[cma-l] Proposed Discussion with Ben Bradshaw, Secretary of State for Culture, Media & Sport

[Phil Korbel]

Ian & List

I agree with 2-4 and want to see all protection for small commercial
stations removed [especially as their regulation is being eased up -
probably] but I fervently believe in the need to put a quota on 
advertising revenues to prevent community stations simply ending up 
sounding like commercial ones in order to get advertising.  Whether it's 
50% or 60% I'm not too bothered about but the very distinctiveness of 
community radio is under threat if that quota is abandoned.

bests

Phil

-- 
Phil Korbel
Director
0161 237 5454

Radio Regen is a community, media and urban regeneration charity
A company limited by guarantee and registered in England and Wales No.
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2009/6/9 Ian Hickling <transplanfm at hotmail.com>

 > If you have the opportunity to put some points to him regarding the
 > furtherance of Community Radio - I would suggest that they are:
 >
 > 1 - The total revision of the advertising restrictions on Community
 > Radio stations as being a severe and unnecessary handicap to their
 > financial viability.
 >
 > 2 - The speeding up of the Frequency Clearance process by removing the
 > present obstacles of the excessive time currently taken by the BBC,
 > the ARB and the EBU/CCIR to carry out the required formalities.
 >
 > 3 - The revision by Ofcom of its restrictions on the use of
 > frequencies adjacent to other broadcasters, particularly the removal
 > of now unnecessary guard bands, the revision of 2nd, 3rd and 4th
 > adjacent relative power levels and the removal or stringent revision
 > of restrictions imposed by the concept of IF imaging.
 >
 > 4 - The encouraging of Ofcom to actively and efficiently remove all
 > illegal broadcasters, particularly in inner-city areas.
 >
 > Ian Hickling
 > Partner
 > transplan UK
 >
 >  > Date: Tue, 9 Jun 2009 15:36:47 +0100
 >  > From: info at phonic.fm
 >  > To: cma-l at commedia.org.uk
 >  > Subject: Re: [cma-l] Open letter from the CMA to Ben Bradshaw,
 >  > Secretary of State for Culture, Media & Sport
 >  >
 >  > You might be interested to know that Ben Bradshaw is the MP for
 >  > Exeter, comes from a radio journalism background with BBC Radio
 >  > Devon, and has been helpful to us in a number of ongoing ways with
 >  > our station.
 >  >
 >  > He will be visiting us again during June and if there were specific
 >  > points that you would like to have raised we could be prepared to
 >  > do so.
 >  >
 >  > Our main issue is the prohibition of advertising or sponsorship for
 >  > Phonic FM a discussion which was ongoing before Ben relinquished
 >  > his post with Ag & Fisheries!
 >  >
 >  > Hope this helps.
 >  >
 >  > The Phonic Crew