[cma-l] Is it the end of community and local TV? - Urgent request to you all!

[Jaqui Devereux]

Dear all

We have an urgent request to make of you, even if you think you are not 
interested in the development of community television.  Thanks to those 
of you who have already responded to my earlier message, but we need a 
bit more and from more of you!  Otherwise community television for all 
is likely to be dead in the water...

Below is a brief summary of Ofcom's thinking on community and local TV 
as outlined in a meeting on Jan 14th.  Please if you can could you send 
me answers to some of the questions below so we can challenge Ofcom further.

With thanks

Jaqui

Jaqui Devereux

Acting Director
Community Media Association


"Ofcom finds spectrum suitable for 100s of local TV channels but will 
only make these available for local use if potential channel operators 
have business plans ready by 14th February!!"

At a packed local TV stakeholders meeting on 14th January Ofcom 
introduced its frequency plans showing it could enable upwards of ten 
local TV channels serving different areas from each of 71 main UK 
transmitter sites.  As shown in the work by NGWireless this spectrum 
would provide local channels reaching 80% of the UK population.

However, Ofcom is only considering auctioning (they refuse to consider 
any other option for deciding spectrum use) 25 of these sites, on the 
basis that no-one out there is interested in developing local TV.  Some 
major conurbations are omitted from this list of 25 including, for 
example, Sheffield.

Ofcom  then emphasised that if more than the 25 sites identified were to 
be included in these spectrum packages, as suggested for delivery of 
local TV channels, potential local and community channel operators would 
need to provide evidence to Ofcom of demand (ideally with a business 
plan!) by 14th February.

This spectrum will only be configured by Ofcom to suit local channels if 
there is sufficient evidence of demand to do so, not only from viewers 
but from potential operators.

What's required for 14th February? A business plan is unrealistic .... but:

Evidence of demand - local support, council, health board etc, popular 
public interest, supporting organisations, partners etc

Geographic area to be served - post code areas

Business plan - unlikely till you have information on spectrum and costs 
of transmission, so evidence of capability in running community 
enterprise or community media activity, radio station etc

Finance - here evidence of past performance in media related funding 
(grants secured, funds raised and purpose) would help

Please send any expression of potential interest either to me or direct 
to Ofcom (though if you do send it straight to them please could you 
copy me in).

Carmel.McLaughlin at ofcom.org.uk