[cma-l] [comradio-l] Ofcom awards community radio licences

Fri Dec 13 00:21:50 GMT 2013

Hi Ian, et al,

We challenged a decision not to award a licence to Christchurch in Dorset. We formally asked for a full explanation, the scoring criteria and our marking in each section. We received a document with a few very brief notes. 

To understand more I then started the process to get the full information via a FoIR. We received a call which we felt was encouraging us not to proceed with the FoIR instead we could have a phone conversation with the person who assessed our application. 

Our group included 3 people already very successfully running an adjacent CR station and one who had 3 years earlier won a licence. So to effectively say that we weren't capable was in our view a serious error of judgement.

We asked who in Ofcom to complaint to and was told there is no mechanism to request a reevaluation anyway.

It turns out the licensing committee almost always go with the single persons opinion who has done the assessment. There is no marking scheme, no evidence of the full assessment made, the reports given to the licensing committee or the minutes from that meeting. 

Good luck!
Alan

Alan Coote

Sent from my iPad

> On 12 Dec 2013, at 22:12, Ian Hickling <transplanfm at hotmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Can I just clarify that we are not a Licence Applicant but rather a Broadcast Facilitator and as such have been involved in over 40 out of the current 260-odd Licence Awards, together with quite a few that weren't successful.
> I have seen very clear messages from Ofcom that say what I relayed - that it will not reveal its reasoning and the decision is irreversible.
> Unfortunately, no-one yet as far as I know has challenged this with enough determination to effect a change.
> But that is, I feel, about to happen.
>  
> From: Jonathan.Williams at furness.ac.uk
> To: transplanfm at hotmail.com
> Date: Thu, 12 Dec 2013 18:42:17 +0000
> CC: cma-l at commedia.org.uk; comradio-l at commedia.org.uk
> Subject: Re: [cma-l] Ofcom awards community radio licences
> 
> Hi Ian,
> 
> I do sympathise with you as you must have been waiting, as we have, in anticipation of the decisions from Ofcom. I'm uncertain however why you decided to include us in this emai; or what your expectation may be? Could I suggest that you direct your concerns to Ofcom directly or perhaps your local MP.
> 
> Good luck for the future
> 
> Kind Regards
> Jonny Williams
> 
> Sent from my iPad
> 
> On 12 Dec 2013, at 18:15, "Ian Hickling" <transplanfm at hotmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Once again, the situation has arisen where one Applicant has been granted a Licence and two others in the same area have been refused.
> If it's anything like past experience, Ofcom will say that it will not reveal its reasoning and the decision is irreversible.
> Do we find this acceptable in this modern environment of Freedom of Information?
> After all, the process must surely need to be seen as open and democratic - and it's hardly a matter of National Security. 
>  
> From: cma-l at commedia.org.uk
> Date: Thu, 12 Dec 2013 10:37:06 +0000
> To: cma-l at commedia.org.uk; comradio-l at commedia.org.uk
> Subject: [cma-l] Ofcom awards two new community radio licences in Northern England
> 
> Ofcom has announced the award of two new community radio licences in the north of England.
> 
> Licences have been awarded to Candofm, for a service in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, and to Koast Radio, for a service in Ashington, Northumberland.
> 
> Ofcom has awarded community radio licences to:
> 
> Candofm (Furness College)
> Website: www.candofm.com
> 
> Candofm will provide a community radio service for Barrow-in-Furness and the surrounding area, aimed at 16-40 year olds.
> 
> Koast Radio (Koast Radio Limited)
> Website: www.koastradio.co.uk
> 
> Koast Radio will provide a community radio service for the town of Ashington and surrounding villages in south east Northumberland.
> 
> Licences are awarded for a five-year period.
> 
> A statement setting out the main determining factors for the awards of the community radio licences referred to above can be found on the Ofcom website here:
> 
> http://licensing.ofcom.org.uk/radio-broadcast-licensing/community-radio/current-licensees/awards-round-3/dec-13
> 
> In addition to the licence awards detailed above, Ofcom considered two further applications, but decided not to award a licence to the following groups:
> Radio Northumberland (Radio Northumberland Limited), Bedlington, Northumberland;
> Synergy (South Northumberland Radio Group CIC), Bedlington, Northumberland;
> \\
> 
> Community Media Association
> -- 
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> 
> Canstream Internet Radio & Video
> http://www.canstream.co.uk/
> https://twitter.com/canstream
> 
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