[cma-l] DCMS consultation meetings on amendments to community radio law

[Steve Buckley]

Hi Jaqui

Thanks for your note on the DCMS consultation. A 
sustainable funding basis for the sector remains 
the most pressing priority and whilst changes are 
needed, adjustment to the advertising rules is 
neither sufficient in itself, nor is it without 
some risks. Clearly the specific restrictions on 
stations overlapping with 'small' (less than 150k 
TSA) commercial radios are not and have never 
been justified, but the 50% rule does help assure 
the character of community radio and its 
distinctive treatment in law. It may be worth, 
however, examing other approaches to this. For 
example, Ireland and Italy, have a limit on how 
much advertising may be carried on air on 
community radio (5 mins and 3 mins per hour respectively).

I know some will argue for the complete removal 
of these restrictions and parity with commercial 
radio but that does tend to undermine the case 
for a proper funding mechanism for the sector. 
The most significant failure of the 2003 
Communications Act is the provision for a 
Community Radio Fund. This is partly a failure of 
implementation but it is also linked to the fact 
the legal provisions are not sufficiently robust. 
We argued at the time, and I strongly recommend 
we do so again, that a 'Community Media Fund' 
should be set up as a properly resourced 
independent public body, along the lines of the 
Gaelic Media Service http://www.mgalba.com/ 
(income £12.7m, 2011) which is also detailed in 
the 2003 Act: 
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2003/21/part/3/chapter/1/crossheading/the-gaelic-media-service

There is one significant change I think CMA 
should make in its position today and that is to 
now unambigiously demand that the Community Media 
Fund should be partly funded through the BBC 
licence fee, at a rate that is an explicit 
percentage of the licence fee revenue as a whole. 
At the same time, the fund, independently 
administered, should be free to raise contributions from other sources.

The fact that the previous government was 
prepared to take £130m of BBC licence fee money 
for local news content, and the present 
government has announced £40m of BBC licence fee 
money for local TV, means there should be no 
ideological objection from either the government or the opposition.

We just need the political will.

Best wishes

Steve





At 13:51 13/10/2011, Jaqui Devereux wrote:
>Dear all
>
>The DCMS will be co-hosting a couple of meetings with us, probably in
>the New Year, to discuss possible amendments to the law on community
>radio, as part of the new Communications Bill.
>
>We are writing to ask your views on what the agenda should cover - we
>do have quite a few ideas on what you might want but would prefer you
>to tell us!
>
>Almost certainly community radio advertising rules (all of them) will
>be on the agenda, but what other subjects would you like on it?
>
>Please do let us know,
>
>Best wishes
>
>Jaqui
>
>--
>Jaqui Devereux
>Director, Community Media Association
>Community Media Association
>http://www.commedia.org.uk
>
>t: 0114 279 5219
>
>Canstream Internet Radio & Video
>http://www.canstream.co.uk/
>
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