New Greenwich Community Radio Station Debated
October 26, 2009 by Rob Powell
A public consultation meeting was held at Woolwich Public Hall on Saturday to discuss the possible creation of a new radio station based in Greenwich.
It is proposed that Greenwich Kasapah (meaning good or decent talk in a Ghanaian language) Community Radio will be based in central Greenwich and broadcast a mix of 50% English language and 50% other community language content. The possible new station also has plans to reach out into the community by targetting older people, those with disabilities, and young people to train them and let them create programming for the station.
The station, proposed in response to a call by Ofcom for new community radio license applications in the Greater London area, would serve Greenwich, Lewisham, Southwark and surrounding areas.
Ofcom is set to make a decision by Spring 2010.
Does the new station sound like a good idea to you? Post your comments and thoughts below…
Yes, PLEASE let’s have a new community radio station in Greenwich. The BBC keeps talking about including new voices in their output but I never hear them. It’s only celebrities fronting content put together by diligent radio producers. Give the greenwich community a chance to find its own voice and broadcast it!
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Agreed, we need a greater range of voices on the airwaves, keep it going!
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This is soo right for Greenwich, that a radio station that aims to involve the views of the under represented people in the community are licensed to operate in our area. Good talk is all we need now in this area instead of all that celebrity driven contents we have from all over.
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A great idea for our communities. Hope you get a licence.
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This is long overdue. A community radio station will be a good addition to the local network. I hope by the grace of God that you are successful.
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Excellent- this is just what is needed to begin to address some of the real inequalities by virtue of the current lack of appropriate community broadcasting. I welcome this as a resident of Southwark and it is long overdue. With it’s community focus, and educational content, ultimately this radio station will benefit the whole community and in my view is not only overdue but essential. The licence is so important- well done! Thank you for your efforts I am keeping fingers crossed for your success.
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Brilliant, its about time the voice of the people are really heard. More grease to your elbows. I pray you get the licence you need to help you operate freely. Well done for the effort.
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Or how about one that broadcasted in English 100% of the time? If parts of the community don’t speak English we could be teaching them the language rather then trying to broadcast in a variety of languages.
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I think is brilliant and I welcome the 50% English 50% other languages idea as it means its for the whole community and people can also keep in touch with what is going on at home and abroad. I also think its great to target young people who have a lot to offer that people dont know about – yet. I hope they get the licence.
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In this day and age, we can surely not get enough of a Community Radio for a local and diverse population. We can all benefit from this effort to support and foster a sense of ‘community’.
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Radio is the most intimate of the media – it cuts to the heart of ideas, feelings, people, communities. This is a great idea for Greenwich and its environs – a perfect way to bed in new locals!
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Greenwich Kasapah sounds like a brilliant idea. It would provide an exciting educational opportunity for children and young people, and a great way for lots of people to get their voices heard on air. Hope you get a licence!
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Greenwich Kasapah is a laudable move – a step in the right direction! I’m thrilled by it all!!!
Communication leads to community, that is, to understanding, intimacy and mutual valuing. Nothing surpasses the power of communication especially when the appropriate medium is used – e.g. broadcasting – the results are undoubtedly far-reaching. Information reaches the target audience, such as the marginalised in the community, as well as to the wider public. Indeed, to effectively communicate, we ought to realise we are all different in the way we view the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others – this is DIVERSITY! This gives a feeling of inclusivenss.
T E A M – Together Everyone Achieves More
With God’s help this project, hopefully, will be granted its legal status deservingly!!!
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Thank God for the introduction of Greenwich Kasapah
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I whole hearteredly support this new venture of yours and I believe its not goimg to be a 9day wonder but a 24/7 affair. It should also be for all taste and not just for a particular circle. The voice of every group should be heard and be allowed active participation in all discussions.
I assure you that we of the Ghana Union will offer you as we have done to the others in the past our unqualified support when necessary in the interest and for the general good of the community.
You are welcomed.
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A laudable idea. I pray that you get the licence. Well done for your efforts.
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Sounds such a good idea. With the Olympics coming to London and bringing the nations of the world together in Lewisham and Greenwich, having a radio station that is more truly reflective of the diverse cultural mix in the boroughs is long overdue
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Great idea. Its a good way to train people for work. And, in Southwark (as in all the other boroughs), I’d hope it could provide a space for discussion of local issues, promoting greater engagement in local politics.
