[cma-l] !!! DCMS Consultation on Community Radio - deadline 6th June !!!

[Bill Best]

Dear Supporters,

We have a deadline of Friday 6th June to get in all your views about
the DCMS Consultation on Community Radio.

I have extracted some key paragraphs here from the DCMS Consultation Paper:

"[DCMS] seek[s] views about whether to continue to use a small portion
of the funding available in order directly to support projects and
build sustainability within the community radio sector.

One use of such funding would be to provide some core support for the
CMA to allow it to become more sustainable in the longer term. The
Government recognises the importance of a body that is able to
represent the community radio sector – which by its very nature is
made up of small stations spread across the UK. A national body should
be able to represent sectoral views to Government and assist the
development of national funding proposals and disseminate best
practice. Subject to the outcome of this consultation, therefore, we
are proposing to reserve a total of £100,000 over 3 years to support
the Community Media Association to do this and to build its longer
term capacity. This will amount to £40,000 for each of the first 2
years and £20,000 in the third year. The Government currently has no
plans to offer other direct sectoral support over that period.

The DCMS therefore seeks views on the use of a small proportion of
funding in order to support directly projects and build sustainability
within the community radio sector."

So the two questions that DCMS has set and to which it would like answers are:

1. Do you agree that the DCMS allocation of funding via Ofcom's
Community Radio Fund should continue to be reserved to support core
costs?

2. Do you agree that DCMS should retain a portion of the Community
Radio Fund to provide direct funding to support wider sectoral
development and sustainability projects?

Responses should be made by 6th June 2008 either by post to:

Alan Casselton
Broadcasting Policy Division
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
5th Floor
2-4 Cockspur Street
London SW1Y 5DH

Or by email to Community_Radio at culture.gsi.gov.uk

Or by using our wickedly simple-to-use online form here that does all
the hard work (apart from thinking and writing for you):

http://consult.commedia.org.uk/

We've had a great response so far but there can never be too many voices heard.

Please support the CMA by making your views known before 6th June.

Best regards

Bill
--
Technical Manager
Community Media Association
http://www.commedia.org.uk/

Canstream Online Multi-Media Solutions
http://www.canstream.co.uk/