[cma-l] CMA Council - CR Fund priority

[Phil Korbel]

hi all

thanks for some smart thinking there Steve...  yes we must take that small
comfort from the govt response but also must not be under any illusions
about how vulnerable the Fund is - meagre as it is.

I really like the idea of asking for the fund to be used as seed corn for
more fund raising - a trust model perhaps - and the Govt would seek to see
that in the hands of a registered charity I'd imagine.  The idea of asking
stuff away from Ofcom would also appeal to the Govt I'm sure. There is
certainly a discussion to be had about the use of ERDF and other EU sources
to match - but with the real danger that it wd cost too much to
administer...

Knowing how utterly overstretched the CMA is there cant be alternative to
the sort of approach that Steve suggests and we've got to get moving now -
so that every MP in our reach is not just contacted but frog-marched to
Osborne's door in good time for October's Comprehensive Spending Review.

Count us in!

best wishes,

Phil

On 30 July 2010 21:08, Steve Buckley <sbuckley at gn.apc.org> wrote:

> Dear Phil and all
>
> I want to share a few thoughts with you and CMA Council regarding the
> CR Fund and following the response from the government to the
> petition that I initiated last year.
>
> First, in reading the government statement, while I am sceptical of
> DCMS commitment or ability to progress in raising funds from other
> departments, it does seem to me there are some significant positives:
> (1) that, despite the change of government, it is consistent with
> previous (Labour) government statements recognising the value of the
> sector and accepting that there is merit in finding additional
> funding from other government departments to support CR social
> benefit; (2) it also reinforces the DCMS policy of funding the CMA.
>
> On the other hand it is clear that in the present climate even the
> existing meagre level of the Fund is not guaranteed to continue after
> the completion of the Comprehensive Spending Review. In this context
> it seems to me there should be three broad lines of response:
>
> 1. We (the sector itself, the CMA and our allies) need to vigorously
> not only defend the Fund's existence but to continue to call for its
> increase from 2005 levels to a level commensurate with the Everitt
> Report and the present and future scale of the sector.
>
> 2. The campaign needs to build significant grassroots mobilisation,
> that articulates with the CMA's efforts but is not dependent on the
> CMA's core resources. Its should be in parallel to and reinforce the
> policy dialogue with DCMS. This might take the form of a CR Fund
> action group/network that involves people from both within and
> outside CMA staff and Council.
>
> 3. There is a need also to inject some fresh thinking into the
> development of the Fund. In the long term of course it should be
> extended to other community media. In the medium term it could be
> better taken out of Ofcom and established as a 'co-regulatory' entity
> with an objective to lead in raising funds from other sources in
> addition to the DCMS support. The Canadian experience is instructive
> in this respect - where the fund was set up by a group of CR sector
> activists. Initial funding came from the private sector with CRTC cash
> later.
>
> I'd welcome feedback from the CMA Council and others on these suggestions.
>
> Best wishes
>
> Steve Buckley
> Sheffield Live! 93.2 FM
> www.sheffieldlive.org
>
>
> At 17:17 29/07/2010, you wrote:
> >Dear Members and friends
> >
> >Just to say that the Council of the CMA are due to meet in London this
> >Saturday and although we have a full agenda of important issues facing the
> >organisation and the wider sector I wanted to let you know it was
> happening
> >and to ask that if there are any burning issues you would like to flag up
> >for our attention please let me know via this list.   I cannot guarantee
> >they will be discussed in detail this weekend but can guarantee as always
> >that they will not be ignored, that they will inform our thinking and be
> >responded to as soon as practically possible.
> >
> >Best wishes
> >
> >Phil
> >
> >Phil Shepherd
> >Chair of Council
> >Community Media Association
> >c/o Engine Room
> >52 High Street
> >Bridgwater
> >Somerset TA6 3BL
> >
> >philshep.wordpress.com
> >
> >
> >
> >
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-- 
Phil Korbel
Director
0161 237 5454

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