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

[Karl Hartland]

May I respectfully disagree with that Phil?

There's only a danger in that, in my opinion, if there is a lack of
accountability to the Social Gain Objectives of the CRO 2004.

And also if the word 'distinctiveness' and its application to what we do
is muddy.

Is a station distinctive due to its programming..its presentation
style...the community it serves...its music policy? There are many 
angles to that word...too many I feel to allow it to hobble the way a 
station interacts with its local economy.

The CRT holds a lot of advice as to how you should make serving your
community of interest in a way appropriate to that community...

I'm a great believer in developing that relationship between a station,
its grassroots economic environment and the 'upper levels' too- the only
reason 209 in Cambridge isn't knitted in tight with ours just now is the
full restrictions placed upon by the CRO, which were only lifted at the
back end of last year. But we're getting there and its that spirit of
approach, in the absence of RAJAR, that is endearing us to those who
have a grassroots position, a social concious, a need to get a message
out effectively at lower costs or any combination of the above.

Our problems always seem to be about restrictions- spectrum, commercial
stations, funding streams, leadtimes from Ofcom themselves...the
commercial boys are fighting restrictions and we should too.

What could see us right is a will from Government & Ofcom to make sure
that the licences given are used for Social Gain- imparting of skills,
creating opportunities, adding to the plurality of our airwaves,
engaging the audience with much much more than running commentaries on
BGT...

Each part of the UK is different and how each station makes itself vital
will be different too...

Too much focus on money and not enough on transmitter usage- doesn't
matter how you raise it, it's how you spend it for me and all of this
makes a mockery of the 'light touch' remit of Ofcom...feels more like a
passive heavy weight to me at times...

The most important Quality Control of any system is on its output...the
inputs should be ethical, of course, but we live in a free market shurely?

A feeling of danger in terms of commercial funding for me is an
expression of doubt whether some licence holders actually have the best
intentions in mind for their transmitter usage...create systems to weed
them out more effectively and we'd be better off.

K
-- 
Karl Hartland
209radio Station Manager

105 FM in the Cambridge City Area
http://209radio.co.uk everywhere else!

Citylife House
Sturton Street
Cambridge
CB1 2QF

01223 488418
07968 898254

209radio is a Registered Charity in England, No. 1124610,
and a Company Limited by Guarantee, No. 5585527

Phil Korbel wrote:
 > 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