Frome Community Productions CIC

What Frome Community Productions CIC does

Frome Community Productions CIC is a UK Community Interest Company (Company No. 06585776) operating as Frome FM, a volunteer-run community radio station based in Frome, Somerset. Founded as a formal CIC in May 2008 after originating as a 2005 project at Frome Community College and a 2007 revival led by Phil Moakes, the organization currently operates from the Frome Town Hall. It is entirely volunteer-managed, with more than 100 members producing new programmes each month and a leadership team of six volunteer directors. Its core product is a 24/7 community radio service broadcasting on 96.6 FM under an Ofcom licence (granted May 2012) and distributed simultaneously through online streaming, smart speakers, iOS and Android apps, and a Mixcloud-hosted Listen Again archive. Programming spans eight categories (Community, Eclectic, Electronic, Folk, Jazz, Rock, Talk, World), with Radio Z providing youth training and podcast production services offered to local businesses. Reach includes approximately 30,000 potential FM listeners, 20,000+ annual unique website visitors, and 10,000+ annual Mixcloud plays.

The organization's revenue model is multi-stream and donation-led. Sponsorship packages (Patron, Partner, Show Sponsor, Station Supporter tiers, billed annually) are sold to local businesses and organisations, with free on-air advert production included. Supplementary income comes from one-off and recurring listener donations (including via Give as you Live), community fundraising events (pub quizzes, benefit gigs, cake sales, parachute jumps), crowdfunding campaigns (via Raisely) targeting the digital studio appeal, and membership subscriptions. Annual operating costs are approximately £16,000 covering rent, utilities, licences and insurance. The customer base comprises local Frome and Somerset businesses (Cooper & Tanner, Agincare, Fonehouse, Burton Sweet, Moss Naylor Young, Cheese and Grain, Frome Memorial Theatre, Frome Town Council, Somerset Council) alongside a broader volunteer/member constituency that sustains content production.

Name

Frome Community Productions CIC

Legal name

Frome Community Productions CIC

Website

https://frome.fm

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Frome Community Productions CIC operates Frome FM, a volunteer-run community radio station broadcasting on 96.6 FM and online from Frome, Somerset, UK. It serves local listeners with diverse music and talk programming while generating revenue via sponsorship, donations, and community fundraising.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Radio Broadcasting

NAICS

Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611), Radio Broadcasting Stations (516110)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

Independent Local Radio Stations (MPABACAD)

Keywords

• Community radio broadcasting
• FM radio station
• Radio sponsorship advertising
• Podcast production services
• Volunteer radio programming

Headquarters

HQ city

Frome

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Sponsorship Packages: Multiple tiers of sponsorship including Patron (6 ads/day), Partner (4 ads/day), Show Sponsorship, and Station Supporter packages. All sponsorship income goes directly into supporting the station.
2. Donations and Membership: One-off and monthly donations from listeners. Membership available for individuals and community groups to participate in station operations.
3. Fundraising Activities: Community fundraising events including marathons, pub quizzes, cake sales, benefit gigs, parachute jumps, car boot sales, and plant sales.
4. Crowdfunding: Digital studio crowdfunding campaigns through dedicated fundraising websites.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Frome Community Productions CIC operates Frome FM, a community radio station broadcasting 24 hours a day on 96.6 FM and via online streaming to an audience of approximately 30,000 in the Frome area plus global online listeners. The station produces diverse volunteer-led programming across music and talk genres, supported by tiered sponsorship packages, podcast production services for local businesses, youth radio training (Radio Z), and donation-based fundraising.

Product overview

FromeFM is a community radio station operated by Frome Community Productions CIC, offering a unified broadcasting platform across FM radio (96.6 FM) and online streaming. The station produces diverse radio programmes spanning eight content categories (Community, Eclectic, Electronic, Folk, Jazz, Rock, Talk, World) with over 100 volunteer members creating new programmes monthly. Supporting services include sponsorship/advertising packages with tiered benefits, podcast production assistance for local businesses, and youth radio training through Radio Z. The station's Listen Again archive is hosted on Mixcloud, while donations are facilitated through Give as you Live and Raisely platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Frome FM Radio Broadcasting Community radio station broadcasting on 96.6 FM to approximately 30,000 people in Frome and surrounding areas, operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The station produces original programmes across multiple genres and talk formats for local residents and a global online audience.
• Online Streaming Service Internet radio streaming via the FromeFM website, online radio players, Smart Speakers, and mobile apps for iOS and Android devices, extending the station's reach globally beyond the FM broadcast area.
• Radio Programme Archive (Listen Again on Mixcloud) Extensive library of archived radio shows available on Mixcloud, spanning diverse genres including Community, Eclectic, Electronic, Folk, Jazz, Rock, Talk, and World music categories, with 10,000+ plays per year.
• Sponsorship and Advertising Packages Tiered sponsorship opportunities sold to local businesses and organisations including Patron (6 ads/day), Partner (4 ads/day), Show Sponsorship, and Station Supporter levels, offering on-air mentions, logo placement on website, social media promotion, and free advert production.
• Podcast Production Services Production support and assistance creating podcasts for local business websites, including optional broadcast of the produced podcast on Frome FM. Example clients include Cooper & Tanner and Somerset Cool.
• Radio Z Youth Training Programme Youth radio training and work experience programme producing content from the Introduction to Radio training course, featuring young people's own hour-long shows on the station.

