[cma-l] E-petition DCMS - Community Radio - Please sign

Fri Aug 5 12:01:20 BST 2011

First of all ..... excellent stuff Alan . well done. Good stuff.

However, it brings me round to asking a question. Unless I am mistaken many
of these agendas, notifications, official petitions etc always seem to hit
the circuit six months after I have had one of my so called rants.

They're actually not rants, they are observations filled with frustration.

We have been banging on about the 25 watts malarky for the last 3 years
..... check out all my e-mails (on second thoughts don't) it may take years
:-)   LOL     are my messages being posted or are they being dumped in the
bin ?      not very democratic may I add if they are, especially when the
proof is in the pudding and official correspondence appears on the scene 6
months down the line backing up exactly what I have suggested. This as far
as I am concerned makes my 'rants' justified and correct.

This situation is quite simple, but yet again it is made difficult by the
powers that be. 25 watts does not fit all, and never will. However, unless
we dump the 5km rule, we will forever be going around in circles.

1) I repeat again .. we are not for profit and we are monitored by Ofcom. We
can NOT turn this into a commercial venture. And quite right to. Ofcom,
DCMS, even The Queen are in no position whatsoever to tell us what our
community is ... Eg:- I was born in Macclesfield, I have lived all my life
in Bollington, my family and ancestors come from Bollington/Macclesfield
I went to school in Macclesfield, lots of my friends went to school in
Wilmslow and Poynton. Look at the map .. Poynton / Macc / Bollington /
Wilmslow have very close ties and links. Families are entwined and
intermingled. Local papers / Borough Councils etc etc etc

2) Our area is very rural ... when you depart from Bollington, whichever way
you care to travel there are three miles sometimes four miles of fields,
trees, sheep and cow muck .... this simply CANNOT and MUST NOT be included
in the pathetic 5km. Furthermore, we are sided by hills to the east.

3) Continuing to read the riot act on the 5km when our community cannot
listen to us in Macclesfield is totally unacceptable. Key 103 coming over
the top of us 5 miles down the road which I have complained about upteen
times.

There was a post a few days ago regarding a station not doing their
listeners justice .... make your flippin' minds up for God sake and stop
moving the goalposts   either they're important or they're not
but not when it suits.

4) Likewise, we mustn't interfere with other users .. I agree. The only
people we will cause a problem to if we were to up our power would be
Chorley who are on the same frequency. I have liaised with them on a number
of occasions. They are a community station the same as us and we are all
aiming for the same goals. 

I am no expert, but applying common sense ..... If we upped our power to 35
watts so's not to allow Key 103 to blow us away two digits from their own
and in OUR COMMUNITY NOT THEIRS, and we cause Chorley a problem then surely
if they put there's up a touch to combat it, then everyone is happy.

So where is the problem ?  I do not see one ?         all I see is people
reading black and white stupid rules, that have no relevance as to what we
are all trying to achieve. It really is pathetic.

Furthermore, no one (certainly not me) is wanting to be unreasonable, and we
would be prepared to fully correspond and liaise with Ofcom at all times
whilst tweaking up the power 2 watts per-week and keeping an ear and an eye
on things. The moment we hit the point where there is a little issue, we
drop back down 2 watts as they are clearly the watts = straws that break the
Camels back.

Sadly as with everything, the so called dimwit, country bumpkin, working
class dipstick   ie:- me       is not listened to, because of that very
reason .. This guy surely can't be right because he's a muppet .......
actually no ... I am the one who has got it right and all the degrees, a
levels, diploma people who can't see further than the end of their noses
have got it wrong.

Respect works both ways, clearly common sense doesn't.

I'll have a break now for the weekend and start banging my head against the
brick wall again first thing on Monday morning. In the meantime I'll start
filling in the petitions. Can I place comments as well ??      I've got a
hell of a lot to say.

Regards

Nick the apparent numpty                      er?               not !

  _____  

From: cma-l-bounces at mailman.commedia.org.uk
[mailto:cma-l-bounces at mailman.commedia.org.uk] On Behalf Of Alan Coote
Sent: 04 August 2011 22:07
To: cma-l at commedia.org.uk
Subject: [cma-l] E-petition DCMS - Community Radio - Please sign

Please sign this Community Radio E-petition and distribute to your members,
listeners and friends.

 <http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/284>
http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/284

Community radio is the new local radio yet is often stifled by its low
transmitter power. The one size fits all 25W maximum is unworkable for many
community radio stations. 

Local radio in the past was successful in informing communities with local
news and specialised programmes. 

There are numerous community stations doing that job at present with
hundreds of volunteers but restricted to low power transmission by OFCOM. 

To survive these stations must be given sufficient power to get out to their
whole community. 

Your e-petition "Bring back local radio" has now been published. You can
view your e-petition at:  <http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/284>
http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/284

You can also share this URL to promote your e-petition or use the social
network links available on your e-petition's page.

Thanks,

HM Government e-petitions  <http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/>
http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/

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 <http://www.thebayradio.com/> 

The Bay Radio, 25B Elliott Road, Bournemouth, BH11 8LQ

Description: The-Bay-logo-small.gif 

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