[cma-l] A Word from Our Chair Ahead of Saturday's Conference

[CMA-L]

To CMA members and friends,

This year the CMA celebrates 32 years as the principal organisation
championing the extraordinary development of community media in the UK.
Over these decades of rapid change the CMA has come into its own when
advocating and lobbying for the best interests of the community end of the
media spectrum. The work we did that led to the creation of licensed
community radio in the 2003 Communications Act is a good example of this.
With over 260 stations now on air or preparing to launch in our first ten
years we have exceeded expectation. The 2014 Radio Academy Nations &
Regions awards gave over 50% of the awards to community broadcasters. This
proves that volunteer-based radio that engages people, communities and
audiences has truly arrived in a landscape previously and exclusively
occupied by the BBC and commercial networks.

Whilst the CMA can take some of the credit in helping create the
environment for community media to flourish I believe we have also missed
some opportunities to offer full leadership to all areas of growth in our
sector. The CMA has, of course, not been immune from the funding challenges
that beset most of us delivering community media. Sometimes the reality of
sustaining the CMA has resulted in the need to pursue project delivery
which can prove distracting on delivering our core purposes of
representation and advocacy. Last year the CMA embarked on a process of
change that will produce an organisation fit to lead and meet the
challenges of our times.

Our first priority has been to get our own house in order. I am very
grateful to our members who have so positively responded to the new
invoicing system and Cathy Brooks for her professional leadership as our
finance manager. In this we have also been well served by our new credit
controller Adrian Hill who joined us in January. The restructuring of the
CMA meant we had to cut our Arts Coordination role. Tamar Millen had been
central to developing community media in the arts. As I travel round the
country visiting our members I have often heard how Tamar’s work has made a
difference. We wish her well in the hopes that our paths will cross again
in the future.

The CMA currently has only one full-time employee. Bill Best is doing an
extraordinary job in making sure the CMA delivers on its commitments and I
would like to publically thank him for his tireless work and dedication.
His energy is the bridge that will take us from the past to a future of an
organisation with increased capacity. Clearly the current situation is
transitionary and is untenable in the long run. We are at the midpoint of
the process of change. We need to get resources up at the heart of the CMA
to give Bill some much needed support. As we manage the transition I am
very pleased to let you know that our governing Council has stepped up to
the mark with members taking a share of operational delivery. This helps
ensure we continue to represent the best interests of members whilst we
restructure.

As the CMA remerges with a strategy in place that ensures it is adequately
resourced to deliver on our core objectives we are also focused on the
funding needs of the sector we represent. The CMA has embarked on a journey
that places it at the centre of developing credible regional and national
funding strategies. On top of managing the process of change within the
CMA, how we reverse the current trend of failing sector sustainability is
my principal preoccupation in chairing the CMA.

We are now on the right course for the CMA to offer real and vibrant sector
leadership. The vision is in place.

We have a very busy year ahead and I promise you regular updates on
progression. The CMA works at its best when bringing people together. I
look forward to welcoming everyone to Saturday’s Community Media
Conference. Let us come together, share our successes and be inspired to
realise the full potential of community media in the UK.

Best to all,

*Dom Chambers*



*Chair *
*CMA AGM/Conference Saturday 12th September 2015 *
* Mobile*: +44 (0) 7802 457 396 <%2B44%20%280%29%207802%20457%20396>
*Direct Line*: +44 (0) 1761 568 004
* CMA Office: *+44 (0) 1142 795 219
*Email:* Chair at Commedia.org.uk
*Personal Twitter:* @TheDomChambers <http://twitter.com/thedomchambers>
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