[cma-l] Poor Reception

[Ian Hickling]

The only effective way in which RadioCentre can be part of the solution is if it were to quantify its concerns.There can be no disagreement that Ofcom allowing a new low-budget broadcaster to invade your territory and damage your business is unacceptable.But logically and in fact legally you have to show reasonable cause for your objection.As far as I can see, that has never been done anywhere.It may well be that a stand-alone station could prove that its advertising and sponsorship throughput has been reduced by the presence of a Community Radio station - but of course that proof isn't available because the situation hasn't been allowed to occur.
To cut to the chase, RadioCentre should put up or shut up.
And Ofcom should off its own bat change the Licence Conditions of the small commercial stations which have been swallowed up by Groups and are no longer providing the local service that they were put in place to deliver - rather than waiting for them to ask for a change - which of course they won't!

From: david at theradiopeople.co.uk
Date: Fri, 6 Feb 2015 12:09:04 +0000
To: office at thethread.org.uk; cma-l at mailman.commedia.org.uk
Subject: Re: [cma-l] Poor Reception

James, I commend you for being able to distill the two points that Nick was making from his not inconsiderable email. I would respectfully suggest that much of Nick’s frustration is clearly visceral.  Perhaps the reason that some of Nick’s pronouncements go unchallenged is because they don’t resonate with many other stations around the land in the same way that they do at Canalside for Nick. 
However, you did write ‘... it's hardly surprising that one of RadioCentre's concerns about community radio is that it devalues radio as a whole’. This caused some discussion in the office and, I must admit, some division of opinion.  
So for my part: It is clear that, RadioCentre is rightly motivated to protect the interest of it’s paying members - commercial radio companies.  So, RadioCentre’s concern is not primarily that community radio devalues radio as a whole but that it threatens to devalue commercial radio. To my ears, this is like the big supermarkets saying the concern they have about small independent retailers is that they devalue shopping as a whole. Fortunately for my wife and millions of shoppers, no one is going to be deterred from shopping because they’ve a bad experience in one or two shops - independent or multiple.  Likewise, listeners and advertisers are not going to write off radio as a whole just because they hear one or two weak stations - community or commercial.
I would suggest that if RadioCentre is genuine and sincere about their concerns then I would encourage them to become part of the solution.  In the words of Mahatma Ghandi 'Be the change that you wish to see in the world’.
RegardsDavid

On 6 Feb 2015, at 09:13, James Cridland <james at cridland.net> wrote:Nick, I despair. Every single little-text blue email that comes in from you leaves me more and more concerned for community radio.You appear to make two points here:1. You applied for a coverage area that you don't now want and now you want to change it. Somehow this is someone else's fault: Ofcom, or government, or Ed Vaisey, or the CMA's. It is "unfair", a "circus" and a "debacle".2. You want to broadcast music but don't want to pay for it or report it. Somehow this is all PPL's fault. They are "doughnuts".With every pronouncement - every one of which is publicly published and none of which is challenged by anyone else - you underline the widely-held view that community radio is run by a bunch of amateur nutcases. That isn't fair on community radio, but it's hardly surprising that one of RadioCentre's concerns about community radio is that it devalues radio as a whole.Heaven knows, this is advice I should take, too - but I do wish, for the sake of the industry I love so much, that you'd just shut up.Best,James

 
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