[cma-l] CMA Council feedback from last week's meeting in Glasgow

[Phil Shepherd]

Thanks to everyone who got in touch with us prior to last week's Council
meeting in Glasgow.  Your thoughts and ideas brought useful input to the
meeting.  To pick up on points raised in turn:

Richard Laurence raised the question of local TV on Freeview and the 
danger of all the spectrum released via the so called Digital Dividend 
eventually going to (e.g.) shopping channels and the like.  This remains 
a likelihood certainly in Wales and England despite the United for Local 
Television's (ULTV's) campaign to secure spectrum for public benefit, a 
campaign which failed to impact significantly on the Digital Britain 
report.   The campaign continues.   I will send Richard a copy of the 
ULTV submission to DCMS for more information and can make this available 
to others on request.

Richard also raised the question of FM radio and the migration to
digital.  The CMA was part of the Digital Radio Working Group and did 
raise the points Richard made within that group and will continue to do so.

Mary Dowson (Bradford Community Broadcasting) suggested we compile and 
make available a list of bodies on which CMA is represented (and by who) 
so that we can identify where the gaps are.  This will be actioned shortly.

Karl Hartland (209 Radio) and Marilyn Hindman (Northern Visions) both
suggested we look at ways to secure more advertising spend on community
radio and TV.  The consensus was that the most likely way to make this
happen will be via the Central Office of Information (COI)*.  CMA is 
already in touch with COI and will prioritise securing more advertising 
business for the sector from them in the coming weeks.
*The issue of the COI was also raised on the list by Tom Buckam (Future
Radio) and Derrick Francis (Gloucester FM).

Karl raised the question of an alternative and better way to measure and
evidence audience reach.  Some members have positive experience of 
engaging students with this process and this was felt to be the most 
viable way forward.  Finding a match between a station's needs and 
required college course outputs can often work.

Karl also asked about alternatives to IRN for news.  Council had diverse
reactions to this - some advocate working with the BBC, others suggest
either don't try and do it at all, or if possible create it yourselves -
acknowledging this is much easier said than done.

Salvatore Scifo advocates greater contact with the Community Media Forum
(Europe).   Council intend to be represented at the Civil Media 09
conference in Salzburg in the autumn.

Michael Fryer suggested a community radio day trailed by generic 
community media video and audio promos to happen immediately after the 
community radio fund e- petition closing date of 24 September.  Council 
welcomes the idea of a national community radio day but felt the time 
scale too tight and suggests it should be planned and scheduled for next 
year via  a dedicated workshop at the April national conference (details 
tbc). For this September individual stations that have the capacity 
could focus on doing something specific to their areas to draw attention 
to the inadequacy of the fund.

Council invites Michael and other members who may be interested to get
together to make content on the theme which could be shared across the
network.  Between us we must have a wealth of pre recorded material
evidencing the value of the sector.  For example, Council's Vice Chair
Darren Jenkinson (Preston FM) has a first draft of a community media 
promo video already in place and is working on second draft currently.

Ian Hickling (Transplan FM) raised some of the issues regarding licencing,
piracy and access to frequencies within the M25 area.  Ian wanted 
Council's assurance that CMA is 'actively search(ing) out and vacat(ing) 
FM frequencies to the benefit of Community Radio?'   There are three 
London based members on the Council and this difficult set of issues is 
of ongoing concern.  CMA participated in the recent series of 3 seminars 
organised by London Metropolitan University Community Media Research 
Group which brought together community media practitioners to identify 
the broadcasting needs and aspirations of London's many disenfranchised 
communities.  The meetings also had the support of  BBC London and 
Ofcom.   The CMA is not itself in a position to seek out frequencies, 
but we do continue to be in active discussion with Ofcom and Ofcom's 
engineers to ensure that they maximise community access to spectrum, in 
London and across the Country.

The next Council meeting is scheduled for 31 October in London.  I will 
put out a notice on the list a week or so ahead.

Best wishes

Phil

Phil Shepherd
Chair of Council
Community Media Association
c/o Engine Room
52 High Street
Bridgwater
Somerset TA6 3BL