[cma-l] Community Radio 50% Rules
Ian Hickling
transplanfm at hotmail.com
Tue Oct 12 11:50:01 BST 2010
Alan
I'd like to separate out these points:
1 - As far as the TX 5km radius is concerned, that one size fits all is illogical.
With greater flexibility Community of interest stations would become more viable with the ability to attract more listeners over larger areas. Community by location stations would not suffer the embarrassment of people saying I would listen but I can’t get your station on my radio.
There is no restriction that you allude to as I've said previously. The choice is yours on Application.
It's up to you entrely to specify your Community and specify how you propose covering it.
City stations have been awarded 100+100 W because they asked for it and proposed justification.
We get that kind of complaint from potential listeners all the time.
They have to be educated into how to do it.
The sensible well-run stations do precisely that.
I know there are large part of the south east where there is no scope, but we are someway off squeezing the last ounce out of the VHF band elsewhere.
There is plenty of scope - Ofcom just isn't motivated to find it. Again, the onus is on the Appliacnt to do the advance work and find a channel. It's not difficult and it does work. You just have to talk to the right people with the knowledge and capability.
Ian
--
From: alan.coote at btinternet.com
To: phil at radioregen.org
Date: Tue, 12 Oct 2010 09:33:22 +0100
CC: cma-l at commedia.org.uk
Subject: Re: [cma-l] Community Radio 50% Rules
Hi Phil,
I’m not suggesting that social gain is nuts, just that it does not make any sense tying it to revenue streams.
For example; how about using the current method to using Social Gain to derive simplified Key Commitments (let for argument sake say 5 or 6) – This is the equivalent of commercial radios format but is focused on outputs.
Each Key Commitment has a metric which is reported annually. That’s all that’s needed very simple, reportable and measurable.
--
As far as the TX 5km radius is concerned, that one size fits all is illogical.
With greater flexibility Community of interest stations would become more viable with the ability to attract more listeners over larger areas. Community by location stations would not suffer the embarrassment of people saying I would listen but I can’t get your station on my radio.
I know there are large part of the south east where there is no scope, but we are someway off squeezing the last ounce out of the VHF band elsewhere.
--
Rather than write endlessly how bad things are we need to do something about it. Is there any chance of setting up a group with the purpose of making things happen? I’m happy to be a part of that process.
Alan
Alan Coote
Managing Director
The Bay Radio
Office 01202 580200
Studio 01202 571028
Mobile 07801 518858
Email alan.coote at thebayradio.com
Web www.thebayradio.com
The Bay Radio, 25B Elliott Road, Bournemouth, BH11 8LQ
From: Phil Korbel [mailto:phil.korbel at googlemail.com]
Sent: 11 October 2010 8:08 PM
To: Alan Coote
Cc: CMA-L
Subject: Re: [cma-l] Community Radio 50% Rules
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] 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 DawsonProject DirectorStation House Media UnitStation 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 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------This message is not intended to have contractual effect---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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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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