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FLAME CHRISTIAN and COMMUNITY RADIO (FlameCCR)

FLAME CHRISTIAN and COMMUNITY RADIO (FlameCCR) Flame Christian and Community Radio (FlameCCR) is a UK radio station broadcasting from Rock Ferry, Wirral, Merseyside, on 1521kHz medium wave and via the web on www.flameradio.org.

FlameCCR is a charity and was started in 2000 by Norman and Beryl Polden. Norman is the station manager for FlameCCR. Beryl and Norman both provide regular on-air programmes. Flame first broadcast from the Wirral Christian Centre in June 2000. Since 2009, the station has from St Paul’s Road Mission Church in Rock Ferry, Wirral, Merseyside, UK.

FlameCCR promotes Christianity through a mixture of music, ministry and community spirit. FlameCCR is the only radio station in the north-west focusing on the Christian message with a family-friendly touch with the philosophy of radio being a significant 21st Century method of communicating the Christian philosophy.

On their website (www.flameradio.org), Flame lists its key purposes in radio broadcasting as: 1. Providing radio services to the Christian community and the strengthening of links within it. 2. Improving local awareness of the Christian Community and bridge-building to the local wider Community. 3. Increasing social inclusion, welcoming involvement from all people in our broadcasting activities.

History Norman worked with his son, Mark Polden, Mike Smith and Adrian Bryan in June 2000 to establish Wirral Christian Media Limited (Registered charity 1116164 founded in 2001 and Company 7577812 incorporated in 2004) and specifically as a radio station in the Wirral Christian Centre in Birkenhead. The antenna was placed on St Saviour’s Church tower. The station began broadcasting under Restricted Service Licence (RSL) on 106.2 MHz FM. This was for 28 days to celebrate the Millennium. Audience encouragement led to volunteers converting a former Bebington night club into a studio, with audio facilities and an office. The antenna was then erected on the Storeton Tower and “Flame FM on Wirral” began broadcasting on 87.7 MHz FM. This antenna allowed the broadcasts to extend beyond the Wirral to Liverpool, Runcorn, Chester and Rhyl. As volunteers came on-board, the station began broadcasting around the clock using computers for the maximum of two 28-day broadcast periods per year.

The station was awarded a Jerusalem Productions “Best Newcomer” Award in 2004. From 2005 to 2008, the station received Countryside Commission grants for the Heritage Programmes series. This series can still be heard on the FlameCCR website (www.flameradio.org) in the “listen again” section. In 2006, Flame assisted CARER’S FM run by Wirral Carers which led to a commendation from the Christian Broadcasting Council for their Haynesies Friends series telling individual’s stories.

A license from Ofcom for full-time broadcasting was applied for in 2004 and rejected in 2006 because of limited FM frequencies in England’s North-West. In 2007, Ofcom offered Flame a Medium Wave Community Radio licence leading to the creation of the Flame Christian and Community Radio station.

From June 2000 to April 2007, “Flame FM on Wirral” broadcast Christian radio programmes in excess of 9,000 hours. The broadcasts had the potential of reaching an audience of over 300,000 people at a cost of £225,000. During this period, FlameCCR revamped its philosophy of “involving local people, raising local interest” which led to the inclusion of volunteers from all denominations to staff the station programmes and provide administrative, creative and technical support.

In May 2007, the station was forced to end FM broadcasting due to forced relocation and limited finances. This came after the stations 14th

On 19th December 2009, a medium wave antenna was built and erected in North Wirral for the station to begin broadcasting on 1521 MHz medium wave. Full-time broadcasting was permitted through a Community Radio licence. The station moved to its present location in St Paul’s Road mission in Rock Ferry, Wirral, in September 2010. In October 2011, the medium wave antenna was relocated at a permanent site in South Wirral to increase audience potential by an additional 50%.

The simultaneous broadcast of on-air programmes started on 14th February 2008 when the “Flame On The Web” website, www.flameradio.ord, was created. Visitors to the website can listen to the on-air broadcasts through the “Click To Listen” feature. The station has had responses from listeners in Sweden, the Philippines, Belgium and Austria.

Programmes There’s music for all tastes on FlameCCR: from contemporary to country to classics, and even never-heard-before releases from local musicians who email tracks to the station’s email address (flameccr@googlemail.com) to be aired. Flame has an 80/20 philosophy: 80% Christian music and ministry, and 20% wholesome secular music and items of community interest. The station regularly adds new programmes and promotes the easiest way to find out what’s on the updated daily schedule on the FlameCCR website.

