Public Information File
Contents:
1 What is the Public File?
2 Introduction to Alpha 103.2
3 News Bulletins
4 Recent News
5 The News Team
6 The Programme Schedule
7 Automation and Local Programming
8 Events and Charities we support
9 Coverage Highlights
10 Music Playlist
11 The Format
12 Ofcom Localness Guidelines
13 Contact Us
14 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. Introduction to Alpha 103.2
Since 30th November 1995, Alpha has been broadcasting to the people of Darlington, Newton Aycliffe and Sedgefield and the surrounding districts. The station was launched by a consortium of local business people and a team who had been involved with the local hospital radio. It was originally launched as A1FM, and rebranded Alpha FM a year later.
Over time Alpha 103.2 has woven itself into the very fabric of life, proving to be the first choice for the many diverse communities of the area. This is not just because of the great music that is played but more importantly because of the quality and the credibility of the news output. Add to this, the local knowledge that the Alpha 103.2 presenters demonstrate while broadcasting and you have the ideal mix for a perfect local radio station. Over the years the audience has grown with the station, proving that Alpha 103.2 is trusted and believed by its listeners.
This document will demonstrate Alpha 103.2's continuing commitment to deliver quality local radio to the people of the Darlington area and highlights how you may contact the station if you feel there is something that we should be talking about or indeed if there is something you are dissatisfied with.
3. 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, 0800, 0830, 0900, 1000, 1100, 1200, 1300, 1400, 1500, 1600, 1630, 1700, 1730, 1800
National and World News
0000, 0100, 1900, 2000, 2100, 2200, 2300
Saturday
Local, National and World News
0800, 0830, 0900, 0930, 1000, 1100, 1200, 1300
National and World News
0000, 0100, 0600, 1400, 1500, 1600, 1700, 1800, 1900, 2000, 2100, 2200, 2300
Sunday
Local, National and World News
0800, 0830, 0900, 0930, 1000, 1100,1200, 1300
National and World News
0000, 0700, 1600, 1900, 2000, 2100, 2200, 2300
4. Recent News
To view some of our latest news articles, please view the local news page.
5. The News Team
If you have any queries about News, contact one of our journalists via the usual 'Contact Us' details.
Weekdays Monday to Thursday
06:00 Tim West (Locally Produced / Presenter ‘Live’ Programming)
10:00 Nick Jordan (Locally Produced / Presenter ‘Live’ Programming)
14:00 Alpha On Demand (Locally Produced / Presenter ‘Automated’ Programming)
15:00 Andrew Gascoinge (Locally Produced / Presenter ‘Live’ Programming)
18:00 Darlington Tonight (Locally Produced / Presenter ‘Live’ Programming)
18:15 Andrew Gascoigne (Locally Produced / Presenter ‘Live’ Programming)
19:00 The Evening Show (Network Programming)
22:00 The Late Show (Network Programming)
01:00 The Night Shift (Locally Produced / Automated Music Programming)
Weekdays Friday
06:00 Tim West (Locally Produced / Presenter ‘Live’ Programming)
10:00 Nick Jordan (Locally Produced / Presenter ‘Live’ Programming)
14:00 Alpha On Demand (Locally Produced / Presenter ‘Automated’ Programming)
15:00 Andrew Gascoinge (Locally Produced / Presenter ‘Live’ Programming)
18:00 Darlington Tonight (Locally Produced / Presenter ‘Live’ Programming)
18:15 Andrew Gascoigne (Locally Produced / Presenter ‘Live’ Programming)
19:00 Party Anthems (Network Programming)
22:00 The Late Show (Network Programming)
01:00 Martin Lowes (Locally Produced / Automated Music Programming)
Saturday
06:00 Mike Nicholson (Locally Produced / Presenter ‘Live’ Programming)
10:00 Mike Patterson (Locally Produced / Presenter ‘Live’ Programming)
14:00 Nick Jordan (Locally Produced / Presenter ‘Live’ Programming)
18:00 Party Anthems (Network Programming)
22:00 Alex Dyke Soul Show (Network Programming)
01:00 Martin Lowes (Locally Produced / Automated Music Programming)
Sunday
06:00 Mike Patterson (Locally Produced / Presenter ‘Live’ Programming)
10:00 Tim West (Locally Produced / Presenter ‘Live’ Programming)
14:00 The Mega Money Quiz (Network Programming)
16:00 Hit 40 UK (Network Programming)
19:00 ‘C’mon Darlo’ (Locally Produced / Presenter ‘Live’ Speech Programming)
20.00 Martin Lowes (Locally Produced / Presenter ‘Live’ Programming)
22:00 The Late Show (Network Programming)
01:00 The Night Shift (Locally Produced / Automated Music Programming)
6. Automation and Local Programming
Sometimes it is necessary to pre-record (sometimes called Automation) programmes on the station. Currently we only automate 1 hour during the day, weekdays and nothing at the weekend.
