[cma-l] british community radio runs british forces radio?!

[Julian Mellor]

Saturday's Guardian included an article about British Forces Radio  
being put out to tender with "concerns that large military contractors  
with no experience of objective news reporting or radio and television  
production could bid to run the service as a money-making scheme.  
Critics of the decision expressed concern that the values and ethos of  
the broadcasting station would be lost.  Contractors thought to be  
interested in bidding include Babcock, Serco and BT.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/feb/25/fears-objectivity-british-forces-contract

Can't find anything on mod site but there's discussion  here:
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?p=48415445

The service is currently provided by http://www.ssvc.com/, a charity  
who, some say, are lining themselves up to get the tender (in which  
case the Guardian article is just a bit of slightly alarmist  
reporting).  Or maybe not.

But given that community radio has strong (maybe shared) "values and  
ethos", what chance of a collaborative tender between various stations  
& the CMA?

Have to admit I know next to nothing about forces radio, and looking  
at their website makes me think 'ooh, way too big', but nevertheless,  
it felt like it's a thought worth sharing.

Comments?

Julian

................................................................................

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TA4 2JP

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