DevonAir meet Dartington
A group from DevonAir, the new commercial radio station which starts broadcasting in the Exeter and Torbay areas in November, is visiting Dartington Hall next week as part of a series of meetings with people and organisations in the area aimed at gearing their services to the demands of the region.
The meeting follows an approach from the station’s feature editor, Mike Joseph. The group will include Devon as programme controller, Jeff Winston, who was previously with the popular Pennine Radio and Granada TV’s World In Action programme. Representatives from DevonAir have already met with a number of other local organisations including the Family Practitioners Council, museums and conservation groups.
DevonAir have been awarded the franchise for an initial three year period by the Independent Broadcasting Authority, the same body which is currently deciding the future of the southwest television franchise. Initially DevonAir will be broadcasting from their studio in Exeter but they expect to be transmitting from Torquay before Christmas. Once the Torbay transmitter is operational DevonAir will be providing a dual transmitter service that is unique to local broadcasting in this country.
The three aims laid down by the IBA for their local radio stations are that they should educate, entertain and inform. DevonAir intend to do this in a format which departs radically from that of the only other commercial radio company in the region, Plymouth Sound, where the emphasis is very much on disc jockeys and open phone-ins. Programmes and Exeter will run from 6.00 AM until midnight starting with an information orientated breakfast show.
From early next year Torbay will have its own programs for a number of hours each day. Community based scenes such as a Health And Safety Week will be a strong feature of DevonAir. The attempt to establish links with local communities, exemplified by the Dartington meeting, reflects their intention to give the public access to the media and a desire to promote cooperation between the two.
“We see ourselves as ‘populist’ in approach” says Mike Joseph, “but wish to avoid being lightweight and trivial”.
