[cma-l] E-petition to the DCMS

Office - ccr-fm office at ccr-fm.co.uk
Mon Aug 8 12:57:34 BST 2011


Robert / Bob n' all        David Rutley MP / Soo Williams / Jaqui Deveroux

 

What's fascinating about all of this is it can be summed up in one fell
swoop :-

 

1)       There isn't a scrap of evidence to say that Community Radio is
directly affecting the performance of Commercial Radio ... if they are
struggling in anyway at all, it is because of their own inadequacies or
circumstantial. This of course after 7 years, which makes the debacle even
more laughable. What has happened in that time though is some (commercials)
have amalgamated, BBC's have been tweaked, some COMMUNITY chappies have
fallen over and Pirate Stations have been licensed.  ( ! )     I would
equate that to a shambles and certainly nothing to be digging their heels in
about or boast about. Remember that our station CCR has born the brunt of
ALL.

 

2)       Our local commercial troop are taking national adverts, regional
adverts, local adverts and the lot .. We daren't even give the local butcher
a mention ??   it's a complete joke and what went on in the persons head who
though this up is anyone's guess          ??     beggars belief?         If
there is a difficulty out there, then the difficulty is relative to all
we included

 

 

3)       25 watts fits all is another debacle and coupled with the
authorities telling us what our communities are (geographically) goes
against everything the bill was designed to do ... it deliberately EXCLUDES
people in the community, perhaps by though accident = end result - the same.
Not really a very good start or advert for community radio which is based
around INCLUSION and opportunities for ALL.

 

4)       I have made numerous, more than reasonable suggestions over the
past three years only to be either ignored or have then thrown back in my
face ..     It is clear without doubt that those people in the Ivory Towers
at the DCMS haven't a clue about what's going on at grass roots level or the
difficulties we face and furthermore they don't seem to care ..... if they
choose to not deal with these issues then I suggest some resignations are in
order. Why don't the CMA table the motion.

 

5)       The only restrictions that we need (which aren't technically
restrictions) are      we are always not for profit, and any monies raised
are ploughed back into the project and the community.

 

I'm happy to take any of this on the chin providing the Government and DCMS
can come up with evidence to back up their laws / rules / regulations .. If
they can't then a full and proper challenge should now take place and all
this pussyfootying around should cease forthwith.

 

There's nothing else to say really. When one shouts one mouth off, one has
to be able to back it up, we have done that, they haven't.

 

End of !

 

I also believe Ofcom are in a no win situation with this, trying to make a
silk purse out of a sows ear. In my opinion, most of them don't like what's
going on either.

 

Regards

 

Nick

 

  _____  

From: ROBERT TYLER [mailto:bobtyler at btinternet.com] 
Sent: 05 August 2011 16:27
To: Office - ccr-fm
Subject: Re: [cma-l] E-petition to the DCMS

 


 no power restrictions, only guidelines. 

 

Ofcom are going to announce a major overhaul of CR shortly. No doubt there
will some new guidelines regarding coverage. It looks like advertising
restrictions will also be changed or done away with.

 


--- On Fri, 5/8/11, Office - ccr-fm <office at ccr-fm.co.uk> wrote:


From: Office - ccr-fm <office at ccr-fm.co.uk>
Subject: Re: [cma-l] E-petition to the DCMS
To: ian at transplan.uk.com, "'CMA-L'" <cma-l at commedia.org.uk>
Date: Friday, 5 August, 2011, 14:42

Hells Bells               340 watts                 now that would just blow
your hat off !          :-)

 

Ian ..... I don't doubt you're right, but there is a         ''ah, you can't
do that because of this''

 

Nick

 

  _____  

From: Ian Hickling [mailto:transplanfm at hotmail.com] 
Sent: 05 August 2011 13:29
To: office at ccr-fm.co.uk; cma-l
Subject: E-petition to the DCMS

 

 
Nick
Sorry - there is no 5km rule.
It's a guideline.
If anyone at Ofcom has actually written or said the words "5km Rule" you
should have asked where this is enshrined in the Regulations.
If you can see it written anywhere, please let me know.


