[cma-l] Feedback from Ofcom meeting

[Ian Hickling]

Excellent progress Phil - thank you.
Following on from your paragraph below about Member participation, for the future it would be useful if you could give Members a week's notice so that external input could be incorporated into the discussion.
Regarding this meeting's content:
DCMS Legislation - I'm sure I'm not alone in my frustration at the perennially poor response from the DCMS to the demand for legislation change. With great respect for your efforts in this area, words like "hopefully" and "sometime" do nothing to engender hope out here.
Can't someone ask Maria Miller directly when we'ere going to get what we need?
Licence renewal:
Do I understand that there is a stop on ten years?
Low-cost DAB:
Those of us who contributed technical input at the last meeting will make a representation as to where we see the future.
CR Application Status:Ofcom is very poor at keeping us up to speed with where it is - maybe because it doesn't like to admit that it's continuously falling behind schedule./
RSL timing - nominated 24 hour periods:
Good point - that hadn't come up with us.In addition though we need to know why the overall RSL policy has had some sneaky changes.It was always so that 25W was available unless there was a good reason to reduce it and that the target area was specified in the Application rather than being confined to a ridiculously small circular radius which cannot be achieved in real life. Also there was no restriction as to frequencies - 87,6 to 87,9 were always available almost on demand - but others were searched for if requested by the Applicant and in most cases were awarded.Now - 10W only - 87.7 or 87.9 only - 1km radius only - practically useless for a realistic commercial trial.Can you blame operators for upping the power when no-one's watching?
One more that has come up here and is raising hackles:
Why is Ofcom refusing to deal with non-Ramadan Applicants irrespective of its artificial deadline applied to Ramadan applications. An important Arts Festival - not announced until after the deadline -  that we were hoping to facilitate was refused a licence with a clear 11 weeks for Ofcom to do its clearances.
Ian
--------------------------------------------
> Date: Fri, 23 May 2014 09:35:36 +0100
> From: philjgibbons at gmail.com
> To: cma-l at commedia.org.uk; cma-l at mailman.commedia.org.uk
> Subject: [cma-l] Feedback from Ofcom meeting
> 
> Last week CMA chair, Dom Chambers, Bill Best and myself attended one
> of our regular meetings with Ofcom in London. This was an opportunity
> for both sides to discus major issues within the Community Radio
> sector and to keep up-to-date with consultations, licencing and
> developments within the sector.
> This meeting was very productive with some important items being
> raised. As a members led organisation, it is important that all
> members have a chance to feed into these meetings and from now on, the
> CMA Council will provide feedback from these meetings:
> 
> DCMS legislation timescale:
> There have been lots of responses to the consultation but no schedule
> for legislation has been given as yet by DCMS. There is wide
> recognition that the legislation is needed by the end of the year and
> hopefully at some point in the autumn.
> 
> Licence renewal:
> This forms part of the consultation and DCMS have been made aware of
> the urgency for some stations reaching their second renewal period.
> 
> What is planned for the low cost DAB meeting to be held at Ofcom in June?
> This is now planned for 2 June at Ofcom - details to follow.
> 
> Can we have an update on Region #5 C/R licence applications. Next
> licence announcements. Update on Region #7 C/R licence applications
> currently open and closes on 24/06/14. How is uptake, any issues?
> Take up for #5 is good but #7 is not known yet. These are on-track for
> allocation within the published timetable – 24 June 2014 for area 7
> 
> RSLs. Why does the license period for RSLs have to be midnight to
> midnight? Why can they not be a 24 period. Eg A weekend RSL could be
> Friday afternoon to Sunday afternoon (2 day RSL if in 24 blocks,
> opposed to 3 days under the current system). This change could
> represent valuable cost savings.
> Ofcom licencing will look into this and if possible will consider
> changing the rules.
> 
> The next meeting is scheduled for 5 September at Ofcom, London, so if
> you have anything that you think should be on the agenda please let
> CMA Chair Dom Chambers know.
> chair at commedia.org.uk
> 
> Phil Gibbons
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