About Us | Boreham Wood Radio

BWR Mission statement and Ofcom License Details

We are setting up a local Community Radio station for Borehamwood & Elstree and surrounding areas. Community Radio stations are not-for-profit services run mainly by volunteers.

We have been supported by the Clarion Housing Trust, Hertsmere Borough Council, Elstree & Borehamwood Town council and Elstree Studios. We have built a recording studio in Elstree Studios in Borehamwood aand installed the necessary equipment to run a full time radio service in future. We already have around 20 volunteers but need more to be trained as presenters and producers as well as some to develop and operate the studio equipment and some to handle finance and administrative tasks.

Our plan is to start a streaming radio service by 01/07/25 which can be heard online, on Smart Speakers and phone apps. We will then start broadcasting on air across South Hertfordshire on the new Digital Radio (DAB) service which is due to launch in August 2025 This service will cover a population of over 500,000 adults.

📡 Our Broadcasting Licence

Welcome to our station! We're proud to bring you community-focused radio 24/7 — and to do that legally and responsibly, we operate under specific broadcasting licences regulated by Ofcom.

🎙️ Ofcom Community Radio Licence

We are a licensed Community Radio Station, authorised by Ofcom, the UK's communications regulator. Community Digital Sound Programme Service Licence – BA, licence number CDP105627BA/1

This means:

We broadcast on a not-for-profit basis.
We serve a specific local community with content tailored to local interests.
We involve our community in what we do — on-air, off-air, and behind the scenes.
We uphold strict rules around content, advertising, and fairness.

You can read more about community radio licensing on the Ofcom website.

📻 DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting)

In addition we also broadcast digitally via DAB. This allows us to reach more listeners with clearer audio.

We're part of a small-scale DAB multiplex, which means we share digital space with other local stations.
Our DAB licence is issued either directly by Ofcom or through a multiplex operator licensed by them.
This lets you listen to us on modern radios, in cars, and through DAB-enabled devices.

📝 Compliance & Responsibility

With our licences come responsibilities. We must:

Follow the Broadcasting Code – covering accuracy, fairness, harm, and offence.
Keep recordings of all broadcasts for 42 days in case of complaints or audits.
Submit regular reports to Ofcom about our programming and community impact.
Limit our advertising and ensure we're focused on community benefit, not profit.

🔊 Why This Matters

Being licensed:

Protects our right to broadcast.
Ensures we’re accountable to you — our community.
Means we meet national standards for ethical and inclusive broadcasting.

📬 Questions?

Want to know more about how we’re licensed and what that means for you as a listener, volunteer, or advertiser?

Ofcom license details:

Boreham Wood Radio (BWR) Licence number: CDP105627BA/1 Small-Scale Radio Multiplex Service: South Hertfordshire

Description of character of service:

Boreham Wood Radio (“BWR”) is a radio service intended to serve Borehamwood & Elstree and surrounding areas including Radlett and Shenley in South Hertfordshire. Boreham Wood Radio will provide a service of entertainment and information for people in its target area about activities and events in the local area and nearby areas in Hertfordshire. Programmes will mainly be presented by local people and will include a range of music, interviews and discussions with people involved in the local community of interest to local residents of all ages and backgrounds. The studio of the Licensed Service is located within the coverage area of the Small-Scale Radio Multiplex Service identified above (n.b. the Licensee will not be in breach of this requirement if an existing studio ceases to fall within the coverage area merely as a result of technical changes to the Small-Scale Radio Multiplex Service outside the control of the Licensee). The Licensed Service shall have the characteristics of a Community Digital Sound Programme Service as set out in the 2019 Order and, in so doing, shall achieve the following objectives: •the facilitation of discussion and the expression of opinion, •the provision (whether by means of programmes included in the service or otherwise) of education or training to individuals not employed by the person providing the service, and •the better understanding of the particular community and the strengthening of links within it. Members of the target community shall contribute to the operation and management of the service. The service shall have mechanisms in place to ensure it is accountable to its target community in the specific area or locality.