[cma-l] Review of the approach to community radioKey Commitments
Alan Coote
alan.coote at 5digital.co.uk
Fri Oct 16 22:58:33 BST 2015
Ian,
All excellent but my experience is that Ofcom are far from what you describe.
We asked for an increase of ERP from 25W to 100W. There was a professionally written business case, we had support from 3 local MPs, a comprehensive Arqiva report and a listener’s survey. This was not for an extension of the coverage but so our planned coverage could be achieved. It took the best part of 1 year for Ofcom to ultimately say no - no appeal just that it was 'not policy' to permit an increase.
To add insult to injury the local commercial station had earlier been permitted an increase from 100W to 1,000W to meet their business plans.
As one MP said at the time “Ofcom have some of the most expensive employees of any department… but they have no idea who they work for”.
Kind Regards
Alan
Alan Coote
Hear Alan Every Week on Let’s Talk Business The UK’s Premier Radio Programme For Current and Future Entrepreneurs - Now Broadcast To Over 7 Million People
Email - alan.coote at 5digital.co.uk
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From: <cma-l-bounces at mailman.commedia.org.uk> on behalf of "transplanfm at hotmail.com"
Reply-To: "cma-l at mailman.commedia.org.uk"
Date: Friday, 16 October 2015 16:05
To: "cma-l at mailman.commedia.org.uk"
Subject: [cma-l] Review of the approach to community radioKey Commitments
Yeah - you say that about the 25W transmitter Nick - but as I've pointed out just once or twice before - 37 out of the current 232 CR stations on air have convinced Ofcom that they need more than that - and have got it.
100W is not uncommon - one has 850W!
The time to do it is when you get your frequency and power allocation - after that it gets much harder - but it's still been done.
You have to present an argument which says that without the right power allocation you cannot run a viable business.
Ian Hickling
Partner
Office: 01635 578435 (7am-11pm UK time)
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From: office at thethread.org.uk
To: cma-l at mailman.commedia.org.uk
Date: Fri, 16 Oct 2015 12:47:47 +0100
Subject: Re: [cma-l] Review of the approach to community radioKey Commitments
Richard et al
I have submitted the ‘rant’ as some in our fraternity will of course call it (I think not) all I am is merely a person who is sick to death of going around in a circle for 9 long years arguing and debating the same old debacle on a ground hog day basis. Commercial Radio influencing decisions and poking their conks into a project that has NOTHING at all to do with them. I don’t interfere with them but they have influence on what we do. They seem to be able to have power boosts, change programming and key commitments at the drop of a hat and yet we’re trying to work in a straight jacket and jump through hoops with only a quarter of the resources.
I’ll tell you the biggest restriction we all/each have A 25 WATT TRANSMITTER ! we don’t need anymore restrictions, that alone is enough. We’re trying to provide a service to people and for people who can’t hear us ??? and then they put restrictions on us who thought that one up ? a madman !??
I try when possible to ad a bit of humour into the situation because if we didn’t laugh we’d go bonkers. Some would argue I already have LOL
For the record, the submission was made clearly saying that I don’t care who reads it. I have long gone past all of that /confidentiality nonsense’ what you see is what you get, like it or lump it. Too much pussy-footying around, being walked all over, we need to stand up and be counted with a bit more thrust and determination. Remember that most of the comments coming back having a pop at me are from the ‘’I’m alright Jack brigade’’
Under the confidentiality section I have written ‘’announce it to the World’’ my name is on it, so we don’t have Mr Anon or Mrs pseudonym facebook or Mr AKA Twitter …..stand up and be counted.
I notice others on the message board who also place posts that are quite forthright, I know quite a few of these folk, they are fine …. They’re just fed up with the going round in circles as well. Then of course there’s the silent majority. I know this because they contact me and tell me …. They don’t want the aggro so don’t get roped in … they still support the sentiment. So let us not underestimate the ‘will’ to overcome.
I will make my statement one more time. Yes, we here at Canalside did understand the rules and implications at the outset (we didn’t agree with them, but hey, such is life) what we DID NOT EXPECT THOUGH, is to be arguing about the same things 12 years down the line and listening to hot air coming from Ministers saying how much they support Community Radio ……………do something about it then.
