Local Programming
7 Events and Charities we support
8 Coverage Highlights
9 Music Playlist
10 The Format
11 Ofcom Localness Guidelines
12 Contact Us
13 How to Complain
1. What is the Public File?
Each local commercial radio station in the UK has requirements in respect of its music and local content, such as news etc. These requirements are set out in the station "Format", a document issued by Ofcom, the UK media regulator.
The Public File contains details of elements Ofcom regulate over, such as music tracks, local news etc. It is intended to give you a better understanding of our output and what we are doing for the community we serve.
The Public File is available as a print out on request. Any comments on the file can be made to us or Ofcom.
2. News Bulletins
Below are details of how often we broadcast news bulletins and whether they are local, national or international news.
Monday to Friday
Local, National and World News
0600, 0700, 0730 Headlines and Sport, 0800, 0830 Headlines and Sport, 0900, 1000, 1100, 1200, 1230 Headlines and Sport, 1300, 1400, 1500, 1600, 1630 Headlines and Sport, 1700, 1730 Headlines and Sport, 1800 ‘Wearside Live’ (magazine programme with a roundup of the days news, sport, business and showbiz news).
National and World News
1900, 2000, 2100, 2200, 2300, 0000, 0100
Saturday
Local, National and World News
0800, 0900, 1000, 1100, 1200, 1230 Headlines and Sport, 1300
National and World News
1400, 1500, 1600,1700, 1800, 1900, 2000, 2100, 2200, 2300, 0000, 0100
Sunday
Local, National and World News
0800, 0900, 1000, 1100, 1200, 1300
National and World News
1400, 1900, 2000, 2100, 2200, 2300, 0000, 0100
3. Recent News
To view some of our latest news articles, please view the local news page.
4. The News Team
If you have any queries about News, contact one of our journalists via the usual 'Contact Us' details.
5. The Programme Schedule
Monday to Friday
1am - 5am: Nightshift, Adam Ferrari
5am - 10am: Breakfast, Simon Grundy and Sarah Knapper [Live and Local]
10am - 3pm: Mid Morning, Ashleigh Whitfield [Live and Local]
3pm - 7pm: Afternoon Drive, Pete Clough [Live and Local]
7pm - 10pm: Evening Show, Tom Stroud [Network] Monday – Thursday
7pm – 10pm: Feel Good Friday, Fiona Faulkner [Network] Friday
10pm - 1am: Late and Live, Lianna [Network] Monday - Thursday
10pm – 1am: Late and Live, Carolyn Ashton [Network] Friday
Saturday
1am - 6am: Nightshift, Marie Gardiner
6am - 10am: Breakfast, Simon Grundy
10am - 2pm: Saturday Lunchtime, Pete Clough [Live and Local]
2pm - 6pm: Saturday Music and Sport, Nick Pearce [Live and Local]
6pm - 10pm: Saturday Night Party, Fiona Faulkner [Network]
10pm - 1am: Fierce Angels [Network]
Sunday
1am - 6am: Nightshift, Marie Gardiner
6am - 8am: Breakfast, Sarah Knapper
8am – 12pm: Ashleigh Whitfield [Live and Local]
12pm - 4pm: Lunchtime Gameshow, John Harding [Network]
4pm - 7pm: Hit 40 UK, Lucio [Network]
7pm - 10pm: Soul on Sunday, Kev Roberts [Network]
10pm - 1am: On the Couch, Lianna [Network]
6. Automation and Local Programming
Sometimes it is necessary to pre-record (sometimes called Automation) programmes on the station. Currently we only automate during off peak programming(avoiding day times).
Some of our programmes are networked from off site. However on average at least 18 hours a day are from our premises.
7. Events and Charities we support
We support various local charity events every year. This usually includes promoting events on the radio station, attending events and donating prizes to worthwhile causes such as raffles. Every year we dedicate a whole days broadcasting and fundraising for our ‘Bring A Pound to Work Day’. Hundreds of local businesses register their staff to 'Bring a Pound to Work' which we collect as a station in the community. So far we have raised almost £300,000. On 22nd May 2008 we raised £29,066.56 to help build a local children’s hospice called ‘Grace House’.