The problems you are finding I would respectfully suggest are a result of
lack of investment, inadequate planning and not pushing your case hard
enough using the right amminition.
That and relying on anecdotal reception reports, unsafe technical concepts
and not obtaining quantitative figures.

 

Don't please take my word for it.
Look at
http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/broadcast/guidance/tech-guidance/t
ech-parameters/TxParams.xls and click on the "VHF" tab at the bottom of the
page.
Of 202 CR stations listed, 25 (13%) are using more than 25W ERP in the
vertical plane.
The Superstation in Orkney has 340W.
All of those except two had actually asked for higher power and had proved
to Ofcom that they needed it.
What is more interesting is that of that 202, only 38 (less than 19%) are
using a horizontal transmission component which almost certainly they will
have been licensed to employ.
49 out of the 202 are not using a transmission site higher than 100' above
sea level.
OK - maybe the land is low-lying and a bit flat round a lot of CR
installations.
Astoundingly - 98 of them - almost half - are not using an antenna elevation
any greater than the 20m authorised for an RSL!

You can't get on to a 60' building to put up a simple antenna?

As an experienced transmssion and propagation engineer, I am astounded at
some of the antenna installations I see which are expected to optimise the
small power allocations expected to be awarded for CR projects.

So you see my point about not getting the basics right?

That is just what I would expect Ofcom to respond to this petition via the
DCMS.

------------------------------------

Ian Hickling
Partner

transplan UK  

  _____  

From: office at ccr-fm.co.uk
To: ian at transplan.uk.com ; cma-l at commedia.org.uk
Subject: RE: [cma-l] E-petition DCMS - Community Radio
Date: Fri, 5 Aug 2011 12:10:41 +0100

Ian

 

I think the point that you have missed is this . as you like me keep banging
on about the same things and giving the same replies. If we or whoever went
to Ofcom and said ''hey Mr Ofcom chappy, we want a Community Station for
Macc / Poynton / Wilmslow / Bollington   they simply turn round and reply
back   ''nope. Sorry   5km rule and all that jazz''

 

Placement of kit, equipment, antennas, height, power etc etc  has absolutely
nowt' to do with it ... if what you are doing OFFICIALLY breaches the 5km
rule, then one is stuffed.

 

I do not doubt your expertise in these matters but re - my previous post
the o levels  /  a levels  /  diplomas  / mortar boards     etc   don't
apply here . what does apply is common sense. Clearly lacking in this
Country and in the DCMS.

 

FACT                    sorry.

 

Now then .... once the common sense has been applied, the the guys at the
top of their field   ie:- you Ian      come into your own and excell.  :-)

 

Regards

 

Nick

 

  _____  

From: cma-l-bounces at mailman.commedia.org.uk
[mailto:cma-l-bounces at mailman.commedia.org.uk] On Behalf Of Ian Hickling
Sent: 05 August 2011 11:26
To: Alan Coote; cma-l
Subject: [cma-l] E-petition DCMS - Community Radio

 

 
If this is to have any appreciable effect, the facts have got to be right
 
As I have said before on far too many occasions - there is no "one size fits
all 25W maximum" 
In your Application you tell Ofcom what you want to cover, why, and how you
propose doing it.
Look at Ofcom's listed "TX Params" and you will see that a large number of
CRs have more than 25W
Most have mixed polarity allocated but very few are actually using it.
Few use proper processing and professionally-designed transmission systems.
The cause of poor performance in many cases is bad planning and lack of
investement.
Ofcom cannot - rather than will not - simply upgrade power for existing
Licensees.
 
What Ofcom should be doing I suggest is looking actively at ways to find
more and better slots for CR by a change of policy and putting more staff on
the work.
This is what HMG should be persuaded is the real need.

------------------------------------

Ian Hickling
Partner

trasplan UK


  

  _____  

From: alan.coote at thebayradio.com
To: cma-l at commedia.org.uk
Date: Thu, 4 Aug 2011 22:06:44 +0100
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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