[cma-l] Ofcom breaches - lessons for all stations

[Phil Korbel]

Not sure if its just me - but are Ofcom cranking up the pressure here?  Or
are the recent rash of breaches simply a reflection of a larger sector that
by definition has a wide range of competence and cock ups within it?

As to the reporting requirements - I'm with Richard on this - it could be a
hell of a lot worse and it is all there in black and white when you sign
up.  I'm not without sympathy for station managers left on their tod to do
the dull paperwork - but as someone else said - planning the data collection
over the year makes things a lot more do-able.

Some of the issue of the capacity to deliver on administration revolves
around what understanding your volunteers have when they sign up.  Is it
'play and go' or a broader commitment to help the station thrive?  There's
an interesting story on that front with ALLFM here in Manchester, where the
agreement from the volunteers to pay a small subscription to help pay the
rent has also meant a greater involvement by them in the running of the
station  - a very healthy state of affairs.  Obvioulsy there'll be stations
where this has always been the way - but in 'these times' getting all
volunteers chipping in off air [e.g. doing some admin] is going to be
crucial to survival.

bests

Phil



On 5 August 2011 08:36, Richard Berry <richard.berry at sunderland.ac.uk>wrote:

> ********
>   There’s a very tricky balance here isn’t there? With ofcom walking a
> tightrope between giving stations the room to run their affairs and being
> the protector of the sector. We’d all agree that if a neighbouring station
> was barely broadcasting and you were working hard every day to put out the
> very best programming you can, that ofcom ought to intervene? I’m sure the
> government has it’s eye on ofcom and would relish the chance to cut it down
> to size and there may be a chance to influence that but my hunch is if that
> happens giving more wiggle room to community radio will not be on the to-do
> list.
>
>  As for the recent sanction. I always tell my students that ofcom is a bit
> like your mum; there are rules and you’ll get told off if you break them but
> you can lessen that if you tell her. Try and hide from what you’ve done or
> plead ignorance and you’ll be in more trouble. Break the rules when your
> brother has already been grounded for the same thing and expect her to come
> down even harder on you. Yes that means reading the bulletins carefully
> every month and considering what that means for your station and, yes, it
> means checking you’re in line with what you’ve said you’ll do but when you
> accept a licence you accept that as the T&C’s. It’s like a driving licence,
> there are rules attached to the freedoms.
>
>  The report might be a mess. It’s confusing and time consuming but under
> the current rules it’s probably the best check and balance there is. What
> would the alternative be? Submission of all accounts? A visit from ofcom to
> look at the books and listen to the tapes? I do agree though some work could
> be done in making it user-friendly and maybe this is where the expertise of
> community engagement in the sector can help ofcom – who are after all a
> governmental agency used to making forms, not filling them in.
>
>  Richard
>  University of Sunderland
>  http://www.sunderlandradio.co.uk
>
>
>
> --
Phil Korbel
Director
0161 237 5454

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