TCR fm
Encyclopedia
TCR FM, Standing for Total Choice Radio, is a not for profit community radio
station based in Tamworth
, Staffordshire
with a target audience of people under 30 years old.
The station, based at Tamworth Youth Centre (known locally as TamYouth), is ran entirely by volunteers from 14 years old who perform jobs from station management to presenting their own show and news reading. They also provide training courses, to volunteers to provide them with the skills they require to participate in the activities.
Unlike most radio stations, TCR FM does not provide presenters with playlists giving them, and the listeners, ‘Total choice’ over the music which is played out. According to their key commitments with Ofcom
,the music played predominantly varies from 80’s classics to new chart hits.
TCR Fm also has strong links with the local community and youth groups getting involved in local events promoting local bands and artists and offering Advertising to local buisnesses
(RSL) with the frequency of 106.9FM from Saturday 30 July until Friday 26 August. It then went on to host another RSL in summer of 2007
After completing the RSL in 2007, the directors at the time Daniel Hoult and Martin Summers went on to apply for a 5 year Community Radio Licence which they were awarded by OFCOM
in May 2008. They started broadcasting on this licence on 31 October 2010, with a start time of 5pm,with a new frequency, which they use to date, of 106.8FM
In 2011 the station was warned by Ofcom for not meeting it's key commitments. TCR FM broke there commitment to provide a set amount of live hours per a day and were warned by Ofcom, since this remote presenters have been used from outside Tamworth.
The course involves learning about:
After completing the course, members can decide if they wish to present, news read, audio produce or take part in a mixture of everything.
of Tamworth Radio Broadcasting CIC who do all the behind the scenes work to keep the station running.
Community radio
Community radio is a type of radio service, that offers a third model of radio broadcasting beyond commercial broadcasting and public broadcasting. Community stations can serve geographic communities and communities of interest...
station based in Tamworth
Tamworth
Tamworth is a town and local government district in Staffordshire, England, located north-east of Birmingham city centre and north-west of London. The town takes its name from the River Tame, which flows through the town, as does the River Anker...
, Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
with a target audience of people under 30 years old.
The station, based at Tamworth Youth Centre (known locally as TamYouth), is ran entirely by volunteers from 14 years old who perform jobs from station management to presenting their own show and news reading. They also provide training courses, to volunteers to provide them with the skills they require to participate in the activities.
Unlike most radio stations, TCR FM does not provide presenters with playlists giving them, and the listeners, ‘Total choice’ over the music which is played out. According to their key commitments with Ofcom
Ofcom
Ofcom is the government-approved regulatory authority for the broadcasting and telecommunications industries in the United Kingdom. Ofcom was initially established by the Office of Communications Act 2002. It received its full authority from the Communications Act 2003...
,the music played predominantly varies from 80’s classics to new chart hits.
TCR Fm also has strong links with the local community and youth groups getting involved in local events promoting local bands and artists and offering Advertising to local buisnesses
History
TCR FM was set up in 2005 and first broadcast in the summer of that year on a 28 day Restricted Service LicenceRestricted Service Licence
A UK Restricted Service Licence , is typically granted to radio stations and television stations broadcasting within the UK to serve a local community or a special event...
(RSL) with the frequency of 106.9FM from Saturday 30 July until Friday 26 August. It then went on to host another RSL in summer of 2007
After completing the RSL in 2007, the directors at the time Daniel Hoult and Martin Summers went on to apply for a 5 year Community Radio Licence which they were awarded by OFCOM
Ofcom
Ofcom is the government-approved regulatory authority for the broadcasting and telecommunications industries in the United Kingdom. Ofcom was initially established by the Office of Communications Act 2002. It received its full authority from the Communications Act 2003...
in May 2008. They started broadcasting on this licence on 31 October 2010, with a start time of 5pm,with a new frequency, which they use to date, of 106.8FM
In 2011 the station was warned by Ofcom for not meeting it's key commitments. TCR FM broke there commitment to provide a set amount of live hours per a day and were warned by Ofcom, since this remote presenters have been used from outside Tamworth.
Training Course
The station offers a 7 week training course to all volunteers who wish to be involved with the station.The course involves learning about:
- Technical equipment found in the studio – e.g. how to use the mixer and playout software
- Radio presentation (a) – how to use the microphone
- Radio presentation (b) – how to use the microphone and combining this with the technical equipment
- Production and editing – how to edit music and create jingles
- NewsNewsNews is the communication of selected information on current events which is presented by print, broadcast, Internet, or word of mouth to a third party or mass audience.- Etymology :...
production and presenting – how to present and prepare newsNewsNews is the communication of selected information on current events which is presented by print, broadcast, Internet, or word of mouth to a third party or mass audience.- Etymology :... - Show preparation – what to include into a show and how to source it
- Demo show – combining all of the taught material into a demo show
After completing the course, members can decide if they wish to present, news read, audio produce or take part in a mixture of everything.
