[cma-l] CR Power Allocation

Wed Dec 9 14:30:42 GMT 2015

As I have first-hand experience in this area of our Industry for 18 years and experience in the technology going back some 60 years, can I offer you my current view on this?
Ofcom originally said that the onus was on the Applicant to specify his Community and how he proposed covering it.
That inevitability involved the location and power required to produce viable coverage.
Very subtly they then introduced this concept of "typically a 5km radius" which is not as far as I can see laid down in legislation anywhere - and was essentially a guide for the uninitiated.
Ofcom now however seems to be trying to use it - quite wrongly I submit - as a statute of limitation.
The fact speak for themselves:Of the 229 CR FM stations currently on air, 38 (17%) have been allocated power in excess of the 25 + 25 "norm" - either because they put in a sound case for it - or were awarded it by Ofcom by virtue of taking over an existing allocation or in compensation for illegal broadcast activity in their area.Of the remainder, 209 are using 25W vertical, but only 48 (21%) have taken the sound step of employing a horizontal component in addition.
The sad truth is that very few CR Licensees are sufficiently clued up on how best they should be serving their audience - and 83%  have not achieved more than the the basic "offer".
Ian Hickling
Partner

Office: 01635 578435  (7am-11pm UK time)Carphone: 07530 980115 (only responds when driving)6 Horn Street, Compton, NEWBURY, RG20 6QS

From: tlr at gairloch.co.uk
To: cma-l at mailman.commedia.org.uk
Date: Wed, 9 Dec 2015 11:29:33 +0000
Subject: Re: [cma-l] 4ZZZ accounts

Well for our licence they certainly looked at the 
business plan, and went out on a limb to award a licence even though a hard look 
at the figures would have had an accoutant shaking his head. The assessment of 
our licence application included this:

"Members recognised that financing the operation of the 
service could prove challenging over the long-term. However, the financial model 
proposed by Two Lochs Radio is similar to other rural Scottish services which, 
although run on minimal budgets, and with unconventional operating arrangements, 
have a good track record in sustaining local radio 
services."

Which we thought was pretty pragmatic and recognized the 
realities. Happily, so far we have proved their assessment correct (it 
certainly is challenging!).

That is not to detract from your general point about 
transmission power.

Alex

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: 
  Alan Coote 
  To: cma-l at mailman.commedia.org.uk 

  Sent: Tuesday, December 08, 2015 11:40 
  PM
  Subject: Re: [cma-l] 4ZZZ accounts

  Alex, 

  As far as I’m aware Ofcom don’t verify the estimates from sponsorship and 
  advertising. If they did I’m confident they would see that the revenue per 
  listener from most 25W community stations isn’t enough.   

  The question should be, ‘Given the type, location and competition from 
  other radio stations, what is the desired coverage to deliver a sustainable 
  service ?’

  Answer; significantly greater than 25 Watts! 

  Alan  

  From: <cma-l-bounces at mailman.commedia.org.uk> 
  on behalf of "tlr at gairloch.co.uk" 
  <tlr at gairloch.co.uk>
Reply-To: "cma-l at mailman.commedia.org.uk" 
  <cma-l at mailman.commedia.org.uk>
Date: Tuesday, 8 December 2015 at 
  17:09
To: "cma-l at mailman.commedia.org.uk" 
  <cma-l at mailman.commedia.org.uk>
Subject: Re: [cma-l] 4ZZZ accounts

  Alan Coote wrote: I’ve long contended that Ofcom have a 
  responsibility to only license stations that stand a fair chance of being 
  financially sustainable. 

  Isn't that a legal obligation on Ofcom when awarding 
  licences, Alan? It certainly is a primary consideration when 
  licensing commercial stations. In fact, while they aren;t in orde rof 
  priority, it happens to be the very first of the criteria laid down in 
  the Broadcasting Act, Section 105, which says:

  Ofcom is required to have regard to...
(a) 
  the ability of each of the applicants for the licence to maintain, throughout 
  the period for which the licence would be in force, the service which he 
  proposes to provide;...

  Maybe it's not the same for community licences, I haven't 
  checked, but I thought it was.

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