You know all about The Park don’t you? OK, maybe not. It’s run by New Forest Community Media, a not-for-profit and volunteer-led organisation which was launched in March 2007 to provide an Internet news and pod-casting service. It’s currently run from their nerve centre in Brock and provides music and local interest stuff. If you’re worried about hearing nothing but sea shanties and a capella folk sung by bearded men in Fair Isle jumpers, don’t worry the music is contemporary veering a little towards the easy listening. As I type this they have played Shaggy, Madonna, the Pointer Sisters and Snow Patrol. I’m not saying that’s a representative sample, but it does suggest it’s pretty unlikely they’ll feature Megadeth in their regular scheduling.

Anyway, the point in mentioning any of this is that they have just been granted a licence to broadcast by Ofcom. The normal persons version of this is they get to send their programs over the airways as well as online, thus giving the New Forest an easily accessible community broadcaster. Good news in my book.

Cat Lake, Managing Editor for NFCM, said: “This is a great reward after two-and-a-half years of hard work.  This licence will enable us to operate a full FM radio service serving the New Forest which brings local communities together. ” Seeing as one of the charms of the New Forest, the many small communities also creates one of it’s biggest problems, viz communication, The Park looks to be a good fit. What’s more having talked with some of the Park people, I have not doubt that their concern to promote community interaction within the Forest is entirely genuine.

If you need proof that it’s A Good Thing, then the fact that the leaders of both Hampshire County Council and New Forest District Council agree has to lend credence being as how their respective organisations normally agree on so many things…. they were even at the opening of the station together. But regardless of whether you live in the area, or are one of the numerous visitors to this site contemplating a move here, go to the listen again section of the website and check out some of the guests from the breakfast show. It’ll be informative and who knows, you might even learn something you didn’t know.

The Park’s strapline is “Community radio for the New Forest” and to quote a famous philosopher, it does exactly what it says on the tin.