Quantifiable outcome

• Radio advertising delivers average of £7.70 return per £1 of spend
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Frome Town CouncilcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Local government sponsor providing financial support and community endorsement. Logo displayed on sponsor page with link to council website.
• Somerset CouncilcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024County council sponsor providing financial support and community partnership. Logo displayed on sponsor page with link to council website.
• Raves From The GravesminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Local music retailer sponsor with reciprocal promotional benefits.
• AgincareminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Care home operator sponsor with local business promotional partnership.
• Burton SweetminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Accountancy firm sponsor with local business promotional partnership.
• Moss Naylor YoungminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Legal services firm sponsor with local business promotional partnership.
• FonehouseminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Telecommunications retailer sponsor with local business promotional partnership.
• Sustainable FromecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Co-presented programme Sustainable Frome exploring climate change and sustainability topics. Partnership includes dedicated show slot and content collaboration.
• Cheese and GrainminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Music venue sponsor and historical partner (original broadcast location from 2007 in attic).
• Frome Memorial TheatreminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Theatre sponsor with local arts promotional partnership.
• Cooper & TannerminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Legal firm producing weekly podcasts on auctions through the station, demonstrating deeper content partnership beyond basic sponsorship.
• Frome Community CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Original founding location in 2005 where FromeFM started as a small project.
• Transition NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024International sustainability network with communities in 50+ countries that Sustainable Frome (programme partner) participates in since 2008.
• MixcloudcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2024Third-party streaming platform hosting FromeFM's Listen Again archive service with 10,000+ plays annually.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Radio Verulam: Radio Verulam is a community radio station for St Albans and surrounding areas, operating on 92.6 FM. It shares Frome FM's volunteer-based production model, local business sponsorship tiers, and town-scale FM broadcast footprint with online streaming extension.
• Phonic FM: Phonic FM is a community radio station for Exeter broadcasting on 106.8 FM. It operates a similar volunteer-presenter and local business sponsorship structure to Frome FM, serving a defined South West catchment with multi-channel distribution.
• Ujima Radio: Ujima Radio is a Bristol-based community radio station broadcasting on 98.0 FM. It operates with a comparable community interest structure, volunteer presenters, and local business sponsorship model targeting a defined urban catchment area.
• Cambridge 105: Cambridge 105 is a community radio station serving Cambridge and surrounding villages, broadcasting on 105 FM. It is a directly comparable independent local radio station with a similar volunteer-led, community-funded model, multi-platform streaming, and tiered local business sponsorship.
• BCB Radio (Bradford Community Broadcasting): BCB Radio operates on 106.6 FM serving Bradford with a community-led, volunteer-driven model. It mirrors Frome FM's structure of volunteer programme makers, tiered sponsorship packages, and local advertising targeting small businesses in a defined catchment.
• RadioReverb: RadioReverb is a Brighton-based community radio station broadcasting online and via limited FM/DAB carriage. It mirrors Frome FM's reliance on volunteer programming, donations, and tiered local sponsorship to fund operations.
• Erewash Sound: Erewash Sound is a community radio station serving the Erewash area of Derbyshire, broadcasting on 97.8 FM. It runs a comparable volunteer-led model with local business sponsorship, serving a small-town catchment with online streaming extension.
• Reprezent 107.3 FM: Reprezent 107.3 FM is a London-based community radio station targeting young audiences with training programmes and volunteer-led programming. It parallels Frome FM's Radio Z youth training pipeline and volunteer-driven content production in a community broadcasting structure.
• Kane FM: Kane FM is a community radio station serving Surrey on 97.3 FM with a volunteer presenter base and local sponsorship model. It is comparable to Frome FM as a small-scale, Ofcom-licensed independent community broadcaster operating in a single-town catchment.

Broad incumbents

• BBC Radio Somerset: BBC Radio Somerset is the BBC's local radio service for Somerset, broadcasting on 95.5 FM. It is a broad incumbent operating in the same geography as Frome FM with overlapping local news, music, and community programming, but at substantially greater scale and reach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/fromefm
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@FromeFM-radio
• Facebookfacebook.com/fromefm
• Instagraminstagram.com/fromefm
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fromefm

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Frome Community Productions CIC