Ofcom (The Office Of Communications) has announced the award of a five year Community Radio Licence to SFM – the group who have been campaigning in the area for the past 9 years.

SFM will provide a 24 hour service on the FM waveband to the Sittingbourne area and aims to provide a high quality, local and relevant radio service. The station's philosophy will be create a unique on-air identity that is mid-range between entertainment and discourse, promoting and encouraging local community involvement in an area that is set to be transformed over the next five to ten years.

Programme Director, Peter Flynn, said: "I'm delighted and would like to thank all the help and assistance received so far from local businesses and people throughout the Sittingbourne area."

"The work doesn't however end here as we now need everybody's help to bring the full time station to fruition. Finally we now have our own local radio service, which will enable us to promote our town and all that is happening here – there is a very exciting future ahead."

Chairman and Managing Director Terence Flynn said: "We are delighted with Ofcom’s decision and are optimistic that SFM will prove to be a catalyst for the encouragement and development of the town’s latent potential”.