[cma-l] Fwd: Ofcom pushing ahead with small-scale DAB
David Duffy
david at theradiopeople.co.uk
Sun Dec 13 08:49:54 GMT 2015
Hi Nick
As it’s a Friday afternoon let me take a shot at sharing my thoughts on your points:
1) We’ve got 50% rules that ought not apply now - regardless of whether you think they should apply just work with it.
The 50% rule is a political appeasement and came from successful lobbying (see 3 below) . The pragmatic thing to do is make sure you invoice no more than 50% on-air activities and 50% off-air on every invoice you send out. It’s not rocket science.
2) We’ve had the wrong folk shouting the odds (commercial radio has NOTHING to do with what we are doing) they need to keep their conks out of it -
You can't say it has NOTHING to do with commercial radio if you’re asking local organisations to spend their advertising money with your radio station. Commercial radio local on-air advertising down >6% last year; local on-air sponsorship down>6% last year. If you want a slice of that business you’re welcome to it. The only thing that saved (some) of them was national revenue and you won’t get any of that.
3) Politicians have been complete whimps -
The various Commercial Radio bodies have been successful lobbyist of politicians of all persuasions over the years to achieve their aims.
4) No restrictions on advertising revenues as it is the spend that needs regulating. Not how we get it £££ but what we do with it. As long as it isn’t going into Iindividuals swiss Bank accounts and is being re-invested in the project, where’s the problem ?
There are ways round it (see 1 above). The spend is regulated.
5) We already have restrictions ! Rookies on-air on a regular basis ………. They learn the ropes with us, so some Programmes aren’t exactly trail blazing. I am not being critical as many of ours soon get up to speed and deliver the goods. We teach them well (I think?) but in the interim periods it can be a bit warts’ n’ all ………..but that’s the charm. This is a restriction in itself. How do you compete with the big Commercials and the BBC without the tools ….we don’t ….certainly not on a big scale. Secondly, I said years ago that the Grant front was a dream. It hasn’t come to fruition and lots of energy and time has been wasted applying for things that don’t exist. You can’t get Grants for ‘doing Radio’ [read my lips] I said this in Leicester 6 years ago ….. grants were running out even then. Why wasn’t anything done ?? we have to run around inventing projects, then getting money for the project that just pays for the project but the actual (THING) we need the money for remains unfunded. It’s pathetic !
Grants are never a viable source of longterm revenue funding. Why Ofcom still allows these to be included in the application process is still a mystery to me.
Also, don’t invent projects. That kind of thing never ends well.
6) We are restricted with our transmitters …….. we only have a small pool of businesses who we can go for because the others are outside our area. We have lost lots because they say they can’t hear us ….and some of them are only 3-4 miles outside the 5km ………..
Without exception, every radio owner I know wants a bigger MCA. The question is, is there a minimal size of a viable MCA and if so what is it?
7) The age old argument about restrictions …..it is all relative those who are in areas under 150,000 the commercials claim it is difficult ---well surely, if it is difficult for them then it is difficult for Community Radio as well ………..end result = THE SAME
It’s different for commercial radio as they carry many of the costs that most smart community radio stations are able to obfuscate. They also exist to return a dividend to shareholders so they need to turn a profit. Whilst community broadcasters should want to return a surplus their objectives are about delivering social gain. So it’s not the same.
8) Radio Fund ……… not big enough …. Each Station should receive about ten grand (£10,000) from this every year so that at least if everything was voluntary, they could stay afloat and pay their way and survive. Why do we have a system where in our own fund we are bidding against each other ?! which Numpty thought that one up ? it’s just another distraction away from what we are meant to be doing. More bureaucracy and disappointment for us, more bureaucracy for Ofcom AND we will never get the fund higher if some are waltzing off with £30,000 grand and others get £6000 ………… we have allowed ‘’’them’’’ whoever ‘’’they’’’ may be to do the oldest trick in the book ‘divide and conquer’ you will never get anywhere operating like this. People won’t stand up and be counted if they’re getting £30,000 quid, they’ll lie low ……..the ones that get nowt’ are voices in the wilderness.
£10,000 for every Station every year I say. No grants, no applications, just one Lady/Chappy in the office writing out the Gregory Peck on January 1st
I think the whole fund for 2015 was £377,000 (coincidently the same amount it costs to run Radio 4 for seven days). Do you really think in this economic climate they’re going to increase it by over 600% to £2.37 million. No.
Over the last six years community radio revenue has grown by nearly 28%. During that same time commercial radio revenue grew by only 10%. You’re holding yourself back with a fixation on commercial radio. I would be more worried about the decline in advertising spend which is going to ALL radio - down from 3.5% to 3.2% of ad budget in the last six years. Forget grants and forget on-air advertising & sponsorship revenues - you’re too late - IT’S GONE!
