Broadcasting - Community Radio

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Engineering Advice and Guidance on applying for a Community Radio Licence:

Introduction

To be blunt, engineering plays a very small part in the application process, and whether your licence bid is successful depends very little on what you say in answer to the Engineering questions (Section Nine) on the application form. Ofcom go so far as to state that "applicants will not be penalised if they are not yet able to complete each question.. " (their italics, bold and underlining!). This is not to say that engineering is unimportant to the operation and success of a radio station, and all their questions will have to be answered if a licence is granted, but that the detail is not crucial at the stage before a licence is awarded.

We want to give advice which maximises your chances of being successful, and minimises the time, effort and costs of doing so.

On engineering matters, all Ofcom really want to know is that you have read and understood their forms and documents, and what you are proposing to do is broadly in line with what they are expecting and permitting.

Ofcom's guiding principle of Community Radio is that it is local in nature and (on FM) it is "..expected to cover areas of typically up to 5 kms in radius.." This means that your proposal should closely match this prescription, or you may put yourself at a disadvantage. An applicant wanting to cover 'The Midlands' or 'the whole of Manchester' stands no chance of getting a licence to do so.

For most prospective applicants seeking a standard FM licence, we recommend a 3-step approach to dealing with the Engineering aspects of the application form:-

Step 1

Define your target: You obviously have clear idea of who your community is and where they live (you will need to specify this in Section Five). Start by marking up a map with the area where most of your community lies, then draw a 5 km (3.1 miles) circle trying to wholly or mainly enclose this target area.

This simple approach will inform Ofcom clearly about your intentions. It shows that your proposal is in line with their expectations about the scale of operation, and allows them to consider whether there is a frequency to give you in your area. It will also be the starting point for transmission providers such as Radica to consider transmitter sites and actual coverage, but there is normally no need to look deeper into actual coverage at this stage unless factors such as terrain indicate it would be difficult or costly to achieve your target coverage.

Step 2

Plan ahead: Show that you have thought about the practicalities of setting up the station's engineering by including a statement in your application that describes the path you would follow in the event of successfully qualifying for a licence. This course may include taking professional advice from a company such as Radica who will then help with all aspects of creating and realising your transmission plans including:-

• transmission site selection
• coverage plots
• antenna design and modelling
• gain calculations
• equipment selection
• rack builds
• installation and commissioning
• maintenance and repair

Step 3

Budget: Precise costings are near-impossible to achieve at the pre-licenced phase, but you need a realistic estimate for inclusion in your "business plan" and your licence application. A budgetary estimate of £10k to £15k will be sufficient to cover the planning and provision of standard FM installations.

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Engineering Advice and Guidance on applying for a Community Radio Licence (a printable version of the page) - [244kb]

Engineering Services for Community Radio stations:

Radica has unparalleled experience in transmission provision. We have worked for a broad range of clients in the commercial and voluntary sectors to establish both FM and AM broadcast installations (see our client list here). We offer Community Radio a complete service too - we are not "box shifters" or back-bedroom "consultants" - ranging from the identifying cost-effective transmission sites; analysing, optimising and plotting broadcast coverage; the design and computer-modelling of antennas; selecting and integrating a complete packages of transmission equipment; on-site installation and compliance-testing of equipment; and the maintenance and monitoring of transmission sites.

Transmission site selection:

The best site will be one which achieves the optimum balance between effectiveness and cost. Effectiveness is judged by how well the chosen site allows you to deliver best possible signal to your target community area. Radica can assist in the seach for a suitable site, and advise on the suitability of candidate locations. transmission site example When considering FM transmission, factors which affect this are the height of the site in relation to the target area, and the position of the site within that area. The best site may not necessarily be the highest or the most central - a high site may give excessive overspill of coverage into areas beyond your target (and beyond the 5km "norm") - this will lead Ofcom to ratchet down your power to contain the signal, so reducing the potency of your transmission within your core area. In addition, the highest sites are generally the "prime" locations with the costliest site rentals. Instead, an off-centre site may be engineered with directional aerials to achieve the desired non-circular coverage - this costs more in design time and hardware, but could save on operating costs and allow you to take advantage of topographic features. It is worth considering whether it is possible to find a studio location co-sited with a desirable transmission site - this will save on the costs of linking the studio and transmitter. Ofcom need to know the exact transmitter site before a licence is formally awarded, but the site does not need to be pinned down at the inital licence application stage.

