Each local commercial radio station in the UK has requirements in respect of its music and local content, such as news, speech levels etc. These requirements are set out in the station "Format", a document issued by Ofcom, the UK's radio regulator. This Public File contains details of the elements that Ofcom regulate, such as music tracks, local news etc. It is intended to give you a better understanding of our output and what we are doing for our local community.
Each local commercial radio station in the UK has requirements in respect of its music and local content, such as news, speech levels etc. These requirements are set out in the station "Format", a document issued by Ofcom, the UK's radio regulator. This Public File contains details of the elements that Ofcom regulate, such as music tracks, local news etc. It is intended to give you a better understanding of our output and what we are doing for our local community.
1. News
Mercia broadcasts news bulletins on the half-hour between 0600 and 0900 and hourly from 0900 and 1900 on weekdays. These bulletins contain a mix of local, national and world stories, along with local and national sport, weather and entertainment news.
There are extended news programmes if major events take place, particularly locally.
At the weekend, bulletins containing local, national and world news and sport are broadcast on Mercia between 0700 and 1300 on Saturday, and 0800 and 1300 on Sunday. National bulletins are broadcast at 2200 and 0100 seven days a week. Additionally, there will be national bulletins on Saturday at 1700 and 1900, and on Sunday at 1900
Mercia provides local travel bulletins every 15 minutes from 0630 until 0945. There are then local travel bulletins every 15 minutes on Mercia between 1600 and 1900, plus local travel bulletins before the news bulletins at 1300 - 1600.
2. Recent News stories
Click here to see news currently featured on Mercia.
3. Contact details for the News team
Tony Attwater, News Editor - 024 7686 8231
Rachel Silver, Journalist - 024 7686 8232
Arran Bee Journalist - 024 7686 8233
You can e-mail the news team here.
4. Schedule
Mercia's programme schedule can be found by clicking here.
5. Automated Programming
The average number of hours of automated programming within weekday daytimes and within daytimes on Saturdays and Sundays
Each week, Mercia automates the following hours -
Weekdays 1300-1400
6. Local programming
Mercia is required to produce and present 10 locally made hours during daytime weekdays, and at least 4 hours on Saturdays and Sundays. Weekday daytime output (0600-1000, and 1300-1900) and peak time weekend (0800-1200 Saturday & Sunday) output is produced and presented from our studios in Coventry.
Weekday 1000 - 1300, and off peak daytime and weekend programming is produced at various studios, owned and operated by Mercia's parent company GCap Media plc.
7. Ofcom Localness Guidelines and how to complain to Ofcom
Ofcom, the government regulator with responsibilities for local radio, has produced localness guidelines that this station adheres to. These guidelines can be read by following the link at the bottom of the page.
In addition all local radio stations have written 'formats' that they must follow at all times. You can read ours here. If you have a complaint to make about this station, in the first instance you should contact the programme controller at the address below. If you are unhappy with the response you have received, you can complain directly to the regulator, Ofcom. Their website has full details about how to do this.
8. Station Contact details
Mercia
Hertford Place
Coventry
CV1 3TT
Contact Numbers
Switchboard: 024 7686 8200
Studio phone-in: 024 76 555 444
Mercia News: 024 7686 8232
Mercia Traffic & Travel: 024 76 868 282
Mercia Studio text number: text mercia then your message to 8 21 22 - texts charged at standard network rate
9. Events/charities support or coverage
Once again in 2008, Mercia became the media partner for the Cancer Research UK Race For Life which is a 5km women only charity race designed to raise funds for research into womens cancer. We supported, promoted and hosted both events in Coventry as well as the Warwick event.
In addition, each year we promote and facilitate Macmillan's Bring a Pound to Work and World's Biggest Coffee Morning days, helping raise tens of thousands of pounds each year.
Mercia is a joint partner in the Snowball Charity alongside the Coventry/Warwickshire Evening Telegraph, which supports sick and disadvantaged children in the Coventry & Warwickshire area.
Mercia is the official commercial radio partner of Coventry City FC, supporting its bid to win promotion to the Premiership within the next 3 years.
We also regularly visit and open charitable fairs, open days and fetes with the Mercia Thunder Crew. In the last twelve months, we have attended approximately 100 such events in the Coventry & Warwickshire area.
We also support the Local Community Awards that are run in conjunction with the Coventry Telegraph, acknowledging the contribution made by local people to the communities in which they live.
10. Recent programme and/or news highlights
We recently ran a contest giving one local band the chance to play a warm up slot for Bon Jovi at the Ricoh Arena, during their Lost Highway world tour.
We worked closely with Coventry's City Centre Management Company on a number of projects, including the Godiva Festival and Godiva Awards in 2007, and are doing so again in 2008. Our presenters also appeared live at the switch on of the Christmas Lights in Coventry and Nuneaton in 2007, and will be doing so again in 2008, as well as adding Leamington to the list for 08.
11. Any other issues or areas of interest likely to impact on localness
There are no current issues that impact on the localness of Mercia.
12. The station's playlist
Mercia plays a music mix from the past three decades, and sometimes play popular current tracks more frequently than other songs. You can see the playlist here.
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