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 charities every year, as well as launching our own appeals. Well known in Darlington and the surrounding area are our annual Easter Egg Appeal, collecting eggs for the children spending Easter in Darlington Memorial Hospital as well as our Christmas Giving Tree Appeal together with Darlington Council. Every year we collect toys, gifts and food so that those less fortunate than ourselves are able to have a special Christmas too. We often have 2 or 3 lorry loads of gifts and food collected from the radio station in the run up to Christmas.
We also annually support Macmillan Cancer Support in their Bring a £1 to Work appeal with presenters not only raising awareness for the day, but putting in the leg work too on the day collecting the money from many local businesses.
We have a regular feature through our programmes called Darlington Life. Allen Nixon raises awareness for local issues and appeals, and should you wish to contact Allen about a subject which you believe we should be covering, please email us. Allen has highlighted local issues such as rail safety, local amateur theatrical groups, local sports schemes for children and fundraising for a local pain clinic.
8. Coverage Highlights
In April 2008 – we were broadcasting live from the Heart of Railway Town at the re-opening of the Darlington Railway Museum - Head of Steam. The museum is looking great after its 1.7 million pound re-vamp!
On Good Friday and Easter Saturday 2008, our presenters were live at the Queen Street Shopping Centre in Darlington, collecting Easter Eggs for local charities and St. Teresa's Hospice. On Easter Saturday they were joined by members of the Coyote Motorcycle Club for the 18th annual Easter Egg convoy.
In March 2008 we were live in the Town Centre’s Market Square for International Women’s Day. This event was to help women who have suffered from domestic violence, overcome obstacles and shape their future.
In January 2008 we launched our ‘Moving on Up Campaign’ with Darlington FC. We’re getting behind our local team with live reports from all home and away games and supporting the ‘Quakers’ push for promotion.
In December 2007 we teamed up with the Salvation Army for the Pass the Parcell appeal, we collected hundreds of toys from listeners which improved Christmas for many under privalaged children in the area.
In October 2007 we helped launch the Great North Air Ambulance fund raising awareness week with an outside broadcast from the Market Square. Tim West helped with a huge balloon release and there was a fly over from the Air Ambulance itself.
In September 2007 we attended the Summer Market Spectacular, when market traders from all over the world arrived in Darlington Town Centre. Steve Phillips broadcast live from the Markets on his morning show.
In July 2007 we broadcast live from the Darlington Community Carnival and Andrew Gascoigne walked with the Mayor and the Carnival Precession towards the Town Centre officially opening Life Pulse, the new art feature on High Row on the way.
In June 2007 Flash Foods hit the Town disabling access to Darlington Town Centre, and surrounding roads. Alpha 103.2 immediately re-acted to the unfolding situation, with increased traffic and travel reports and an hour of programming devoted to listener’s calls and experiences during the floods.
In June 2007 Andrew Gascoigne interviewed George Ford the Headmaster of Abbey Infants and Junior School in Darlington. The school were running an exciting initiative to raise funds for new building work and improvements to their current facilities. The scheme encouraged former pupils to buy a ‘Heritage Stone’ which would be built into the wall of the new Sports Hall.
In May 2007, as part of UK Music Week, Tim West @ Breakfast decided to aid in the search for new local talent by inviting a dozen or so teenagers from the School of Rock and Pop, based in Darlington, onto breakfast to show us what they could do.
