Letter to the Editor
It has recently been reported that Ofcom has found Chorley FM to be in breach of its community license.
Please allow me to state on the record that Chorley FM is a credit to our community. It is run by volunteers and regularly promotes amazing Chorley institutions, including children’s charities and local groups. I have previously visited the station at its base at Railway House to meet talented young people enjoying media careers that began with work experience and training at Chorley FM. I keep in regular touch with the broadcast team and find them to be unfailingly professional, committed and generous in their work.
One reason given by Ofcom for the threat to Chorley FM is a perceived lack of discussion or debate for targeted groups, including young people and the gay community. This was apparently prompted by just two complaints, which surely represents a tiny axe-grinding fraction of the listenership. It defies commonsense for Ofcom to jeopardise the contribution of Chorley FM, in pursuit of what they imagine to be the interests of parts of a community they know nothing about.