Radio needs to look to digital which had grown by 200% in the same time period; mobile grown by 800%; video by 2000% Look at print media which now gets nearly 20% of its income from digital - not display adverts in their publications.
If the average/median community station gets £35k income ask yourself - is 20% of that income coming from digital at your radio station? Let’s start that conversation and make it happen.
Focus your energies on the things you can change. I think that should be a New Year’s resolution for us all.
It’s not as bad as you think. Take a look at local TV. See, it could be worse!!
Have a good Christmas Nick et al.
David
www.theradiopeople.co.uk <http://www.theradiopeople.co.uk/>
> On 11 Dec 2015, at 12:05, Canalside's The Thread <office at thethread.org.uk <mailto:office at thethread.org.uk>> wrote:
>
> Martin et al
>
> You might find that virtually all of my observations go unanswered. There’s a reason why they go unanswered and it’s because ‘they’re as you say’ [[are very on the point]] it’s actually the reason why debates never take place with some of the Ministers over the years .they know it’s all wrong, you know it’s all wrong, I know it’s all wrong, the commercials boys even know it’s all wrong, everyone knows it’s all wrong, but it has gone on and on for over 10 years absolutely unbelievable ?
>
> I just voice what I know 90% of the folk are thinking, I’ve gone past the point of caring now.
>
> This all should have been tackled head on if people aren’t prepared to see sense. Sadly, a little Station like ours in the middle of the NE Cheshire sticks can’t take these folk on by ourselves, it has to be a concerted effort by everyone.
> We should have been helped not hindered. Those who think we haven’t been hindered, then we are poles apart in our opinions.
>
> I thoroughly enjoy what I do (you might think are you sure?) but it has been spoilt slightly by all the nonsense, debates and wasted energy on fiascos. Those fiascos of course none of our making.
>
> I go back to my original statement 10 years ago ….. the only regulation should be on what we spend our money on ‘’’the spend & what we do with the money’’’ everything else is complete gobbledy gook
>
> 1) We’ve got 50% rules that ought not apply now ---- there are rules in place anyway to prevent Businesses indirectly controlling the Traffic
> 2) We’ve had the wrong folk shouting the odds (commercial radio has NOTHING to do with what we are doing) they need to keep their conks out of it
> 3) Politicians have been complete whimps
> 4) No restrictions on advertising revenues as it is the spend that needs regulating. Not how we get it £££ but what we do with it. As long as it isn’t going into Iindividuals swiss Bank accounts and is being re-invested in the project, where’s the problem ?
> 5) We already have restrictions ! Rookies on-air on a regular basis ………. They learn the ropes with us, so some Programmes aren’t exactly trail blazing. I am not being critical as many of ours soon get up to speed and deliver the goods. We teach them well (I think?) but in the interim periods it can be a bit warts’ n’ all ………..but that’s the charm. This is a restriction in itself. How do you compete with the big Commercials and the BBC without the tools ….we don’t ….certainly not on a big scale. Secondly, I said years ago that the Grant front was a dream. It hasn’t come to fruition and lots of energy and time has been wasted applying for things that don’t exist. You can’t get Grants for ‘doing Radio’ [read my lips] I said this in Leicester 6 years ago ….. grants were running out even then. Why wasn’t anything done ?? we have to run around inventing projects, then getting money for the project that just pays for the project but the actual (THING) we need the money for remains unfunded. It’s pathetic !
> 6) We are restricted with our transmitters …….. we only have a small pool of businesses who we can go for because the others are outside our area. We have lost lots because they say they can’t hear us ….and some of them are only 3-4 miles outside the 5km ………..
> 7) The age old argument about restrictions …..it is all relative those who are in areas under 150,000 the commercials claim it is difficult ---well surely, if it is difficult for them then it is difficult for Community Radio as well ………..end result = THE SAME
> 8) Radio Fund ……… not big enough …. Each Station should receive about ten grand (£10,000) from this every year so that at least if everything was voluntary, they could stay afloat and pay their way and survive. Why do we have a system where in our own fund we are bidding against each other ?! which Numpty thought that one up ? it’s just another distraction away from what we are meant to be doing. More bureaucracy and disappointment for us, more bureaucracy for Ofcom AND we will never get the fund higher if some are waltzing off with £30,000 grand and others get £6000 ………… we have allowed ‘’’them’’’ whoever ‘’’they’’’ may be to do the oldest trick in the book ‘divide and conquer’ you will never get anywhere operating like this. People won’t stand up and be counted if they’re getting £30,000 quid, they’ll lie low ……..the ones that get nowt’ are voices in the wilderness.