These were all youngsters from the area who have more than just a passing interest in music, some have gained places at Music Colleges since, and they arrived, laden with all manner of instruments, and after a vote by listeners, played a very unique version of ‘Ruby’ by Kaiser Chiefs
From June 2006 - May 2007, we ran a long campaign to promote Darlington’s Town Centre – because ‘We Love Darlington’. We are working with the Town Centre management to highlight different parts of Darlington. Each week we’re in a different location, from Skinnergate to the Cornmill Shopping Centre to Grange Road to Darlington’s (hidden) Yards. This has included broadcasting from the clock tower in Darlington’s covered market, and discovering some of the more unusual shops.
In September 2006 Mike Patterson, our weekend breakfast presenter raised money for Marie Curie Cancer, with a daring abseil at the top of the Darlington Arena.
In August 2006 we covered the opening of Darlington Technical College. This involved both news and programming working together, news speaking to the Principal and students, while Andrew Gascoigne tried his hand as a mechanic and chef, 2 of the courses provided.
In August 2006 we supported Richmond Live as the media partner. This involved promoting the 2 day music event which features many established local bands and also promotes music to youngsters with a Battle of the Bands competition. Alpha 103.2 broadcast 7 hours from backstage, bringing the taste and sounds of the 2 day event to listeners who were unable to attend.
In June 2006, we began a long running campaign to promote Darlington’s Town Centre – because ‘We Love Darlington’. We are working with the Town Centre management to highlight different parts of Darlington. Each week we’re in a different location, from Skinnergate to the Cornmill Shopping Centre to Grange Road to Darlington’s (hidden) Yards. This has included broadcasting from the clock tower in Darlington’s covered market, and discovering some of the more unusual shops.
In June 2006, we teamed up with the local fundraising team for Macmillan Cancer Support to promote Bring a £1 to Work Day. Not only did this give us the chance to encourage listeners to raise funds, but we also were able to highlight the services available to our listeners through Macmillan and especially through their newly opened drop in centre in Darlington Memorial Hospital. On the chosen day, radio station presenters were visiting businesses from Newton Aycliffe to Yarm to Hurworth to the heart of Darlington, reporting into the station from as varied places as Queen Elizabeth colleges, travel agents, warehouses, solicitors and inevitably loads loads more. (Thank you for ever £1 raised).
In June 2006, we broadcast our Sunday afternoon programme from the Swaledale Festival, backstage at the Bands on the Green event. We interviewed all the young bands bringing to anyone who couldn’t make the most popular event of the festival all the sounds and flavour of an event which is set to become the flagship of this annual local Festival.
In April 2006, Alpha 103.2 teamed up with Darlington Council to help launch The Local Motion; an initiative to get people out of their cars and traveling instead by bike, on foot or on public transport. After several days teasing the arrival of a major celebrity in Darlington, Tim West and Emma Hignett joined 500 school children and a Kylie Minogue lookalike in Darlington’s Market Square for the launch. Even listeners not in market square were fully aware of the day’s events with Tim West broadcasting back into the lunchtime programme, and news interviews bringing to the fore not only the council’s viewpoint, but also those of the children involved in the day. In May 2006, Alpha 103.2 also joined ‘David and Victoria Beckham’ in Darlington Town Centre for the launch of a North East initiative whereby public transport timetables are provided by text. The Big Fun Breakfast team took on ‘David Beckham’ in a football skills competition, with many listeners joining Tim and Kirsty for their chance to be winners.
9. Music Playlist
To give you an idea of the music, below is a couple of hours of our playlist from January 2008.
A – Ha – Take On Me
Mika – Relax (Take It Easy)
U2 – Sweetest Thing
Beautiful South – You Keep It All In
Sugababes – About You Now
Jamelia – Superstar
Kylie Minogue – Wow
Lionel Ritchie – All Night Long
George Michael – Too Funky
Take That – Rule The World
Chaka Khan – Im Every Women
Daryl Hall – Man Eater
New Radicals – You Get What You Give
Alicia Keys – No One
The Kooks – She Moves In Her Own Way
10. The Format
The format is the regulation document Ofcom issue. You can read or download it from Ofcom at: Ofcom
11. Ofcom Localness Guidelines
Ofcom issue Guidelines defining what "localness" is for a Local Radio station. You can read them on the Ofcom website:Ofcom 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
