[cma-l] Community Radio 50% Rules

Mon Oct 11 20:08:30 BST 2010

I'm not the one to comment on the signal strength argument...

but the idea of preserving the social gain part of community radio isnt nuts
- and a mixed revenue stream is a very good way of securing that.  If we
back off from that concept [and I'm not arguing about a move to e.g. 40%]
some CR operators will move even more fully to a quasi commercial model with
even less prime time for community output.

That said, regulation by output is a possible way forward but would still
need policing... any ideas anyone?

bests

Phil

On 11 October 2010 16:30, Alan Coote <alan.coote at btinternet.com> wrote:

> Hi Phil,
>
>
>
> I can’t see how one can conceivably argue that restricting a revenue stream
> to 50% is a benefit either to the station or its community.
>
>
>
> Ofcom, manage commercial radio on their output not on their input and even
> they say they are over regulated! They manage to write a format in a couple
> of sentences and yet we have pages.
>
>
>
> What a totally nuts situation we have, that the organisations most likely
> to provide a community benefit are hamstrung by over regulation and come to
> that fixed  coverage which bears no relation to local need or topography.
>
>
>
> Clearly there needs to be some regulatory limits, so let create a minimum
> set of rules that deliver community benefits.
>
>
>
> Alan
>
>
>
> PS More proof; If a Community Station provides a service on DAB it is not
> regulated in the same way, BUT yet again is the poor relation to commercial
> radio as at least they get an automatic extension to their FM licence –
> truly Bonkers!!!!
>
>
>
> *From:* cma-l-bounces at mailman.commedia.org.uk [mailto:
> cma-l-bounces at mailman.commedia.org.uk] *On Behalf Of *Phil Korbel
> *Sent:* 11 October 2010 12:22 PM
> *To:* CMA-L
>
> *Subject:* [cma-l] Community Radio 50% Rules
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Good call Murray
>
> Last year, I was sat with Ed Richards [CEO Ofcom] at Wythenshawe FM with a
> few other local licence holders and he asked us - unbidden - what we thought
> of the 50% rule.  I expected a bit of a ruck from the stations that had spot
> ads and sponsorship cental to their business plan - but there was none.
> Indeed one ex ILR head [who I'd expected to lead the charge] said he was
> happy with the rule - because of the 'in kind' rule in main.
>
> I was part of the original lobby for sector's founding legislation and we
> proposed the 50% rule as a safeguard for a 'mixed economy' - to ensure that
> stations would not have to go for biggest audience/lowest common denominator
> - as they would if reliant solely on commercial revenue. Of course this does
> deprive some stations of vital revenue so the challenge I'd put back is -
> what other means could there be to ensure that the essential 'social gain'
> character of the sector is not lost?  And that cant be by more rigorous
> policing of the Key Commitements as we're likely to see a very different
> [shrunk?] Ofcom.  Perhaps a different number other than 50%?
>
> And besides - isnt the headlong retreat from local output by many of the
> main commercial operators opportunity enough?
>
> So, let's have light touch regulation that preserves our distinctiveness -
> but please dont make the mistake of thinking that a solely advert funded
> station will be able to deliver social gain in the same way as a mixed
> economy one...  As Zane Ibrahim famously said - dont make your stations
> popular - make them necessary!
>
> bests
>
> Phil
>
> [who now battens down the hatches...]
>
> On 10 October 2010 18:49, Murray Dawson <murraywdawson at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Alan,
>
> I feel that the changes to the 50% rule now leaves a fair amount of
> flexibility to ensure that Community Radio stations can develop on a sound
> financial footing - without 'selling out' by going down the commercial ad
> driven route.
>
> Our organisation works across a range of community media formats, which
> allows us even greater flexibility, as it's the income of the company that
> is measured.  Therefore every grant we get for another area of the
> organisations work means the rule becomes less and less relevant to us (and
> in any case we had 14,000 hrs of volunteering last year, and had no
> commercial adverts).
>
> I did have a major issue with the original rule though - and it cost our
> organisation heavily as we had to scale back our original Big Lottery bid to
> a figure which I felt we could match 50/50 - this is no longer the case