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I have lived in South London for 25 years. I was the supervising solicitor at Southwark Law Centre from 2000 to 2003. I think this proposal is fantastic and something that the comunity has cried out for for years. The station would be empowering in so many ways. It would be a great channel for the creativity and energy in the community. It would I’m sure produce great programmes.
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I think the idea of the proposed radio sttation is really good; particularly as it aims to reach out to minority groups who may not feel that the mainstream stations really speak for them.
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This is such a good idea – well done getting this off the ground. I do wish you lots of luck with this – it is such a great contribution to the community
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it seems logical to me that if youtake the route of multi-culturalism to its end part of the package will be a radio station allowing each ethnicity the chance to hear news and views in their own language.
this bid ties in to that idea and would have my support.
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I think this is a fantastic initiative and really hope it gets the support from OFCOM it deserves. As an early years practitioner working in Greenwich with multilingual families I can really see the possibilities for inclusion, outreach and training which a radio station like Kasapah would offer.
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It gets my vote. I would listen to a station like that. I have lived in Lewisham for over 20 years and we have nothing like that at the moment.
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We have many voices in our borough of Lewisham and neighbouring boroughs and they all deserve to be heard … and listened to! Its great to have a radio station to connect to. I grew up with radio and still thrive on it. Everybody should have that opportunity. London needs more positive input. Share out those radio waves!
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I hope you get the go ahead with this; it’s a great idea!
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Let’s make it happen!
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Hi,
I am a student living in Lewisham and i think that this would be a great idea.
We are loosing radio slowly to big corporate stations, we need more local passionate stations to build our community! Also the idea of training young people sounds brilliant, i know i want to get involved and im sure many others like me will follow!
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It would be fantastic if there was one! Community radio is a very important cultural need for local people’s voices to be voiced!
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Sounds good to me
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I am the Principal of The BRIT School in Croydon and we have over the years seen the empowering effects of community radio for all ages and communities. Before that I was the Headteacher of Thomas Tallis School in Greenwich and know the incredibly diverse communities that exist in the area and how important this initiative will be to them. Very best of luck with it.
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Surely we’re supposed to be a multicultural city. So why are we even debating this? Minorities are hideously underrepresented on all the mainstream British media – add to that the recent crack-down on community (so called ) “pirate” radio, and this has now become an urgent issue. Good luck with your venture.
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I’m definitely in favour of the venture. Good luck with it!
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I think that community radio has a real job to do , if we can reach out to the wider community and support through radio, local events, education, the arts then this can only be for the good . I welcome this media as an avid radio fan and in the area of Greenwich we can be served well by a radio that will represent the diversity and rich culture of the area.
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Having recently collaborated in Newham, Southwark and Greenwich on audio projects with a fantastically creative group of Over Sixties, I am delighted to see that your target groups include this age range. This will be your strength and I support you all the way. Very good luck.
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Great idea, especially as everyone has the opportunity to join in and learn new skills.
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I think the idea of Kasapah radio in Greenwich is a great one and would provide a much needed community focus. Such a project, 50% in English and 50% in other languages really helps to bring disparate sections of a community together and helps oil the works in getting them talking and working alongside eachother. There should be many more of such stations on air and Greenwich would be doing its own borough a great service and setting a very worthwhile example to other communities too. Good luck with the license and fingers crossed!
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London is the most multi-cultural city in the world. Come on Ofcom, put your money where your mouth is and licence this initiative to enable true community involvement.
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this sounds like it would be a brilliant local rescource for a wide rangeof people,
I hope it gets the go ahead .
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Kasapah will be a very good idea particularly if it makes creative use of older South London voices.
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A badly needed local resource. Good luck
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What a good idea. I’m particularly in favour of the involvement of people with disabilities. you might want to get in touch with ability media, a new project being launched in a couple of weeks by Leonard Cheshire Disability http://www.abilitymedia.org/ which will be training young people in all kinds of media including radio- maybe there would be good links to be made?
anyway the more community projects in south london the better, and I’m always looking for something interesting to listen to, so I’d definately tune in.
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I think the idea of a community radio is an extremely good idea and one which I fully support. I think givuing a voice to a mixture of communities is badly needed.
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Yes, this would be a great asset to SE London community, and especially valuable for the housebound within it.
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I think this is a great idea, and deserves to succeed. There is not enough local radio. Good luck with the application!
