[cma-l] More Ofcom Investigations: Speech to Music Ratio

Tue Jul 8 14:13:58 BST 2014

I've been reading a few Ofcom Broadcast Bulletins. It's very surprising that
several CR stations have been found in breach of their Key Commitments
because of not meeting their Speech to Music Ratio. 

The Daytime Speech Ratio is not that difficult to calculate;

1)      Ofcom specify Daytime between 6am - 7pm unless in your application /
Key Commitments you have otherwise i.e. 7am - 7pm.  

2)      For the calculation Speech does not include Adverts, Sponsorship
Messages or Programme Trails.

3)      Over a 12 hour day and for a typical clock which includes 12 minutes
of stuff which can't be used, a 20% ratio means you'll need around 2 hours
of speech a day. For 30% you need nearly 3 hours a day 

What to do about it?

1)      Do nothing -  Ofcom don't have the resources to monitor every CR
station. They are duty bound though to investigate if someone suggests that
a station is operating outside its Key Commitments. 

2)      You could talk to Ofcom if you have temporary issues meeting the Key
Commitments - staffing for example

3)      You could schedule a speech programme to safely increase the ratio.
Either do you own or get on the distribution of a professional media
company.  

I wouldn't want our 30 minute speech programme to be used either as a filler
or temporarily, but neither should resource strapped stations find
themselves under investigation for not fixing a simple problem.  

If you want to make sure you permanently meet your Speech Ratio Key
Commitment send me an email and I'll put you on the programme distribution
list. 

Kind Regards

Alan

 <http://www.letstalkbusinessonline.com/> Hear Alan Every Week on Let's Talk
Business The UK's Premier Radio Programme For Current and Future
Entrepreneurs - Now Broadcast To 4.3 Million People  

Email -  <mailto:alan.coote at 5digital.co.uk> alan.coote at 5digital.co.uk

Phone - 0800 949 6655

Mobile - 07801 518858

Twitter -  <http://www.twitter.com/TheAlanCoote> @TheAlanCoote

Web -  <http://www.5digital.co.uk/> http://www.5digital.co.uk

cid:image001.gif at 01CE03CD.223AC920

The Media Production, Broadcasting and Training Company

From: cma-l-bounces at mailman.commedia.org.uk
[mailto:cma-l-bounces at mailman.commedia.org.uk] On Behalf Of Ian Hickling
Sent: 08 July 2014 08:35
To: Associated Broadcast Consultants; cma-l
Subject: [cma-l] Note from Ofcom for RSLs

Judging from recent experience with Ofcom only offering 10W in many places
when previously 25 has been given, I suspect many operators have been
turning the wick up quite a bit with the knowledge that if Ofcom decides to
check they will get a phone call and have time to turn it back down again.
We issue Licensees that we facilitate with a "Commissioning Certificate" so
that we. they and Ofcom have the parameters in writing.

  _____  

Date: Mon, 7 Jul 2014 14:17:56 +0100
From: info at a-bc.co.uk
To: cma-l at commedia.org.uk
Subject: Re: [cma-l] Note from Ofcom for RSLs

Either that, or maybe technical compliance if they suspsect some stations
are pushing too much power or using dodgy equipment or something.

Apart for the obvious things like politics, religion and swearing, the
content of RSL's is pretty much upto the broadcaster.  Nothing like Key
Commitments.   They pay for that priviledge though - approximately 40 times
more than CR broadcasters.

Glyn

-- 
Glyn Roylance - Principal Consultant 

Associated Broadcast Consultants <http://www.a-bc.co.uk/> 

On 6 July 2014 17:23, Martin Steers <martin at martinsteers.co.uk> wrote:

I suspect its purely monitoring for on air compliance, the RSL format wise
dont go into major details like it does for a CR or commercial station. 

M

On 6 July 2014 12:34, shirleyludford at btinternet.co
<shirleyludford at btinternet.com> wrote:

Hi Alan,

It would be interesting to know far the criteria for gaining an RSL is
monitored.  One group in Swindon has had a few RSLs, used several of our
Presenters and covered events that we were covered/were going to cover and
had "Radio 2 style programmes during the day".  

