[cma-l] Ofcom Report - Ensuring a nation of connected citizens

Fri Oct 31 12:30:50 GMT 2014

Dear All

Over the past ten years there have been a number of people who have laughed
at me, had little swipes, dismissed the 'rants'  (if that is what one wants
to call them)   but alas, folk are missing the crux of the matter as it is
all coming to fruition .. All the things I said are coming true, they have
been correct from the outset and the fundamentals that we need to flourish
have been turned into a debacle and certain members of the DCMS etc etc
Ed being one of them in my opinion, have just treated Community Radio with
contempt as if we are something that gets stuck under your shoe.

Let me point out quite clearly that those areas where Community Radio may
have failed, we have failed not because of our own efforts and determination
but because of others who are sat in Ivory Towers on High Horses creating
completely unworkable situations.

I will say my usual saying ''wake up and smell the coffee'' and start
listening to the people at ground level who know what they are talking
about. The people who have come through the difficulties, the restrictions,
the lack of funding, the juggling, the spinning of 35 plates, the volunteers
who are doing 85 jobs a week . they are the ones that matter NOT the
Commercial cowboys, they can look after themselves. Oh and folk like me who
work 80 hours a week and get paid for 30. By the way, I'm not complaining, I
wouldn't change it for the World . the complaint is about the 'situation in
genral'

Sorry for the rant again, but hear me out, we will end up having to do it
the way I have suggested since the outset, because if we don't we will all
fail. Of course there are success stories   Swindon for one   the fact that
a lot of us function at a limp but still deliver the goods is in itself a
success story, but we could do better . take the chains and shackles off
re:- frequency / restrictions / bureaucracy / unnecessary workload   etc
and watch us flourish. It's not how we earn our crust, it is what we spend
the money on that matters.

Oh, and by the way, those who have projects in place for the next five years
but their licence runs out in two, give them an extension to their licence
NOW !   we certainly don't want to put more work in to then have the carpet
pulled out from under us in 2017 because some back door Commercial outfit
have got their beady eyes on the licence, which trust me, is happening.

Help those who deserve it, please Mr Vaizey.

Thank you

Regards

Nick

  _____  

From: cma-l-bounces at mailman.commedia.org.uk
[mailto:cma-l-bounces at mailman.commedia.org.uk] On Behalf Of Ian Hickling
Sent: 31 October 2014 11:47
To: cma-l
Subject: [cma-l] Ofcom Report - Ensuring a nation of connected citizens

My immediate comments on a cursory reading of this report:

CITIZENS AND COMMUNICATIONS SERVICES REPORT

Ensuring that communications services work in the interests of UK citizens.

Publication date 31 October 2014

>From the Foreword from the Chairman, Dame Patricia Hodgson:

Access to good communications is important for every one of us. Reliable and
affordable services oil the wheels of our daily lives and support the
economy and society as a whole.

And increasingly, new technology is at the heart of those communications.

Our ability to access, use and rely on not only our television, phone and
postal services, but also our mobile phones and broadband connections,
determine how fully we can play a part in our economy, society and culture.

No mention of radio.

In the UK, we have a strong tradition of securing citizens' access to
communications

services.

Not really borne out in Ofcom's treatment of the Community radio sector.

In the postal sector, for landline phones and in broadcasting this has led
to the principle of 'universal access', secured through a combination of
competition and regulatory interventions. Ofcom set a 98% indoor coverage
requirement on one of the 4G mobile licences, while the government has
established a Universal Service Commitment for basic broadband.

2.1  Availability

Broadcasting. The national digital TV switchover programme significantly
increased the availability of digital terrestrial television (DTT) services.
Over 20 TV channels, including the main Public Service Broadcasting channels
and high definition services, are now available to over 98.5% of the UK
population. An even greater number of purely commercial channels are also
available on DTT to around 90% of the population. Satellite and cable
coverage also provide platform choice for citizens, although neither offer
coverage as high as DTT.

Today, DAB coverage is increasingly widespread, but does not yet match FM
coverage, being patchier in rural areas and in the Nations.

Minimal mention of radio.

5.6 Broadcasting

Community radio stations have been licensed on FM and AM around the UK, with
stations generally serving a small area (around a 5km radius). They are
not-for-profit stations and members of the local community typically get
involved in producing output and running the station. These stations are
intended to bring 'social gain' benefits for their target community, such as
opportunities for training. Community stations must serve a community of
interest such as a particular age, ethnic or language group.

There are over 200 community stations broadcasting across the UK, with
another 35 stations preparing to launch. Ofcom is still licensing new
services; for example in October 2014 we announced the licencing of three
new community radio services in Staffordshire.

That would have been an ideal opportunity to bring out the Ofcom commitment
as put to the House by Ed Vaizey of its intention to make a Community Radio
station available to every community which wants one - unless of course
that's not now the case

TV coverage

Satellite and cable coverage also provide platform choice for citizens,
although neither offer coverage as high as DTT.

I think there is room to question that statement.

Section 7

Ensuring that communications services are affordable

Nothing about Community Radio

Section 8

Future opportunities and challenges

Nothing about Community Radio

Section 9

Glossary

An interesting item from the Glossary:

DAB Digital audio broadcasting. A set of internationally-accepted standards
for the

technology by which terrestrial digital radio multiplex services are
broadcast in the UK.

I think there is room to question that definition.

  _____  

From: Updates at maillist.ofcom.org.uk
To: transplanfm at hotmail.com
Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2014 21:04:01 +1100
Subject: Ensuring a nation of connected citizens

 <http://ofcom.cmail1.com/t/i-l-slkldy-ptjczk-h/> Ofcom

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Ofcom has today published a report outlining work to help ensure that
everyone in the UK benefits as much as possible from communications
services.

Ofcom's <http://ofcom.cmail1.com/t/i-l-slkldy-ptjczk-k/>  Citizens and
Communications Services report looks at the availability, accessibility and
affordability of communications services in the UK.

The report highlights the progress made over the last 10 years in ensuing
communications services have kept pace with the changing needs of UK
citizens, as well as developments in technology.

It also assesses the challenges facing Ofcom, Government and industry in
ensuring the benefits of the communications market are shared across society
and the growing expectations of UK citizens are met.

 <http://ofcom.cmail1.com/t/i-l-slkldy-ptjczk-u/> A news release can be
found here.

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