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I wholeheartedly support the idea behind ‘Kasapah’ and sincerely hope that a license will be granted. More local radio is always welcome.
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Great idea! Hope it gets accepted.
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This is long overdue. Ofcom please give them the license this radio station for the benefit of the community.
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What a fantastic idea. It would be great to have a medium where Africans can have thier voice heard.
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What a great idea to help generate excitement and enthusiasm in the local community and to help reach those who are most in need of it. I hope it gets the go ahead!
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SOUNDS AWESOME!!!
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I really hope this goes ahead. Good Luck!
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People in SE London have a lot to say and not many places to say it
So DO IT!!!!!!!! Thanks.
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A good move to get people informed, involved and updated on community issues and in that way reaching out to the unreached. May it be a reality.
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This is to be welcomed and fully supported . A Radio station that gives a voice to this under represented London community is exactly what a really local radio station should be doing. It’s also going to be interesting for all those outside the community curious to know more about the culture. Give them the license!
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Sound like a really good idea!!!!
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i like it
think it would be a good thing
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It’s so important to extend access in this way – Beeb is fine, but doesn’t cover the host of needs and diversity of our urban populations. Good luck.
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This is a great initiative – exactly the sort of thing local communities need.
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I am thrilled by this new venture and hope that it benefits all the local communities.
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This is indeed a great iniative and would serve as a much needed community resource, which would meet the needs of quite a number of people.
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Knowing some of the individuals concerned with this project I believe it has an integrity & appropriateness. I really support it.
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I listen a lot to the radio, more than I watch tv, so a local station would be great.
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Great idea, this brings the community together at the touch of a button. Good luck
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I think it’s absolutely vital that there is a community voice in Greenwich and the surrounding areas. We have a large student body which is diverse and varied and many of our students come from overseas. We all need a radio station which can represent us and our differences.
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This sounds like an excellent idea! Hope the license goes through ok : )
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This is fantastic concept. I wholeheartedly support this endeavour and look forward to listening to the programmes.
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Sounds like a good idea – it would also be beneficial to the University students to know more about their local community
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About time too! Radio is a great and accessible means of communication and community building. Why has it taken so long to do the obvious!
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A very Good idea. Always better to hear many different views and news. Enriches the mind and enlightens the heart.
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This is an excellent idea – community radio supports informal learning in a range of enriching ways that are complementary to the University of Greenwich’s provision of academic programmes and research for students.
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Brilliant idea! We support your request for a licence. Good platform exchanging information in the community using English and other languages. Good prospects for employment and releasing young people’s creativity, as well as updating people on what is going on in the Woolwich/Greater London area.
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It sounds like a great idea, and I hope that not only will it go ahead but other communities will use the experience gained to set up their own services. Good luck in getting the licence!
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It is all about cohesion and community based projects, I am in support of this 100%. Good luck with getting the licence.
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We at the Nigerian Students’ Association NSA, University of Greenwich are proud to associate with this project. We make bold to call it OUR OWN. We are fully behind you Kasapah!
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I am fully behind Kasapah and hope this project takes off.
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Great idea. I am all for it.
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It’s about time that the community gets a radio station. It will educate us about whats going within our communities and the diaspora especially for my benefit. I support this hundred and ninety – nine percent. I pray that you get the license from OFCOM.
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We need a station like ‘Kasapah’ in our communities to offer us some kind of varieties or to spice the lives of the likes of me. Am fed up with the monolithic operations of the BBC stations and something like this needs to be given a license by OFCOM and supported by all and sundry. Wish you all the best and hope you get the license.
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Great Idea worth supporting. This will bring about social cohesion within the community. Will give training opportunity to young people who aspire to become professional radio presenters.
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What a great project! I can`t wait to hear the programmes!
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Brilliant idea! I hope the licence is granted and that the station flourishes.
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It will be wonderful to have the licence and the radio station. I can’t wait to hear about all the programmes when you obtain the licence. Great idea!
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An excellent idea! I’ve been dying to get some work experience in journalism/radio while I’m at university but opportunities are hard to come by without prior experience and a lot of it is in central/north London! This would be such a good opportunity and give people old and young alike something new to do.
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Well Done to Greenwich Kasapah, Ofcom made the right decision.
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[...] new station for Greenwich and South East london, which we first reported on last October, was one of seven that Ofcom announced today had been successful in their applications to operate [...]