Over the last few years, members of staff have not only raised awareness of various charity events, they have also participated in many of them. For example, the worlds largest half marathon - The Great North Run, The Race For Life, abseiling down the football stadium, sponsored head shaves, male body waxing, etc.
8. Coverage Highlights
The Pride of Wearside Awards
Together with the Sunderland Housing Group (now called GenTo), and The Sunderland Echo, we recognise people in our community who change peoples lives for the better, having had written nominations from their neighbours. There are various award categories for fund raisers, volunteers, young people, carers and family members. The awards are handed out at a big ceremony at The Stadium of Light every November.
The Sunderland International Airshow
Every year we take the radio station to the seafront for a 2-day outside broadcast from Europes largest free airshow. Over a million people assemble on the beach and surrounding areas to watch the free airshow and be entertained by their local radio station. During this weekend all local daytime programming is broadcast live from the event.
Sunderland Internation Kite Festival
Each year, in Washington, this free 2-day international festival of Music, Dance and Kites is brought together by the Arts Council, Sunderland City Council, The Sunderland Echo and 103.4 Sun FM.
Durham Agricultural Society Show
For 2 days every July the whole of the community congregates on Herrington Country Park in Sunderland for the area's leading agricultural show. Being their media partner, we broadcast live from the event.
Serving Sunderland for 10 Years
In May 2007 we celebrated our 10th Birthday with a whole month of celebrations and competitions. This included a competition called ’10 is the Magic Number’ which we played every hour across the day. We played a song from the year we came on the air (1997) and caller 103 won a prize off the Birthday Wheel. Each prize came from a c major advertiser / sponsor of the radio station who had supported us over our first 10 years. The prize values were varied, but included a £500 holiday voucher from Hayes Travel.
Another competition we ran was ’10 Years, 10 Songs, 10 Seconds, 10 Grand’ giving away thousands of pounds using a premium rate number to generate the prize fund. This competition ran across all The Local Radio Company stations during May.
We had 2 parties too, a Family Fun Day at Ashbrooke Sports Club. We gave away 7000 virtual tickets over a 5 day period which listeners swapped for a wrist band which gained entry and enabled them to ride the funfair rides as much as they liked. The Fun Fair was provided by Initial Events and Corporate Fun Fairs for the day. The day before, we had a separate party which was invitation only for advertisers and VIP’s from across the city.
We hosted our 10th Birthday Party on Bank Holiday Monday (28th) in The Ballroom of The Roker Hotel. Once again, we gave away the tickets live on the radio with hundreds of our listeners enjoying a free night out to celebrate with us, which included free food and a free drink too for each of the hundreds of listeners who attended.
9. Music Playlist
To give you an idea of our music, below is an hour from June 2008.
Jamiroquai ‘Virtual Insanity’ – Sam Sparro ‘Black and Gold’ – Aerosmith ‘I don’t Want to Miss a Thing’ – Billy Ocean ‘Caribean Queen’ – Kylie Minogue ‘Wow’ – Keane ‘Something Only We Know’ – Lighthouse Family ‘Lifted’ – Sara Bareilles ‘Love Song’ – Whitney Houston ‘ I Wanna Dance with Somebody Who Loves Me’ – Avril Lavigne ‘When You’re Gone’.
10. The Format
The format is the regulation document Ofcom issue. You can read or download it from Ofcom at: http://www.ofcom.org.uk/static/radiolicensing/formats/al055-3.doc
11. Ofcom Localness Guidelines
Ofcom issue Guidelines defining what "localness" is for a Local Radio station. You can read them on the Ofcom website: http://www.ofcom.org.uk/radio/ifi/rbl/car/localness/
12. Contact Us
To contact us, please click our contact details at the bottom of the page.
13. How to Complain
If you have any complaint about the radio station, for example, something you have heard - an advertisement or news story - in the first instance contact the station using the above details.
If you are not satisfied with the response you can contact Ofcom (the industry regulator) on 020 7981 3040 or via their website; www.ofcom.org.uk
