[cma-l] Advice and comment

[Ian Hickling]

You don't offer a name, which makes it difficult to claim any kind of credibility.
There are quite a few misconceptions which need correcting.
Licences don't come every 5 years.
Ofcom invites applications from time to time and licences that are awarded run for 5 years.
Licences aren't legal or otherwise.
Either you have a licence or you don't.
If you don't, regardless of your content, audience or good intentions, you're breaking the law and you must expect prosecution and heavy fines.
Despite being pressed for an answer, Ofcom won't explain how Rinse obtained a licence.
The only feasible route would appear to be for persons who had not been associated with illegal broadcasting for 5 years or more to submit a licence application in the name of the pirate and offer a similar genre of music and target audience.
Ofcom doesn't make licences expensive - and you don't and can't buy one.
The licence fee is £600 per annum.
Compliance with other requirements such as music royalties which you won't have paid previously are what can cost a considerable amount.
Ofcom isn't praising Rinse for what it has been in the past.
It has decided that the Applicant had good enough reasons for being awarded a licence.
Ofcom isn't persecuting Frequency by handing out crippling fines.
It's obeying instruction from Government and doing its duty as a Regulator.
The fines imposed are only to be expected by Frequency's actions and you surely know that.
If you wish to become legitimate you should follow the actions of Rinse and you could well be successful.
 
 


From: info at radiofrequencyfm.co.uk
To: cma-l at mailman.commedia.org.uk
Date: Mon, 25 Oct 2010 16:44:26 +0100
Subject: [cma-l] Advice, ideas, comments please. Thanks








For the last 4 years, Radio Frequency in Leeds has been synonymous with the underground music movement in Leeds. Crucial in pioneering new music, it was instrumental in bringing the now ubiquitous sound of Dubstep up North, & has broken in many artists who now command international respect. Today, it is home to over 50 DJs playing cutting edge music from across the board; whether it’s bass, house, garage, drum and bass or hip-hop, no other organisation has devoted as much time & energy to the underground cause.
In return for this hard work, Frequency swiftly became one of the most revered institutions in Leeds, and indeed the North, attracting thousands of listeners on a daily basis. So – what’s happened? It’s been over 6 months since Frequency was last heard on the FM dial, and whilst its online presence is still going, many feel its glory is fading; the truth, however, is that it is preparing to grow and be bigger than ever.
Turbulent times
Going back over the last 12 months, Frequency has experienced its share of troubles. It’s well known that two key members were arrested and taken to court on charges of illegal broadcasting. Despite not going to prison, a cumulative £12,000 fine was handed down. Frequency has always been non-profit; all money donated to the station has gone into the running of it, ensuring rent is paid, transmitters are replaced & the broadcast never stops.
£12,000 then, is not an easy sum of cash to come up with. Emergency measures have been taken; the costly FM broadcast has been switched off, leaving the radio as a solely online broadcast. Frequency is trying to get back on its feet, but with the FM gone the audience has dwindled, advertisers will pull out & a number DJs have show little loyalty & left entirely. The last few months have been tough. Within the circles of Frequency, it would be justified to look back at this time as a trial of faith.
It is perhaps a testament to the tenacity and dedication of the people behind the scenes, to the DJs who are still on board and the listeners still tuning in, that Frequency is making it through. Slowly, we are paying off the fines –
Two fundraisers in May and June helped, and regular donations from supporters are all greatly appreciated. A station run out of anything other than dedicated & unconditional love for music might have floundered & sunk under the recent pressure.
That said, the crippling effect these fines have had on the station can’t be ignored – there’s a long uphill struggle to win old and new audiences, to get people tuning in online and to bring in new talent. Furthermore, what happens once the fines are paid off? Does it switch the unlicensed FM broadcast back on? If this happens, there will be more arrests and more fines, and perhaps a jail term… In many ways, it is hard to see how Frequency can come back, at least in the capacity it was before.
Legal licences, Ofcom and Rinse 
A few months ago, London based pirate station  Rinse FM was awarded a legal licence, amidst much fanfare and rejoicing from underground music fans around the world. After 15 years as a pirate station, it is quite an achievement. To many, it would seem the doors are wide open for new, underground and urban-leaning stations to pop up all over the country.
Certainly Rinse has all the makings a bonafide music-orientated business – it has regular CD releases, sell-out events at Fabric and Matter, and boasts a roster of internationally famous professional DJs. Yet, it is not legal; its pirate broadcasts continues, in breach of Ofcom regulations: its music & ticket sales clearly fund the organisation (& in turn, the aforementioned broadcast). Whilst Ofcom praises Rinse, it hands Frequency crippling fines.
Ofcom has recently announced there will be more community broadcasting licenses being given out in the Leeds area. This represents Frequency’s best chance of making good, to put the love and dedication & sheer hard work of the last 4 years into creating a positive, legal institution. As a community station, it could offer workshops for youths in DJing, radio production, broadcasting, sound engineering, even promotion & management. The target audience for Frequency is 14-30; there is massive scope for a legal station in the mould of Frequency to have a positive community influence.
There are problems though. Ofcom doesn’t make it cheap to buy a licence; an annual licence costs tens of thousands of pounds, which can be raised through advertising, but Frequency will either need to shake its reputation as a pirate station and the negative repercussions of the last 12 months, or hire some very good PR personnel.
Furthermore, Frequency needs to be able to manage itself – a legal organisation is different from a volunteer led pirate station, it will need to secure a professional team to lead it. Existing personnel will need to step up, knowing the end rewards are great, or there needs to be external volunteers brought in who would become employees should it go legal.
The future…
The possibility of a legal, urban music station with a youth & community-orientated approach is a perfect outcome. Existing organisations, such as the Pat Regan Legacy and Unity Day, have proven highly successful. The scope for Frequency is even greater than these. With a legal license behind us, we will be able to run workshops in the city’s schools & colleges, training young people in different aspects of radio broadcasting.
By engaging communities, playing music that is not heard anywhere else & presenting it in an approachable manner, we provide a valuable voice & outlet for sectors of society overlooked & underrepresented by commercialised media, championing the causes and needs of youth-orientated inner-city life. We can bring young people onboard, giving them a focus for their creativity outside of school.
Legal licences come every 5 years, and now we have a few at once. The time for Frequency to come back is now. Truly, this should be an exciting time.
Radio Frequency needs new volunteers in all departments. If you want to get involved and can spare a few hours each week – Frequency wants to hear from you. We want DJs, radio hosts, graphic designers, teachers, sound engineers, writers, bloggers PR, etc – people who want to learn about the music industry, or have knowledge already & want to use it for a community cause.
 




If you want to help with Radio Frequency, either through donating towards the fines, volunteering on the station


or you think you can help with the legal licence bid, please visit:


www.radiofrequencyfm.co.uk or email  info at radiofrequencyfm.co.uk
 - Radio Frequency
 
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