Public File
Each local commercial radio station in the UK has requirements of its music and local content, such as news 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, 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.
Hertbeat FM's local news is from 6.30am and 7pm (weekdays) we have local, national and international news bulletins every hour (and on the half hour at peak 'drive' periods). At other times we take IRN national/international news. At the weekend we have local news reviews, along with the national and international news provided by IRN (http://www.irn.co.uk). To see the sort of local news we cover click HERE. To see how OFCOM class 'localness' please CLICK HERE
2. Recent News stories.
Some recent stories from Hertbeat FM can be found HERE.
3. Contact detail for the News team.
Chris Hollis, News Editor - 01438 810900
4. The programme schedule. Hertbeat FM's programme schedule can be found HERE 5. Automation. Occasionally we have to pre-record or automate some parts of our output. This is largely done through-the-night (12pm-6am) and at weekends. Currently Hertbeat FM has between 14-18 hours of live programming during weekdays, and the rest is automated or 'voice-tracked'. At the weekend the number of live programmes is around 10 hours per day. 6. Local Programming. Our programming all comes from our studios in Knebworth Park. On Sunday we take 'The A List' between 4-7pm, which is a 'networked show' (ie also heard on some other radio stations) which is transmitted from London. 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 HERE 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 about Hertbeat FM please call us on 01438 810900 and ask to speak to the Managing Director, Brett Harley. We take your complaints very seriously - and are constantly trying to improve our output to make it even more relevant to the local community. If this proves unsatisfactory you may wish to contact Ofcom. 8. Contact details Can be found HERE 9. Events/charities support or coverage In June 2006 Hertbeat FM helped raise money for three local charities... The Willow Foundation ("Special days for seriously ill young adults"), Digswell Place Riding For The Disabled (Welwyn Garden City) and Greenside School, Stevenage ("For children diagnosed with severe learning difficulties"). Our World Cup England car flags were sold for £3 each and every penny went to these three great local causes. We also feature charities in our 'What's On Guide' and also regularly visit charitable fairs, open days and fetes with the Streetbeat Team. 10. Recent programme and/or news highlights - Hertbeat have been right behind local music, supporting Stevenage's Rock In The Park, Hertford's Rock At The Castle, Ware's Rock At The Priory, Hitchin's Rythyms Of The World, Welwyn Garden City's Field Fest, plus countless smaller gigs. We've had local artists peforming live in our Knebworth Park studios, chosen the local footy anthems over Embrace for the World Cup and playlisted local music across the day. - More charities than ever have benefited from exposure on our What's On Guide with some events getting even more help: We broadcast our very own Coffee Morning from Stevenage for MacMillan Cancer Support; entered the Hertbeat Hot Rods live on air into the Go-Kart Endurance Event for Cancer Research UK; put our trainers on for the British Heart Foundation 10k at Knebworth House and lost the toss of the pancake race for Guide Dogs in Stevenage town centre. - School Of The Week! - Each week a different school gets adopted by Hertbeat FM. We play Test The Teacher, get school run requests, read to them on Stevenory, read out their e-mails and let them win a lift to school in our BMW X3 before broadcasting live from their assembly. - Our Magnificent 7 summer toured our Magnificent 7 towns with our Streetbeat team hitting the streets, live OBs, on air fact files delving into the history and a listener poll naming the 7 Most Magnificent things about living in hertbeat country with a great giveaway too. - Local people do amazing things. We've followed 3 men in their Mark 1 Escorts cross America as they phoned each day. We've taken in every stroke of a Knebworth man swimming the Thames for charity - we even jumped in live on air with him at the start in our speedos! We've tracked students on a GumBall rally across Europe and a local councillor cycling from Lands End to John O'Groats! 11. Any other issues or areas of interest likely to impact on localness There are no current issues that impact on the localness of the station. 12. The station's playlist and the music we play. The music Hertbeat FM plays is predominately from the last 25 years (so 80's, 90's, 00's and now) - a recent playlist can be found HERE. We also do 'retro weekends' with some older tracks being played, especially in our specialist programmes (like the 'Jukebox Drive-In' - Sundays at 7pm).
