[cma-l] demise or opportunity

Wed Jan 5 12:58:24 GMT 2011

Here's the thing. 

There is next to no chance of a single commercial radio station vacating FM
voluntarily despite what they may say.

Here's 5 reasons why;

1.       There is absolutely no financial benefit - in fact the converse.

2.       DAB is not what's called a 'disruptive technology', there are no
significant advantages. 

3.       There is no better use for a vacated FM spectrum - community radio
doesn't count as the sector is too small. 

4.       Allowing more choice (read competition) is counterproductive as
each new station (FM or DAB) slices the cake and reduces station's share,
unless you own all the stations. 

5.       There are no outside influences , Government, EU or international
regulation. 

Solution? Affect a change in one or more of the above.

Alan

Alan Coote

Managing Director 

The Bay Radio

Office 01202 580200

Studio 01202 571028

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 

From: cma-l-bounces at mailman.commedia.org.uk
[mailto:cma-l-bounces at mailman.commedia.org.uk] On Behalf Of mark polden
Sent: 30 December 2010 9:04 PM
To: office at ccr-fm.co.uk; CMA-L
Subject: Re: [cma-l] demise or opportunity

To be quite honest, I am not sure that the CMA really gets it. If money can
be extracted from murdoch that would be great but it remains that the CMA
cannot afford to be an idealogical organisation but has be a proponent of
whatever works at any particular time to advance the position of the
community media sector and its members. In some cases this may involve
making a deal with devil.

Mark Polden

Flame CCR

  _____  

From: office at ccr-fm.co.uk
To: markianpolden at hotmail.com
Subject: RE: [cma-l] demise or opportunity
Date: Thu, 30 Dec 2010 20:50:07 +0000

Yep !

Nick

  _____  

From: cma-l-bounces at mailman.commedia.org.uk
[mailto:cma-l-bounces at mailman.commedia.org.uk] On Behalf Of mark polden
Sent: 30 December 2010 18:07
To: bobtyler at btinternet.com; CMA-L
Subject: Re: [cma-l] demise or opportunity

Indeed Robert it is an opportunity, but we need to fight

chatting to a communications director of an multiplex operator the other
day, we agreed the entire industry is stuck between a rock and a hard place.

There is only one way out, that is this

The government needs coerce the BBC to fully move to DAB only

Yes it will not be popular but it will give the impetus for people to buy
DAB equipment, then a timetable be set for commercial to move over

We have to fight for this because it is in our interest to clear the FM
waveband and then PROVE thro quality programming that is LOCAL & DIFFERENT
from commercial radio that we have a place in broadcasting

Then government and industry will face a backlash if they try to stiffle us

Mark Polden

Flame CCR

  _____  

Date: Wed, 29 Dec 2010 19:08:16 +0000
From: bobtyler at btinternet.com
To: cma-l at commedia.org.uk
Subject: [cma-l] demise or opportunity

Nick

Good to chat, I fully understand your problems.

You have to understand that Ofcom are no longer regulating radio. They have
given up with large scale commercial radio and really the likes of community
radio and commercial small fry are keeping them in jobs. I do not agree with
Steven, Ofcom are to blame for this mess. I do not agree that nobody gives a
shit about CR.

The reason why it is like it is is because it is under funded and
underpowered. 

We are in a changing radio landscape where it appears larger stations are
changing direction and business models. We have a situation were once well
established heritage stations are throwing away their names and history and
becoming part of semi national networks. We have regional services following
in the same way. We have the smaller scale commercial services co locating
to form clusters, meaning instead of being in the town they are 40 miles
away. We have a scenario where in many towns there IS NO LOCAL RADIO. This
is a positive time, CR IS THE NEW LOCAL RADIO. Should be, can be will be.

This is a good time to set some targets for 2011 before it all goes fully
pear shaped. 

The sector needs to stop being nice. Stop listening to what they are told
and ask questions. The power/coverage problem is clearly the biggest issue
and appears only to be a recommended coverage, yet it appears the majority
accept any power, any restriction or waveband to get on air. Getting the
license is easy getting but staying on air is the real work, so why
compromise your business? Yes I'm afraid it is a business.

As I said previously, the whole concept is 20 years too late and was the
invention of a failing Radio Authority in 2002 as some sort of legacy. It
was designed not to damage commercial radio services but in the then
different media world and era. The majority of legislation covering radio is
20 years old and the concept of community radio a little over 10 years. Have
times changed? Has the radio industry changed?  

We appear to live in times where local commercial operators are handing back
licenses and consolidating but community radio is still trying to motor
along on the out of date 2002 concept.  The commercial radio sector used the
opportunity to bulldoze their ambitions, taking advantage of a weak Ofcom
diminishing in power by the day. Yet community radio still goes cap in hand
for 25 watts. Wake up please. Dare I say, smell the coffee.

There are many frequencies and opportunities for increased powers but Ofcom
policies are dictated to by engineers, not by commercial sense or social
needs. It is the same old same old. 

BSB - invented by IBA engineers. DAB - invented by European public
broadcaster engineers. Commercial Radio - decided by IBA engineers. BBC
local Radio - By BBC engineers. ITV digital - ITC engineers. Community Radio
- Ofcom frequency planners. 

Say no more...

Ends

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