Bristol-based Ujima Radio requests licence change

Ujima Radio broadcasts across the St Paul's and Easton parts of Bristol

A community radio station in Bristol has asked Ofcom for permission to change its key commitments.

Ujima Radio CIC, which broadcasts as Ujima Radio holds a radio licence for the St Paul's and Easton areas.

The station celebrates African and Caribbean cultures through music and informative talk, as well as providing development opportunities.

It wants to amend its key commitments, including who it serves and the character of service.

'Celebrates culture'

In the request to Ofcom, the social enterprise said it wants to change from a station that services "people in the St Paul's and Easton areas of Bristol" and "informs represents, educates, entertains, communicates and celebrates culture, heritage and diversity within the local BME communities".

Instead Ujima Radio wants to be as a station that is "predominantly for people of African and Caribbean heritage in the St Paul's and Easton areas of Bristol" which "informs represents, educates, entertains, communicates and celebrates culture, heritage and diversity within the local African/Caribbean communities."

It wants to add a requirement that the station's speech content should be "of local importance to our communities of interest" and has asked to remove the current requirement that, over the course of a week, two non-English languages must be broadcast.

Instead this would be replaced by a commitment that "the output is broadcast in English, and sometimes other languages of African heritage".

'Key commitment changes'

On its webpage, Ofcom has said it is "minded to allowed the key commitment changes" requested by the licensee.

It added: "However, we are seeking views on the request before we make a final decision."

The consultation closes on 17 February and a decision is expected later that month.

The BBC have approached Ujima Radio for comment.