I’ll try to copy and paste …….(copy and rant) J
Restrictions = Get Shot of the Lot
Regulate the spend and not the earn .. this way there would be technically a limit (it would remain not-for-profit) money earned would have to be re-invested into the project and there is an element of protection for Commercial Radio
Key Commitments ------- most of these were written (me included) with all good intentions .. but in reality some not achievable. They contained items that ticked boxes, wouldn’t offend commercial radio and looked fluffy and nice ……. I was cringing whilst writing them as I would imagine many others were. We were being pushed down a road that we didn’t want to go down by the way the rules have been laid out.
The final straw for me is seeing people being hauled over the coals for completely trivial matters and words like ‘investigation’ ‘in breach’ etc being attached to that Station. Completely unacceptable.
Setting the Bar high and ‘’’at least avin a go’’’ should be commended, not ridiculed if you fall slightly short. This is obviously one of the reasons why this ‘consultation’ has come about .however, like with everything else it ought to have been done 3 years ago when folk like me and others saw the warning lights flashing. It would possibly have saved me in total about a month of my life off the e-mail and phone.
I stick by the word I first mentioned 8 years ago ‘debacle’ I think this was the word that upset one or two as I was on the receiving end of a lecture. It of course went straight over my head.
Of course life is about opinions, some will agree, some will disagree ….but one thing is for sure, if you do nothing about it, don’t get involved, don’t roll your sleeves up, you will forever be trodden on.
Time to cut-loose and let Community Radio really flourish.
By the way, read the comments from 3 years ago re:-TV ………….. correct again. It was never going to work and the money ought to have been put into Community Radio. We’d have a descent Pot, Commercial Radio would be protected (they’d like that) and we’d only need to rummage through a few adverts and everyone’s a happy bunny.
I can’t remember the Minister at the time (Jeremy Hunt possibly?) but my exact words to him were ‘’don’t you think you ought to be sorting out Community Radio first, before mIthering with Community TV?’
I’ve virtually covered the entry, but I send it over
Love you all xxx keep on truckin’
Sir Hamster Wheel-Wright [University of Pott Shrigley]
By the way …… I think Ofcom have read it as there has been correspondence this morning .and I reckon it’s food for thought. My command of English isn’t good & sadly I didn’t get A Level or O Level English as you can see ……. The message is clear though and that’s what matters.
From: cma-l-bounces at mailman.commedia.org.uk [mailto:cma-l-bounces at mailman.commedia.org.uk] On Behalf Of Richard Hilton
Sent: 16 October 2015 09:26
To: The Community Media Association Discussion List
Subject: Re: [cma-l] Review of the approach to community radioKey Commitments
Glad you have done this. Is it possible to share your submission as a guide and encouragement to others to get involved in this vitally important consultation?
Richard
From: cma-l-bounces at mailman.commedia.org.uk [mailto:cma-l-bounces at mailman.commedia.org.uk] On Behalf Of Canalside's The Thread
Sent: 15 October 2015 19:35
To: 'The Community Media Association Discussion List'
Subject: Re: [cma-l] Review of the approach to community radio Key Commitments
Done and Dusted !
Seek under the headline/title ---- ‘’not pussy-footying around’’ [part 1 ‘’hot under the collar’’] [sub clause 4 ‘’haven’t we been here 20 times before?’’] [sub section 2b ‘’seeing is believing’’] [clause 5 ‘’it’s about time’’]
Sir Nicholas Henry Hamster Wheel-Wright [Professor of Community Radio Economics] [University of Pott Shrigley]
From:cma-l-bounces at mailman.commedia.org.uk [mailto:cma-l-bounces at mailman.commedia.org.uk] On Behalf Of CMA-L
Sent: 15 October 2015 17:35
To: cma-l at commedia.org.uk
Subject: [cma-l] Review of the approach to community radio Key Commitments
Community radio services broadcasting on FM or AM provide social gain and other community benefits on a not-for-profit basis.
Each station is required to provide the service described in its licence, which is based on the proposals it made during the application process for the licence.
These service descriptions recorded in community radio licences are called ‘Key Commitments’.
This Ofcom consultation seeks views on a proposal to streamline and simplify the Key Commitments.
This will free up community radio stations, enabling them to focus on serving their target communities, adapt better to the changing needs of those communities, and deliver social gain.
Ofcom invites written comments on the questions raised in this consultation, to be submitted by 5pm on 21 October 2015. Ofcom strongly prefers to receive responses in electronic format and their web form will allow you to indicate your data protection preferences and send your views to the team responsible for this consultation.
http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/consultations/key-commitments/
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