Funding given to community radio stations: FOI release

FOI reference: FOI/18/01103
Date received: 26 March 2018
Date responded: 2 May 2018

Information requested

1. Funding given to Community Radio Stations via Government Advertising from 2011 to 2017 as stated by Fiona Hyslop MSP (Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs) in a recent Debating Chamber exchange with Iain Gray MSP.

2. The amounts paid and to whom over this period.

In addition, you have requested a cross-party debate or a meeting with members of The Community Radio Association.

Response

The answer to questions 1 & 2 are set out in the attached table. Please note in checking the data for this response an error was identified in the figure provided to the Cabinet Secretary which understated the funding to community radio stations. The total expenditure in the time period (January 2011 to November 2017) is £314,476 rather than £307,645.

STATION	Total	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017
ARGYLL FM	£ 18,441	£ 995	£ 4,040	£ 3,222	£ 5,169	£ 2,519	£ 1,788	£ 708
AWAZ FM	£ 3,776	£ -	£ 3,021	£ -	£ 411	£ -	£ -	£ 344
CAITHNESS FM	£ 16,803	£ 324	£ 3,814	£ 3,064	£ 4,739	£ 2,504	£ 1,686	£ 672
CUILLIN FM	£ 31,766	£ 1,173	£ 7,425	£ 5,514	£ 8,443	£ 4,801	£ 3,173	£ 1,237
HEARTLAND FM	£ 13,223	£ 667	£ 3,183	£ 2,278	£ 3,083	£ 2,020	£ 1,579	£ 413
ISLES FM	£ 29,136	£ 1,417	£ 6,762	£ 5,141	£ 8,399	£ 3,923	£ 2,140	£ 1,354
LOCHBROOM FM	£ 29,919	£ 1,417	£ 6,762	£ 5,141	£ 8,334	£ 3,993	£ 3,143	£ 1,129
NEVIS RADIO	£ 45,347	£ 1,906	£ 10,369	£ 7,883	£ 12,591	£ 6,576	£ 4,293	£ 1,729
OBAN FM COMMUNITY RADIO LTD	£ 30,384	£ 1,941	£ 6,762	£ 5,141	£ 8,078	£ 4,285	£ 3,048	£ 1,129
S.I.B.C.	£ 28,038	£ 1,412	£ 6,762	£ 5,141	£ 7,667	£ 3,787	£ 2,140	£ 1,129
SUNNY GOVAN RADIO	£ 11,874	£ 179	£ 5,105	£ 2,061	£ 1,181	£ 1,322	£ 2,026	£ -
SUPER STATION	£ 8,409	£ 825	£ 2,747	£ 2,193	£ 2,644	£ -	£ -	£ -
TWO LOCHS RADIO	£ 21,751	£ 980	£ 4,535	£ 3,481	£ 6,512	£ 3,222	£ 2,055	£ 966
WAVE 101.2	£ 14,911	£ 962	£ 4,606	£ 1,955	£ 3,735	£ 1,710	£ 1,943	£ -
YOUR RADIO	£ 10,700	£ 121	£ 3,497	£ 2,036	£ 1,209	£ 1,689	£ 1,647	£ 501
	£ 314,476	£ 14,319	£ 79,390	£ 54,251	£ 82,195	£ 42,351	£ 30,659	£ 11,311

This expenditure has occurred during a time frame when the overall media expenditure by the Scottish Government has decreased from £4,297,501 in 2014/15 and £3,345,044 in 2015/16 to £2,207,840 in 2016/17.

Decisions on when and which community radio stations are used is undertaken in conjunction with the media buying agency on a campaign by campaign basis. For each campaign we consider potential media channels in terms of their audience profile and reach as well as lessons gathered from previous campaigns on the most appropriate channels to be used.

The request for a cross party debate or a meeting with members of The Community Radio Association is out with the scope of a Freedom on Information request.

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