4. The programme schedule. Hertbeat FM's programme schedule can be found HERE 5. Automation. Occasionally we have to pre-record or automate some parts of our output. This is largely done through-the-night (12pm-6am) and at weekends. Currently Hertbeat FM has between 14-18 hours of live programming during weekdays, and the rest is automated or 'voice-tracked'. At the weekend the number of live programmes is around 10 hours per day. 6. Local Programming. Our programming all comes from our studios in Knebworth Park. On Sunday we take 'The A List' between 4-7pm, which is a 'networked show' (ie also heard on some other radio stations) which is transmitted from London. 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 HERE 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 about Hertbeat FM please call us on 01438 810900 and ask to speak to the Managing Director, Brett Harley. We take your complaints very seriously - and are constantly trying to improve our output to make it even more relevant to the local community. If this proves unsatisfactory you may wish to contact Ofcom. 8. Contact details Can be found HERE 9. Events/charities support or coverage In June 2006 Hertbeat FM helped raise money for three local charities... The Willow Foundation ("Special days for seriously ill young adults"), Digswell Place Riding For The Disabled (Welwyn Garden City) and Greenside School, Stevenage ("For children diagnosed with severe learning difficulties"). Our World Cup England car flags were sold for £3 each and every penny went to these three great local causes. We also feature charities in our 'What's On Guide' and also regularly visit charitable fairs, open days and fetes with the Streetbeat Team. 10. Recent programme and/or news highlights - Hertbeat have been right behind local music, supporting Stevenage's Rock In The Park, Hertford's Rock At The Castle, Ware's Rock At The Priory, Hitchin's Rythyms Of The World, Welwyn Garden City's Field Fest, plus countless smaller gigs. We've had local artists peforming live in our Knebworth Park studios, chosen the local footy anthems over Embrace for the World Cup and playlisted local music across the day. - More charities than ever have benefited from exposure on our What's On Guide with some events getting even more help: We broadcast our very own Coffee Morning from Stevenage for MacMillan Cancer Support; entered the Hertbeat Hot Rods live on air into the Go-Kart Endurance Event for Cancer Research UK; put our trainers on for the British Heart Foundation 10k at Knebworth House and lost the toss of the pancake race for Guide Dogs in Stevenage town centre. - School Of The Week! - Each week a different school gets adopted by Hertbeat FM. We play Test The Teacher, get school run requests, read to them on Stevenory, read out their e-mails and let them win a lift to school in our BMW X3 before broadcasting live from their assembly. - Our Magnificent 7 summer toured our Magnificent 7 towns with our Streetbeat team hitting the streets, live OBs, on air fact files delving into the history and a listener poll naming the 7 Most Magnificent things about living in hertbeat country with a great giveaway too. - Local people do amazing things. We've followed 3 men in their Mark 1 Escorts cross America as they phoned each day. We've taken in every stroke of a Knebworth man swimming the Thames for charity - we even jumped in live on air with him at the start in our speedos! We've tracked students on a GumBall rally across Europe and a local councillor cycling from Lands End to John O'Groats! 11. Any other issues or areas of interest likely to impact on localness There are no current issues that impact on the localness of the station. 12. The station's playlist and the music we play. The music Hertbeat FM plays is predominately from the last 25 years (so 80's, 90's, 00's and now) - a recent playlist can be found HERE. We also do 'retro weekends' with some older tracks being played, especially in our specialist programmes (like the 'Jukebox Drive-In' - Sundays at 7pm).
Have a big night out at the Big Top when it comes to Hartham Common this weekend! Win family tickets online..
There is such a thing as a free lunch with Hertford's Serendipity for British Sandwich Week on Hertbeat Breakfast...