Presenters and Shows
TCR FM has a wide variety of presenters and shows.Below are all the presenters and shows to date which are advertised online:| Presenters (in alphabetical order of first name) | Joined | Show slot(s) | Other Info |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aaron Beadle | 2007 | Irregular | |
| Alex Farrell | 2008 | Monday 4-6pm | Drive Time Slot |
| Alex Patton | 2010 | Irregular | |
| Chris & Dan | 2010 | Thursday 8-10pm | |
| Colin Marks | 2009 | Thursday 4-6pm | Drive Time Slot |
| Craiggy Boy | 2011 | Friday 10-12pm | |
| Dan Hawkes | 2010 | Tuesday 8-10pm | |
| Daniel Hoult | 2005 | Saturday 9-11am Sunday 10am-12noon |
Weekend Breakfast |
| Dean & Sheena | 2005/2007 | Irregular | |
| Erica Dancer | 2007 | Saturday 11am-1pm | |
| Gavin Blunt | 2011 | Saturday 5-7pm | |
| Hannah Smart | 2007 | Saturday 3pm-5pm | |
| Ian & Beccy | 2011/2010 | Wednesday 9-11pm | Specialist Show - 'Box of Rock' Repeated Saturday 11pm-1am |
| Jack and Poppa Smurf | 2011 | Friday 5-7pm | Specialist Show - 'The Dance Off' |
| Jack Millman | 2010 | Thursday 6-8pm | |
| Jake Palmer | 2008 | Sunday 12noon-2pm | |
| Jules Little | 2009 | Sunday 7-9pm | Specialist show - 'Global Dancefloor' |
| Matt Brinkley | 2010 | Tuesday 6-8pm | |
| Mia Moore | 2010 | Sunday 5-7pm | |
| Midge | 2010 | Tuesday 4-6pm Thursday 2-4pm Friday 10am-12noon |
Tuesday Drive Time Slot |
| Mixed Music | 2011 | Sunday 2-5pm | Composed of Callum, George, and Sam |
| Nick ('The Yank') | 2011 | Friday 7-9pm | Specialist show - 'Angry Duck' unsigned music |
| Nick Smith | 2009 | Irregular | |
| Ollie Hand | 2011 | Monday 6-8am Thursday 6-8am |
Early Breakfast slots |
| Paul Blundell | 2011 | Sunday 10pm-12midnight | |
| Poppa Smurf | 2011 | Wednesday 4-6pm | Drive Time Slot Real name Simon Walker |
| Rebecca Mynett | 2010 | Wednesday 8-9pm | Specialist show - includes local music |
| Ryan Wilkins | 2010 | Saturday 1-3pm | |
| Sam Beech | 2011 | Wednesday 6-8pm | |
| Sam Lane | 2007 | Monday 6-8pm | |
| Scott Cameron | 2007 | Tuesday 2-4pm Thursday 12-2pm |
|
| Sonia Ashley | 2008 | Friday 2-5pm | Specialist show - 'The Retro Years' |
| Steve Pearce | 2011 | Irregular | |
| Thomas Janak | 2010 | Monday 8-10pm | Specialist Show - 'Wild Time' The animal rights/world conservation show |
Directors
TCR FM is run by a dedicated board of directorsBoard of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
of Tamworth Radio Broadcasting CIC who do all the behind the scenes work to keep the station running.
- Daniel Hoult, Managing Director – (2007 – present)
- Martin Summers, Managing Director (2007–2010)
- Dean Vultaggio, Director (2007 – present)
- Sheena Vultaggio, Director (2007 – present)
- Scott Cameron, Director (2009 – present)
Management
The directors of TCR FM are backed up by a team of managers:- Hannah Smart, Head Of Music (2009 – Present)
- Scott Cameron, Membership Officer (2009–2011)
- Erica Dancer, Head of Promotions (2009 –present)
- Sonia Allmark, Sales Manager (2010 – present)
- Rebecca Mynett, Community Liaison Officer (2011 – present)
- Simon Walker, Membership officer (2011 – present)
Community Involvement and Events
TCR FM as a station regularly holds events and takes part in community activities.Events held by TCR FM
- Pre-Launch Open Day – in conjunction with TamYouth’s open day, the station opened its doors to the public on 1 August 2009 between 10am-4pm where volunteers were on hand to chat about what the station does and to promote their launch.
- Launch Party – Held at Trinity Nightclub, Tamworth, on 30 October 2009 as a joint party between the two companies. This was broadcasted as live on the station all evening. This was for over 18s only due to the venue’s age restrictions
- Under 18’s Launch Disco – Held at TamYouth on 5 November 2009 for listeners between 12–17 years old as the station were aware of the previous launch event’s restrictions. This was broadcast live on the station from 7pm on the night.
- First Birthday Party – Held at Q Lounge in Strykers Bowling Centre, Tamworth on 30 October 2010. Included Fancy Dress, live performances from Tamworth band “The Twin Jets” and Sheena Vultaggio and also a DJ set from presenter Scott Cameron.
Events TCR FM or Representatives appeared at
- Midlands Music Festival – two of the presenters, Erica Dancer and Hannah Smart, went to the Midlands Music Festival in 2010 to be part of the press team and collected interviews and audio clips from artists such as 80’s icon’s Sister Sledge and new boy band The WantedThe WantedThe Wanted are a British-Irish boy band based in London, England. The band consists of Max George, Siva Kaneswaran, Jay McGuiness, Tom Parker and Nathan Sykes. Their debut single, "All Time Low", was released in July 2010 and reached number one in the United Kingdom for one week...
. - Tamworth Carnival 2010 – TCR FM had a stall at the carnival to promote themselves.
- Zippo’s Phoenix Circus – presenter Scott Cameron was invited to take part in a circus stunt when zippo’s arrived in Birmingham. Listeners of his show got to decide what stunt he performed, which was to limbo under fire. The audio from this was played out the next morning on the breakfast show and a video was made available online.
- Volunteer week ‘Fun Day’ – organised by Tamworth CVS, TCR FM broadcasted live all day on 3 June 2011 from the castle grounds in Tamworth where they interviewed other community and volunteer groups.