Listeners are encouraged to tune in at different times to find a programme they like as the station has the philosophy: “Just try us, we are sure you will like what you hear, but if you do not, then, just try again an hour later because it will be different”.

Flame makes a point of involving the community. It records and broadcasts local church services, and went onto the neighbouring streets to inspire 600+ people to record for the “Voices & Verses” project, honouring the 400th anniversary of the KJV Bible. As a 21st Century resource for the local church, Flame welcomes ways to include local people in the programmes. Programmes in Chinese and also with Irish music are presented to include Wirral’s ethnic minorities. Other programmes have included people’s personal stories via the station’s “Chat room” and “Haynesies Friends” and also poetry for children by Tilly Tuppence and for adults from Clive Upton.

The station promotes local events free of charge via a daily What’s On broadcast. Events are emailed to the station through flameccr@googlemail.com, via phone calls to the station, or are found on Facebook. Local artists, musicians, writers, and event promoters are interviewed to publicise local events.

Staffing Volunteers provide on-air programmes, behind-the-scenes support, and DIY to add broadcasting booths. Station Manager, Norman Polden says, “Community radio is an opportunity to make new friends or fulfil a dream of being on air. Many of the voices on Flame had ‘never done that before’ and volunteers are invited to get involved.” The Flame website adds FlameCCR is “Local radio for local people, by local people”. According to the Flame website (www.flameradio.org) the Flame management team and advisors are:

•	Wirral Christian Media Limited (Directors): Norman Polden (Managing Director), Alan Hollinshead (Business), Nigel Sach (Technical).

•	FlameCCR & Flame on the Web: Norman Polden (Station Manager), David Higham (Programme Manager), Mark Polden (Studio & Technical Engineer).

•	Advisors: Alan Hollinshead (IT & Business), Brian Knight (Radio), C T Computer Solutions (IT), Dave Croft (Finance), Derek Lindley (Prayer), Eddie English (Building), Mark Polden (Audio & Technical), Nick Cowan (Marketing), Peter Leach of Broadcast Solutions (Radio and System), Peter McGrath (Ministry), Phil Thomas (Health and Safety), Roy Lawrence (Church & Community).

•	Prayer Co-ordinator: Derek Lindley.

Statement of Beliefs According to the FlameCCR website: The Directors concur with the Evangelical Alliance “Basis of Faith”. Many of the members of Wirral Christian Media Limited also concur with this “Basis of Faith” but, because we operate across all Christian denominations, we expect all members to at least concur with the “Churches Together in England basis”. The Christian Broadcasting Council (www.christianbroadcastingcouncil.co.uk) represents these independent Christian radio stations and encourages Christians to be involved with their local community radio station.

Funding The station is registered as a charity as Wirral Christian Media Limited Registered charity 1116164 founded in 2001 and Company 7577812 incorporated in 2004. The station mainly relies on grants and listener donations for financial support.

In May 2012, FlameCCR hosted a Garden Party at Lancelyn Gardens, at Poulton Hall, Poulton Lancelyn, Bebington, Cheshire & Wirral, CH63 9LN, where all proceeds were donated to the station.

The station also uses self-promotion via Christian newsletters and magazines and appeared in an article, “FLAMECCR LOCAL CHRISTIAN and COMMUNITY RADIO” in the April-June 2012 online issue of Together for the Harvest (www.tfh.org.uk).

Student Training Through the Institution of Electronics, FlameCCR operates a training centre for a maximum of two students at a time, called the “Green Door” studio. This is the colour of the door to the current operating studio. Flame also has a programme assembly facility, plus additional speech recording ability. The Flame website states some teaching programmes have been broadcast on other UK radio stations as well as being used by a Bible College in the Far East.

Students get on-the-job training and experience in all areas related to the radio broadcasting including administrative duties, recording and editing by computer, techniques for interviewing, programme compostion, presentation of pre-recorded programmes, as well as station announcements:

FlameCCR invites people of any age to train through their Green Door program. The course is structured for the individual and, upon completion, an Institute of Electronics certification is awarded.

Contact Details •	Telephone : 0151 643 1696 •	E-mail : flameccr@googlemail.com •	Website: http://www.flameradio.org •	Mail: P O Box 53, Upton, Wirral CH49 3WB •	Studio location: St. Paul’s Mission Road, Rock Ferry, Wirral, UK CH42 3UZ