Broadcast coverage prediction:

Once possible sites are shortlisted, real-life coverage can be predicted by computer methods taking into account the surrounding terrain, along with transmitter power, antenna height and radiation pattern. Radica offers a coverage prediction service, in association with the specialists in this field, ADTI. Radica are experienced in the interpretation of computer prediction plots, and the results for diferent sites can be compared against each other to select the one which offers the best opportunity to match your identified community area. Coverage can also be correlated with population statistics databases. Predicted coverage is plotted on a colour-coded map with a methodology and layout which is acceptable to Ofcom (again, this presentation is ultimately required by Ofcom, but is not necessary at the early application stage).

Antenna system design and modelling:

The pattern of signal radiation from an antenna depends on the fundamental characteristics of the antenna itself and the modifying effects of surrounding objects, such as the tower it is mounted on, other antennas, railings, guy wires, etc.antenna plot exampleUnless the aerial is a simple vertical dipole mounted on top of a pole, well clear of surrounding metalwork, the pattern is unlikely to be a simple circle. Radica use computer-based modelling techniques to determine exactly how signal is radiated, and we can optimise designs to achieve desired results. Sometimes a design for a special antenna pattern is needed to match a coverage requirement (to minimise or maximise signal in a particular direction, or to include a horizontally-polarised component, for instance). Sometimes modelling is needed simply to see the real-life pattern of an existing design.

Usually the three processes of site selection, coverage prediction and antenna modelling go hand-in-hand to achieve the aim of delivering the most cost-effective solution to the station, and providing the regulator with the information needed to apportion the frequency resource.

Equipment selection:

Making the right choice of equipment at the outset is vital to the success of any station. We can match your requirements with an appropriate set of kit. Of course, there's more to it than just a transmitter. You need also to consider the requirements for following:

• audio processing,
• antenna or antenna array,
• feeder cable,
• studio-to-transmitter link (STL),
• RDS, including travel flagging,
• output filtering,
• monitoring and telemetry,
• regulatory monitoring points,

Many radio stations also have back-up or "redundant" facilities for use in the event of failure of the main transmitter, the STL, the studio output, or the mains power supply. It is sometimes a delicate choice deciding between the needs of providing a reliable and credible service by staying on air, and the costs and complexities in doing so.

We select equipment carefully from a variety of manufacturers. We rate performance, quality and reliability highly, and appreciate the impact this has on listeners, funders and station staff, whilst not losing sight of realistic and sensible budgetary constraints. Radica can provide experienced guidance and advice on all aspects of the choice of equipment to arrive at a cost effective solution for you.

Rack builds, installation and commissioning:

We specialise in the integration and testing of complete system racks, their installation, and commissioning on site. This includes the preparation and submission of the necessary paperwork to Ofcom - schematic diagrams, gain calculations, and antenna plots. Community Radio installations are subject to formal commissioning inspections by Ofcom engineers, and the equipment (including back-up kit) must be compliant with the Engineering Code. Radica has an excellent record of dealing with all aspects of the process of setting up a permanent broadcasting system, and we can ensure success. Our standard recommended kit includes the technical monitoring points needed for efficient and non-disruptive regulatory testing.

The installation antenna systems often requires careful planning and Radica can provide support through the processes of negotiation with site owners, planning permission, and health and safety considerations. Where appropriate, we employ and instruct professional riggers to carry out the erection of antennas safely and efficiently.

Maintenance:

Radica provides engineering support for a wide customer base. Our services includes routine preventative maintenance and compliance testing, and we also provide follow-on emergency support without expensive contracts. We have extensive experience in the use of telemetry systems which remotely monitor and control equipment to maximise reliability and minimise down-time and call-outs.

For further information call us on +44 (0)1444 258285 or email radicasales@radica.com

 01444 258285
 (+44) 1444 258285
radicainfo at radica dot com