[cma-l] Breakfast Show

[@CatLakeUK]

Hi Paul

You're the third or fourth person in as many weeks to immediately refer to
stations being mis-managed first, as opposed to highlight an unfortunate
struggle with the local economy in their area; fail to secure grant funding
they were up against so many other charities in competing for; or be hit by
unexpected expenses.

We were hit by just that when the Rates Office decided we were no longer
eligible for our 50% discount when we had two locations (TX & Studio)
effectively quadrupling our Rates bill overnight from £3k to £12k a year. A
third of our original projected budget we got our licence secured on. So
just stop and think before you tar us all with the same brush.

1) No two stations are the same nor in the same financial environment nor
situation.
2) You've been lucky to have everything on your side.


Regards,
Cat Lake

*Social Technologist, Writer & Broadcaster*
* e-Commerce <http://www.artinet.co.uk/>* • *Broadcasting
<http://www.artisanbroadcast.uk/> *• *Transmission
<http://www.transplanuk.com/>*

Tel: 0333 37 00 250 • Mobile: 07973 400 423
On-line: www.catlake.uk • Twitter <https://www.twitter.com/CatLakeUK> •
Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008671474506>

On 19 May 2015 at 12:41, Paul Golder <paul at pvg.co.uk> wrote:

> > I'm getting sick and tired of hearing people whitewashing failed
> stations as mis-managed.
>
> I don't see anyone saying all failed stations are mis-managed, which I
> assume is what you're saying.  I did say "Stations have closed because they
> have been mismanaged", which is true.  I can recall the station which
> closed less than two months after going full time (you can't really blame
> the economy for that), the station which was selling a year's advertising
> for £100 before it folded, the stations which won a licence and didn't have
> the team or equipment to start at all ...
>
> > The stations that survive the longest are those who are already
> subsidised by someone with the capital to invest in the project (because
> it's their passion/toy) and those that don't have to have to fund premises
> or transmission site rates. Even our minimal budget was too high in
> hindsight.
>
> We've been full time for over 8 years and we don't have anyone subsidising
> us - our biggest contributor pays us the equivalent of 8% of our running
> costs.  We pay rent for our premises and sites too.
>
> Regards
> Paul
>
>
>
>
> On 19 May 2015 at 12:04, @CatLakeUK <connect at catlake.uk> wrote:
>
>> I'm getting sick and tired of hearing people whitewashing failed stations
>> as mis-managed.
>>
>> We worked 155 hours a week between my partner and I to keep the startion
>> ticking over. Volunteers had constant training and guidance but in some
>> cases were only interested in doing their two hours and leaving again. We
>> probably ran our station at the worst point of the recession when
>> businesses saw radio advertising as a luxury/gamble, even at a local level,
>> so refused to spend any money on it. We also found that local authorities
>> were happy for someone else to launch a station but wanted to do little,
>> even free and in kind, to help get the message out to a wider audience and
>> help ensure the station's future.
>>
>> It was never mismanagement on the stations side ... it was complete
>> apathy and selfishness in the local community we were trying to serve.
>>
>> The stations that survive the longest are those who are already
>> subsidised by someone with the capital to invest in the project (because
>> it's their passion/toy) and those that don't have to have to fund premises
>> or transmission site rates. Even our minimal budget was too high in
>> hindsight.
>>
>> We learnt a great many lessons from trying and failing, but at least we
>> tried and now I share that experience with the stations I work with on a
>> consulting/engineering basis - proud of what I achieved in the past.
>>
>> Regards,
>> Cat Lake
>>
>> *Social Technologist, Writer & Broadcaster*
>> * e-Commerce <http://www.artinet.co.uk/>* • *Broadcasting
>> <http://www.artisanbroadcast.uk/> *• *Transmission
>> <http://www.transplanuk.com/>*
>>
>> Tel: 0333 37 00 250 • Mobile: 07973 400 423
>> On-line: www.catlake.uk • Twitter <https://www.twitter.com/CatLakeUK> •
>> Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008671474506>
>>
>
>
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