 Shirls

  <http://www.swindon1055.com/v_images/shirley__rep.jpg>  Shirley Ludford

Mob: 07951 366289

www.swindon1055.com <http://www.swindon1055.com/> 

High Sheriff's Award for Services to Community

Pride Of Swindon Award

Patron, Commonweal School

  _____  

From: Alan Coote <alan.coote at 5digital.co.uk>
To: "<cma-l at commedia.org.uk>" <cma-l at commedia.org.uk>;
"<cma-l at mailman.commedia.org.uk>" <cma-l at mailman.commedia.org.uk> 
Sent: Sunday, 6 July 2014, 7:03
Subject: [cma-l] Note from Ofcom for RSLs

All,

This from the latest broadcast bulletin

Note to Broadcasters

Targeted monitoring exercise - short-term Restricted Licence Services
('S-RSLs') 

Ofcom licenses S-RSLs, which are normally granted for coverage of special
events, trial services and other special on-off projects. These licences are
granted on a temporary basis (often only for a few weeks) and are only
available to specific and often small geographical areas. In 2013, Ofcom
issued a total of 257 S-RSL licences. 

Ofcom formally notifies S-RSL broadcasters that we are conducting a
monitoring exercise of S-RSL broadcasts in July and August. 

S-RSL broadcasters are put on notice that any serious or repeated failings
in this area will result in Ofcom taking further regulatory action, for
example, the consideration of the imposition of statutory sanctions. 

Alan 

_______________________________________________

Reply - cma-l at commedia.org.uk

The cma-l mailing list is a members' service provided by the Community Media
Association - http://www.commedia.org.uk <http://www.commedia.org.uk/> 
Twitter: http://twitter.com/community_media
http://www.facebook.com/CommunityMediaAssociation
Canstream Internet Radio & Video: http://www.canstream.co.uk/
_______________________________________________

Mailing list guidelines:
http://www.commedia.org.uk/about/cma-email-lists/email-list-guidelines/
_______________________________________________

To unsubscribe or manage your CMA-L mailing list subscription please visit:
http://mailman.commedia.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/cma-l

_______________________________________________

Reply - cma-l at commedia.org.uk

The cma-l mailing list is a members' service provided by the Community Media
Association - http://www.commedia.org.uk <http://www.commedia.org.uk/> 
Twitter: http://twitter.com/community_media
http://www.facebook.com/CommunityMediaAssociation
Canstream Internet Radio & Video: http://www.canstream.co.uk/
_______________________________________________

Mailing list guidelines:
http://www.commedia.org.uk/about/cma-email-lists/email-list-guidelines/
_______________________________________________

To unsubscribe or manage your CMA-L mailing list subscription please visit:
http://mailman.commedia.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/cma-l

_______________________________________________

Reply - cma-l at commedia.org.uk

The cma-l mailing list is a members' service provided by the Community Media
Association - http://www.commedia.org.uk <http://www.commedia.org.uk/> 
Twitter: http://twitter.com/community_media
http://www.facebook.com/CommunityMediaAssociation
Canstream Internet Radio & Video: http://www.canstream.co.uk/
_______________________________________________

Mailing list guidelines:
http://www.commedia.org.uk/about/cma-email-lists/email-list-guidelines/
_______________________________________________

To unsubscribe or manage your CMA-L mailing list subscription please visit:
http://mailman.commedia.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/cma-l

_______________________________________________ Reply -
cma-l at commedia.org.uk The cma-l mailing list is a members' service provided
by the Community Media Association - http://www.commedia.org.uk Twitter:
http://twitter.com/community_media
http://www.facebook.com/CommunityMediaAssociation Canstream Internet Radio &
Video: http://www.canstream.co.uk/
_______________________________________________ Mailing list guidelines:
http://www.commedia.org.uk/about/cma-email-lists/email-list-guidelines/
_______________________________________________ To unsubscribe or manage
your CMA-L mailing list subscription please visit:
http://mailman.commedia.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/cma-l

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman.commedia.org.uk/pipermail/cma-l/attachments/20140708/3d969c97/attachment.html>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image001.gif
Type: image/gif
Size: 5394 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://mailman.commedia.org.uk/pipermail/cma-l/attachments/20140708/3d969c97/attachment.gif>