[cma-l] watching and observing with interest

[prashant at ulfaharts.co.uk]

Hear ! Hear ! Trevor, I guess you've hit the nail ! Activism , unity and innovation will be the only ways we can rescue the sector. We also need a sector mouthpiece, atleast one fortnightly nationally syndicated radio programme which exposes issues like your 'cloud cuckoo land' council plus gives us a chance to showcase and highlight excellent, economical and selfless work by community radio professionals across Great Britain ! We need the public on our side, and that's one way of doing it ! We ARE  the media people, I'm sure if we bring together our professional expertise and passion for the sector, sky is the limit ! Thanks, 
Prashant Singh, Director of Media, Ulfah Arts & Media, Birmingham, B12ODU 
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

-----Original Message-----
From: Trevor Lockwood <trevor at felixstoweradio.co.uk>
Sender: cma-l-bounces at mailman.commedia.org.uk
Date: Mon, 26 Jul 2010 15:21:17 
To: CMA-L<cma-l at commedia.org.uk>
Subject: Re: [cma-l] watching and observing with interest

Hello All

In a way I'm delighted with the responses so far this week. The legal
situation ably exposed by an academic, a practioner hitting the nail on the
head and a series of complaints about not being recognised.

It may be that we have the answer in our hands: a microphone that reaches
out to a national audience, often listeners who are as disenchanted with
the system as we are.

So let's do something positive. Working together, banging home a simple
message (think like Coca Cola or McDonalds) so the public get behind us.

There are several avenues we can use, with our own stations as the core
weapon. The BBC don't like to be leaders - they follow - so make them
follow us, work with us, be our friends (I see no reason to attack the
BBC). We can all work together, and will all survive by working together.

The legislation works against us - because the commercial lobby got in
there and exerted power. We know we can do better than they can (and in
some cases outright condemnation of commercial stations may be a good ploy
to adopt). My local comm.ercial station group (28 stations) pays no UK tax.
That's worth talking about.

Negotiation is about making the other side feel they have gained something
they wanted. The government want the Big Society (so they say). There is
nobody better placed to give them that than ourselves - so tell everybody
we can. And we can show how we can save money at the same time. My local
council crows about recruiting 100 volunteers - cost about £100,000. We
have 100 volunteers at the station - cost zero - and we can recruit at very
little cost - and pocket the difference.

My local council have said they have no legal obligation to provide
libraries - the CEO (salary £218,000 pa) suggested that Costa Coffee may
be interested in taking them over (no this is not Cloud Cuckoo Land, she
did say that).

A good reaction is to offer to take over your local library - indeed with
the Big Society you can offer to take over a whole range of services - so
do it. A council-owned theatre, public space, youth provision,
entertainment and tourism (oh yes give me that), even libraries - look at
the budgets allocated to these services. Our library manager has nine (9)
managers between her and that Council CEO - remove those and live on the
cream.

We have huge opportunities - and have no need to plead for funds (if the
government is to be believed). So let's go for it.

Anything can be accomplished - if you believe. So let's start by believing
we are what this country really needs right now.

Trevor
 
TREVOR LOCKWOOD
Chairman
Felixstowe Radio 
3 Great Eastern Square
Felixstowe IP11 7DY
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