[cma-l] watching and observing with interest

[Office - ccr-fm]

Hiya Guys ------------------------                  ‘Phil – ‘’ I apologise
now for the capitals ‘’    ‘’ it’s not a rant, it is just for emphasis ‘’
‘’ you see I do listen and learn ‘’

 

Nick Wright here from Canalside Community Radio in North East Cheshire.

 

I would like to make a few observations if I may, plus of course have a
whinge or two at the same time. Phil is aware that I love a whinge, it helps
me through my day. Firstly though, I need to explain as why I have ended up
a whinger -------------- it is due to the fact that Canalside has had a raw
deal, we have been at the wrong end of that deal since day dot and nothing
appears to have been done.

Elsewhere there are blatant and clear injustices going on and they are
absolutely not acceptable.

 

I think it was Phil who mentioned in one of his exchanges about things going
‘dark’ in Community Radio land ?!              I have to tell you that we
have been operating for the last two years on a 40 watt bulb and our future
is going dimmer by the day.

 

We can’t advertise, our listener base has dropped due to the fact that
people will not listen to a radio station that sounds like ‘a load of
hissing snakes’ (answer = to give stations in hilly areas that need it 40
watts and those who don’t maybe 20 ??? 








 yet again, everytime we
make an approach we get read the Black / White rules.

 

Community Radio is not hitting its true potential due to the fact that there
are no ‘grey areas’ to help manoeuvrability 




..

 

Important though it is, the Community Radio fund in its current state is
bordering on a complete and utter JOKE   ---- on two accounts :-

 

1)       It simply isn’t enough, and I find it absolutely unbelievable that
the DCMS cannot see further than the end of their noses that an 8 million
pot would be a huge benefit to this Country and its returns would far
out-way the initial cost of the funding

 

However ------------- and most IMPORTANTLY :-

 

2)       The fund MUST be divided out equally. Especially now that all the
new stations are almost complete and aboard the Community Radio Train. 

This is not a competition to decide who can fill the forms in the best or
who can tweak figures. We all have our own strengths and weaknesses. I did
not come into radio (years ago to spend all day on admin and filling forms
in 
.. especially when my time can be better spent, and especially when the
very basis and foundations of Community Radio are :- EQUALITY / FAIRNESS /
OPPORTUNITY / SOCIAL GAIN                                           Radio
Stations getting ‘wads’ of money from this fund at the expense and detriment
of others, turns the whole thing into a debacle & fiasco.

 

As a fraternity of community brothers/sisters we have all had enough to bear
over the past five years with restrictions and ‘all that jazz’ 



.. what
we don’t need is that the fund of our own being a boxing ring (biggest and
strongest wins)                            I’m quite disgusted to be honest.

 

Get rid of the committees, get rid of the grants, get rid of the bureaucracy
-------------- all we need is :-        ONE PERSON with a calculator on
admin’, writing out the cheques = EQUALLY DIVIDED BETWEEN ALL.

 

The ‘Community Pot’ would naturally and immediately be bigger as all those
payments to committees and jobsworths could be ‘done away with’ and added to
the fund. With a descent pot ----- each station could have a guaranteed
£18,000 per-year !    if the government ups the aunty ???

 

That would most certainly help Canalside and allow us to up the 40 watt bulb
to a 60 watt and a fluorescent including perhaps a wind up torch ??     we
wouldn’t be out of the woods, but it wouldn’t be dark and we would at least
be able to see where we are going.

 

I feel very strongly about this guys and I expect the big hitters (you
chaps) to have a re-think and go in guns blazing           pleeeeeease !

 

In case you are in any doubt with reference to proceedings at this end







 Canalside could and may fall over before Christmas. The whole thing
is turning out to be a nightmare of the highest order. --------------- in it
all falls back to one thing and one thing only  =  LACK OF BASIC FUNDING
Time = Money and we simply don’t have the bodies to do the business. We are
slipping towards the abyss 






 by all means, use us as an example of how
things can and do go wrong.

 

What is sad about all of this, is that on EVERY OTHER ASPECT of Community
Radio and Social gain we have been a HUGE / MASSIVE success story, and
something that we can ALL be very proud of.      

 

If we do go ??               some people, somewhere ???     should hang
their heads in shame. Something needs to be done now, as Stable doors and
bolting horses springs to mind.

 

Enough for now, and thanks for reading the e-mail. Reply by all means





.. even if you disagree, I don’t mind

 

Regards

 

Nick Wright

 

 

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