Leicester based community radio station, EAVA FM has been found in breach of Ofcom’s rules and regulations for not complying with its Key Commitments.
In three complaints received by Ofcom, EAVA FM was investigated for not fulfilling its agreement during a week of monitoring in April 2023.
According to Ofcom, EAVA FM broadcast a service to its target community including music, cultural, faith and education programming. For the week monitored, there was evidence of East African music, educational programming in relation to East African sports and faith-based programming. In accordance with its speech requirement, the Licensee broadcast magazine programmes and interviews and discussions. However, the Licensee’s character of service also requires it to “socially develop” and “inform” its listeners through various programming including local news and its speech requirement also specifies that it must broadcast news. Ofcom noted that the EAVA FM did not broadcast local news, or any news at all, during the week monitored and therefore it did not meet its character of service or its speech requirement.
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Previously, EAVA FM was found in breach twice for failing to comply with its Key Commitments, specifically in delivering its character of service and speech requirements. However, in the previous two cases published in 2015 and 2019, the breaches were caused by EAVA FM’s failure to comply with its Key Commitments during the month of Ramadan when the station broadcast very different content to its usual content and therefore failed to serve the entirety of its target community.
