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Public File

BEACON
BLACK COUNTRY AND SHROPHIRE

Each Local commercial station in the UK has obligations with regard to its programmes, including its music and local content.  These obligations are set out in the station Format which forms part of this station’s Public File.  The Public File is also available on hard copy by post on request by any member of the public, and serves as one indicator of each station’s output.  Comments on the contents of the Public File should be made to us, in the first instance and, if necessary to the industry regulator, Ofcom.

• News

Except in special or exceptional circumstances (which may include some bank holidays) the station broadcasts news bulletins hourly from 0600 and 1900 and on the half-hour between 0600 and 0900, 1600 and 1900 on weekdays. These bulletins contain a mix of local, national and world stories, along with sport, weather and entertainment news.  Separate bulletins are generally broadcast for Shropshire and the Black Country at least during peaktime.

At the weekend, bulletins containing local, national and world news are broadcast between 0700 and 1300 on Saturdays and between 0700 and 1300 on Sunday.

Additionally, bulletins containing national and World news, prepared by Sky, are broadcast on several occasions from 2000 through to 05.00.

Recent stories can be seen on this website here.

The News team is managed by  the Group News Editor, Vicky Breakwell – vicky.breakwell@orionmedia.com.  You may also contact the news team on news@beaconradio.co.uk or on 01902 461260.

The local news operation is based at the station itself generally at weekday peak times, with some content prepared from a Midlands news hub at other times.

• Programmes

The station broadcasts twenty four hours a day, with programmes as listed here.

Programme Production
No programming within daytimes is automated.

Local Programming
Except in special or exceptional circumstances (e.g. specials or football coverage and the like), Beacon programmes are broadcast from Wolverhampton between 06.00 and 10.00, and between 1300 and 1900 weekdays; and from Worcester between 10.00 and 13.00.  At the weekends, programming is from Wolverhampton between 0700 and 1100.  At other times, programmes originate from Birmingham, apart from programme specials which may be broadcast from other studios around the UK (e.g. The Big Top 40 and ‘Sam and Mark’).  Where we carry football coverage, extra localised programming may also be broadcast.

• Guidelines

Guidelines on localness have been published by our regulator OFCOM, and are available here

• Contact

To contact the radio station generally, you may use our ‘contact us’ page and we seek to reply to any emails which raise substantive issues.  Should you wish to speak to programme management about some area of output , please contact darrell.woodman@beaconradio.co.uk The station may also be contacted during office hours by phone on 01902 461300.

• Events/Charities support or coverage

The station stages several events and charity initiatives through the year.   In recent months, we have supported Compton Hospice with Fresh & Jo’s ‘Walk of the Black Country’.  We have further plans to raise money for Compton Hospice into 2011

• Recent programme and or/news highlights.

Our website covers much of the programming (general and, where appropriate, news)  which we are proud of. Some recent examples of key initiatives have been listener questions with  political party leaders and ‘The Walk of the Black Country’.  We also staged both the Bostin Black Country Awards and Shropshire’s Best.

• Localness

We aim that our radio stations belong to the areas they serve. Any suggestions or thoughts on our output are always much valued.

• Music

Our output is Contemporary and Chart-oriented.  Examples of some of the songs we play are on our playlist. 

• Format

As outlined at the head of this document, the station is governed by a Format, which forms part of our licence. Our Format is available here.

• How to complain

Live, entertaining radio always carries some risk.  We try to get things right, and not all programmes will be to everyone’s taste.  Where we do make mistakes, we do try to take appropriate action as quickly as we can.   Please do get in touch with any comments  - praise or complaints and we’ll consider them carefully. Contact us here.  If you need to speak to us directly, our weekday office hours phone numbers are above.  Should you feel we have not taken the right action regarding a broadcast after contacting us, you may refer the matter to our regulator Ofcom.