> though.
>
> So my recommendation - diversification......
>
> Where I do have a serious problem with the 'rules' though is with the power
> and range we can transmit.
> Why should we be restricted to a fraction of the power of the commercials?
>
> In Aberdeen, we are in a situation where a large proportion of our target
> communities don't get reception - or get a very poor reception, and the
> commercials still moan to Ofcom that our reach is too far!
> Too far for what?
> We're not interested in stealing their revenues or audience - the opposite
> is the case.  We have evidence that our station has increased radio
> listeners across the city (commercial and community) by re-engaging people
> with the medium again.
>
> Let's pull together and campaign on this one instead?
>
> All the best
>
> Murray
>
>
>
> On 09/10/2010 12:48, Alan Coote wrote:
>
> Ian,
>
>
>
> The CMA will do nothing.
>
>
>
> Sorry to be so harsh, but during the Ofcom Community Radio review a couple
> of years ago they supported the 50% rule as it characterises Community
> Radio.
>
>
>
> I totally agree with you it’s outdated and in desperate need of review
> along with a number of aspects – the sooner the better.
>
>
>
> Alan
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> *From:* cma-l-bounces at mailman.commedia.org.uk [
> mailto:cma-l-bounces at mailman.commedia.org.uk<cma-l-bounces at mailman.commedia.org.uk>]
> *On Behalf Of *Ian Hickling
> *Sent:* 09 October 2010 8:47 AM
> *To:* Jaqui Devereux; cma-l
> *Subject:* [cma-l] Community Radio 50% Rules
>
>
>
>
> I think most of us understood them Jaqui.
> More so now - thank you.
> But what exactly is the CMA doing about changing this outdated and
> punishing regulation?
>
> Ian Hickling
> Partner
> transplan UK
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date: Fri, 8 Oct 2010 15:46:23 +0100
> From: jaqui.devereux at commedia.org.uk
> To: cma-l at commedia.org.uk
> Subject: [cma-l] Community radio 50% rules - understanding them
>
> Dear all
>
> Just a clarification on the revised 50% rules for community radio following
> the CR Amendment Order:
>
>
> No more than 50% of your income can come from on air advertising and/or
> sponsorship.
>
> The Amendment Order does however now allow that more than 50% can come from
> grants, Service Level Agreements etc.
>
> Volunteer time can be counted as part of the "income" mix, but it must be
> auditable (timesheets, signing in sheets etc).  However, if 50% of your
> income does come from on air ads etc, then only 25% of your income can be
> from volunteer in kind time.
>
> So e.g.:
>
> 1 - station has a Big Lottery grant of £50,000 for the year (lucky it!), on
> air ads etc £20,000, volunteer time £10,000 - that mix is OK.
>
> 2 - station has a BL grant of £20,000, on air ads £50,000, volunteer time
> £30,000 - NOT OK as volunteer time exceeds 25% of the total
>
> 3 - station has BL grant of £25,000, on air ads £50,000, volunteer time
> £25,000 - is OK as volunteer time 25%
>
> 4 - station has BL grant of £20,000, on air ads £50,000, volunteer time
> £30,000, OFF air ads/sponsorship £20,000 - is OK as off air does not count
> towards the 50% limit
>
> Hope that  helps....
>
> Jaqui
>
> --
> Jaqui Devereux
> Director, Community Media Association
>
>
>
>
> --
> Jaqui Devereux
> Director, Community Media Association
>
>
>
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> --
>
> please reply to
>
>
>
> murray at shmu.org.uk
>
>
>
>
>
> Murray Dawson
>
> Project Director
>
> Station House Media Unit
>
> Station Road, Woodside,
>
> Aberdeen  AB24 2WB
>
>
>
> Tel - 01224 515013
>
>
>
> www.shmu.org.uk
>
>
>
> listen to our community radio station live on 99.8FM and at www.shmufm.net
>
>
>
> SHMU is a charity registered in Scotland - SC034211 and a registered Limited Company - SC332413
>
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>
> --
> 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.
> 3753832
> Registered office: 12 Hilton Street, Manchester, M1 1JF
> Registered Charity No. 1077763
> www.radioregen.org
> www.communityradiotoolkit.net
>
>
>
>
> --
> 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.
> 3753832
> Registered office: 12 Hilton Street, Manchester, M1 1JF
> Registered Charity No. 1077763
> www.radioregen.org
> www.communityradiotoolkit.net
>
>

-- 
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.
3753832
Registered office: 12 Hilton Street, Manchester, M1 1JF
Registered Charity No. 1077763
www.radioregen.org
www.communityradiotoolkit.net
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