> £10,000 for every Station every year I say. No grants, no applications, just one Lady/Chappy in the office writing out the Gregory Peck on January 1st
>
> I SAY IT AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN …….the whole Politics of all of this is a complete Horlicks / a Shambles / a Debacle
>
> My final sweeping statement. I don’t care if people agree or disagree, because I know the time will come when everything that has been pointed out will have to be dealt with --- that time will come. My argument is, surely it would have been better to have done it sooner rather than later. It would at least have prevented me from slowly going from Mr Come-Day-go-Day to Mr Frustrated over a period of 10 years
>
> Please do keep us all posted on the DAB front and costs and pros and cons, I’m sure everyone is looking at it.
>
> All the best for Christmas everyone I’ve asked Santa for a ‘’wake-up-and-smell-the Coffee Machine’’ I’ve ordered one each for the Team at the DCMS. Santa always struggles though getting down the Chimney .. they are quite long in those Ivory Towers.
>
> All written with a cheeky grin and tongue in cheek …… I’m not a bad lad really
>
> Regards
>
> Nick
>
> From: cma-l-bounces at mailman.commedia.org.uk <mailto:cma-l-bounces at mailman.commedia.org.uk> [mailto:cma-l-bounces at mailman.commedia.org.uk <mailto:cma-l-bounces at mailman.commedia.org.uk>] On Behalf Of Martin Steers
> Sent: 10 December 2015 22:27
> To: The Community Media Association Discussion List
> Subject: Re: [cma-l] Ofcom pushing ahead with small-scale DAB
>
> Hi Nick,
>
> A lot of your questions are very on point and are unanswered, thats what in part the trial is about.
>
> But I for one am interested in the outcome, and seeing that an accessible / "low cost" opportunity for community radio to engage with DAB is available.
>
> Martin
>
>
> On 10 December 2015 at 13:42, Canalside's The Thread <office at thethread.org.uk <mailto:office at thethread.org.uk>> wrote:
> What is the definition of ‘low cost’ ?? low cost to a Station that sits within the restrictions is different to low cost to others --------- likewise, what is the definition of ‘area’ ?? 1 Mile, 2 Miles, 3 Miles ? ……….the moment you start getting near to 4 or 5 or 6 etc you can almost hear the Commercial Radio Board Members chucking their Toys out of the Pram as we speak.
>
> Is the DAB malarkey going through the system in a fair and proper manner or are the commercial boys going to be shouting the odds and meddling with it again? …….. some may think this is trivial or Boat rocking, I actually don’t think it is …..we don’t want another horlicks onto of the one we already have.
>
> Any ideas please ?
>
> Let’s have a game of ‘give us a clue’
>
> Nick
>
> From: cma-l-bounces at mailman.commedia.org.uk <mailto:cma-l-bounces at mailman.commedia.org.uk> [mailto:cma-l-bounces at mailman.commedia.org.uk <mailto:cma-l-bounces at mailman.commedia.org.uk>] On Behalf Of Ian Hickling
> Sent: 08 December 2015 08:20
> To: The Community Media Association Discussion List
>
> Subject: [cma-l] Ofcom pushing ahead with small-scale DAB
>
> Only to be expected - since the initiative was from Ofcom after a lot of pressure - but I think we should press for a committed timescale.
> Ian Hickling
> Partner
>
> <http://www.transplanuk.com/>
> Office: 01635 578435 (7am-11pm UK time)
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> From: cma-l at commedia.org.uk <mailto:cma-l at commedia.org.uk>
> Date: Mon, 7 Dec 2015 10:49:55 +0000
> To: cma-l at commedia.org.uk <mailto:cma-l at commedia.org.uk>
> Subject: [cma-l] Ofcom pushing ahead with small-scale DAB
> Ofcom has said it's going to be working with the Government next year to develop a potential solution for smaller and community stations to get on DAB digital radio.
>
> As part of Ofcom's newly-published plans for the 2016/17 financial year, it has confirmed that it is going to continue its work on 'small scale DAB', a low-cost, simplified approach to enabling stations to broadcast across a small area on DAB.
>
> Currently, Ofcom and multiplex operators are piloting the technology behind small scale DAB in a nine-month trial in 10 locations, which is due to expire in the early summer. Ofcom wants to expand small scale DAB services to more areas and has been working on identifying suitable frequencies and setting up the regulatory framework for smaller operators if small scale DAB was to enter regular, full-time service across the UK.
>
> The current roll-out of local, mostly county-wide DAB multiplexes will continue to be supported into the next financial year, according to the proposed Ofcom annual plan.
>
> Ofcom also announced that it will be supporting the Government for a potential new statutory framework for radio regulation next year, following the conclusion of its own review of regulation in February.
>
> Source: http://www.a516digital.com/2015/12/ofcom-pushing-ahead-with-small-scale.html <http://www.a516digital.com/2015/12/ofcom-pushing-ahead-with-small-scale.html>
>
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