TV to watch microphones (From Witney Gazette)

TV to watch microphones

9:00am Monday 24th April 2006 in Witney By Rosalind Miles

CAMERAS will follow the progress of a new radio station being set up in Oxfordshire for a fly-on-the-wall TV documentary.

Just Oxfordshire, a new community radio station for Witney and Carterton, will be filmed by Berkshire-based independent television production house MDMA TV, for a programme to be screened on either a satellite or terrestrial channel.

A camera crew will follow members of the Just Oxfordshire team from initial meetings, training sessions, fundraising events to the building of studios, commissioning of broadcasting equipment, and launch programmes.

Local bands, competing for airtime on the radio station, are likely to be featured in the documentary.

This will be the second time this year that Oxfordshire residents will make it on to the small screen.

Ivor's Choir, a documentary about people living in Blackbird Leys who are training to be classical singers, will be shown later this summer on Channel Five.

Just Oxfordshire's technical director, Ian Hickling, said "There are so many people working tirelessly behind the scenes to make this project happen. If you tell people that you are trying to start a radio station, they tend to think of the broadcasting side. In reality, this project is a bit like an iceberg most of it is hidden from view. "

MDMA TV is negotiating with satellite and terrestrial broadcasters to finalise rights to transmit the finished programme and its subsequent follow-up, plus future screenings at documentary festivals.

Just Oxfordshire will be mostly run by volunteers, as well as some paid staff. Students from Abingdon and Witney College's BTEC media course will make a significant contribution.

In the evenings, programmes made by and for young people will be aired, and during the day, there will be news and music.

Its first Just Oxfordshire broadcast will be on Sunday, July 2, during the Witney Carnival, but station staff hope to start making Internet broadcasts before then.

Any West Oxfordshire residents who wish to become involved should e-mail info@justoxfordshire.co.uk, or call 020 7870 1053.