[cma-l] Offensive language on radio - how to avoid the pitfalls

Wed Sep 21 19:18:09 BST 2011

Nick,

In some sense the broadcast code wise it is all a level playing field..

What your issue is (and your fully justified in being annoyed at the
situation) is in regard to the terms of your license.. but no stations are
alike in that sense (some are very similar) as commercial stations
have requirements in terms of what their programming should sound like, news
content and the "localness" or even for some station what languages they
must broadcast in..

Community stations have similar requirements and of course the additional
requirements in the KC (social gain, governance etc)..

So we all have to run and operate in accordance with the same broadcast
code, whats difference is the extra restrictions, limitations
and expectations..

I dont think community stations should be let off, and I do believe
community stations should receive more support and guidance, and I suspect
thats one element of this meeting Ofcom asking the CMA what more can
everyone do in this situation, I truly believe that we should help each
other alot more as well and use resources like this database to highlight
best practice and work together to solve these issues.. There isnt a once
size fits all solution but we all have to start somewhere and it might be in
the same place.

Martin

On Wed, Sep 21, 2011 at 6:27 PM, Office - ccr-fm <office at ccr-fm.co.uk>wrote:

> ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **
>
> Peter n’ all****
>
> ** **
>
> I think all in all Peter is correct ……… infact a lot of people chipping in
> their threepennith have been right …….. however I would like to correct one
> thing (yep !   here I go again)****
>
> ** **
>
> ** **
>
> Peter states ‘’the rules are the same for everyone’’                er
> ?            no they ain’t ?                  and it is because some of the
> rules are different as to why some of the stations can’t afford to have more
> hands on deck which would thus reduce the probability of music getting
> through that shouldn’t.****
>
> ** **
>
> The rules are not the same and that is basis of all of my whinging. The
> playing field isn’t level with the commercial boys, and to rub salt in the
> wounds it ain’t level within our own fraturnity either.****
>
> ** **
>
> Regards****
>
> ** **
>
> Nick****
>  ------------------------------
>
> *From:* cma-l-bounces at mailman.commedia.org.uk [mailto:
> cma-l-bounces at mailman.commedia.org.uk] *On Behalf Of *Richard Berry
> *Sent:* 21 September 2011 15:50
>
> *To:* 'CMA-L'
> *Subject:* Re: [cma-l] Offensive language on radio - how to avoid the
> pitfalls
> ****
>
>  ** **
>
> Without risking repeating what's been said already, the message here from
> ofcom is quite clear: swearing on the radio is not acceptable. However, you
> will notice that in 2 of the cases the matter was seen as 'resolved' due to
> the efforts made by the station to ensure compliance. ****
>
> ** **
>
> Those looking for conspiracy will no doubt see it here and complain that
> community radio is been beaten with a stick and those who get paid to do
> radio have escaped. But the point to see here is actually that if you have
> robust and appropriate compliance systems ofcom will recognise what you've
> done. ****
>
> ** **
>
> Part of the deal of taking on a licence is you follow the rules and those
> rules are the same for everyone. Obviously, by its nature community radio
> takes more risks. Capital will only play around 140 different tracks at any
> one time and it those are picked very carefully indeed by their music team.
> Community stations will play much more than that and so the risks are
> increased of playing something a bit naughty. ****
>
> ** **
>
> You could tackle this in one of a number of ways. Insist only tracks on a
> playout system are played and these can only be added by a single person… or
> presenters can add tracks but won't be released for automation until they've
> listened to and approved. Presenter contracts emphasising their compliance
> role may also be a useful check. You may of course be of the view that the
> important part of what you do as a station is what the presenters say and
> where they come from – not the music they play – and so a locked-down
> schedule of music is not only useful but sometimes desirable. As you will
> note that the live swearing on Radio 1 escaped sanction because they had
> audit-able evidence of the steps they took to ensure compliance. ****
>
> ** **
>
> This goes back to my often made point in this field that if you make the
> effort to ensure compliance and something goes wrong then ofcom will be more
> understanding. Training and development is at the heart of this. This may be
> time consuming and generally a pain but it's what we're all about – or at
> least it should be. ****
>
> ** **
>
> ** **
>
> ** **
>
> ** **
>
> Richard Berry****
>
> Senior Lecturer in Radio****
>
> ****University** of **Sunderland********
>
> Tel: (+44) 0191 515 2239****
>
> Social: @sunderlandradio****
>
> ** **
>
> ** **
>
> *From: *Office - ccr-fm <office at ccr-fm.co.uk>
> *Date: *Wed, 21 Sep 2011 13:35:43 +0100
> *To: *'Julian Mellor' <julian at 10radio.org>, 'CMA-L' <cma-l at commedia.org.uk
> >
> *Subject: *Re: [cma-l] Offensive language on radio - how to avoid the
> pitfalls****
>
> ** **
>  ************
>
> Dear All********
>
> ** ******
>
> Could I go back to my absolutely square one, point one, the beginning etc
> etc and point out that if weren’t scratting our backsides for funding
> because of the restrictions we could lighten the load of the unemployment
> service / job seekers by about 600 persons and knock all the skittles down
> with one bowl by having one or two more hands on deck (possibly
> professionals) (which = better training)********
>
> ** ******
>
> This I believe is the point ………….. we will never find the remedy if we
> don’t understand the symptoms. The symptoms are VERY IMPORTANT ………. If they
> are caused by and created by us (Community Radio) then we have to take it on
> the chin when the big chiefs come down on us …….. if however they are part
> of theblame (which the restrictions are)      then a re-think needs to
> happen. Preferably sooner rather than later.********
>
> ** ******
>
> Everyone is trying to do their best under the circumstances, us included. I
> personally think we all deserve a medal operating in the main very good
> services with little help from people who live in Ivory Towers and have no
> idea of what is actually going on. These people get my gander right up and
> one day very soon I shall bump into one or two of them and they will not
> like it up em’ Mr Mainwaring !       J     LOL********
>
> ** ******
>
> Regards********
>
> ** ******
>
> Nick********
>
> ** ******
>
> Soldier on chaps and do your best !********
>
> ** ******
>  ------------------------------
>
> *From:* cma-l-bounces at mailman.commedia.org.uk [
> mailto:cma-l-bounces at mailman.commedia.org.uk<cma-l-bounces at mailman.commedia.org.uk>]
> *On Behalf Of *Julian Mellor
> *Sent:* 21 September 2011 12:31
> *To:* CMA-L
> *Subject:* Re: [cma-l] Offensive language on radio - how to avoid the
> pitfalls********
>
> ** ******
>
> Interesting debate.********
>
> ** ******
>
> It does seem that there are two models of community radio.********
>
> ** ******
>
> One is a radio station that happens to use community and voluntary
> resources.  The operational style is probably very similar to commercial
> radio.********
>
> ** ******
>
> The other is a community project that happens to produce radio.  ********
>
> ** ******
>
> It's not to say one is better than the other, and I'm sure some stations
> combine both.  But we very much fall into the second model.********
>
> ** ******
>
> Hardly anyone had previous radio experience before we setup six years ago,
> but we had lots of community development experience.  We setup primarily to
> do community development.  In that context, we're not going to be negligent
> and we're not going to ignore what we have signed up to do. But we are going
> to be realistic about what volunteers can be expected to do, and what they
> can achieve and deliver in the absence of full-time hands-on management.
>  From the conversations I've had, people from the more commercial and
> possibly top down model really struggle with this approach.  But it works
> for us, it works for our community, and from what Ofcom have said having
> monitored our output, it works for them as well.********
>
> ** ******
>
> So getting back to the original point, a regulatory system which relies
> upon stations having fully resourced staff and management teams presents
> extra challenges for volunteer run stations such as ours.   If, at the
> meeting in October, Ofcom seem inclined to move towards increased regulation
> or expectations, I would ask that the Jaqui and the CMA represent the
> difficulties that this will pose for stations operating with minimal
> resources.********
>
> ** ******
>
> Julian********
>
> ** ******
>
>
> .................................................................................
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>
> *10Radio: community radio for the 10 parishes*********
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