[cma-l] Confession, regulation and expection

Mon Sep 14 22:43:50 BST 2015

It rankles doesn't it that a billionaire should come and play 
local TV on our patch and then fail to deliver and be
allowed to carry on.
Hmm.
Government oversight, anybody?

Chris Haydon
Community TV Trust

> On 14 September 2015 at 22:16 Ian Hickling <transplanfm at hotmail.com> wrote:
> 
> 
> We've seen it happen all too often in radio too.]In a effort to make a good
> impression Applicants offer a great deal - only to find in practice that they
> can't deliver.There is very little guidance available - other from those who
> have failed earlier.
> 
> Ian Hickling
> Partner
> 
> Office: 01635 578435  (7am-11pm UK time)Carphone: 07530 980115 (only responds
> when driving)6 Horn Street, Compton, NEWBURY, RG20 6QS
> 
> > Date: Mon, 14 Sep 2015 15:25:50 +0100
> > From: chris at communitytvtrust.org
> > To: cma-l at mailman.commedia.org.uk
> > Subject: Re: [cma-l] Confession, regulation and expection
> > 
> > Looking at Local Television and London Live in particular, just a few months
> > into
> > their operation (reputedly at an annual budget of £35m!!), London Live asked
> > Ofcom for permission to reduce its local content. Flabbergasted doesn't
> > begin
> > to cover my reaction.
> > I was part of the bidding process for the London licence with Made
> > Television 
> > and obviously the process was extensive. How come the winner of the bid
> > failed 
> > within a few months to deliver what it said it would and still holds the
> > licence?
> > Some regulator.
> > 
> > Chris Haydon
> > Director
> > Community TV Trust 
> > www.communitytvtrust.org
> > 
> > > On 14 September 2015 at 13:58 Shankar Meembat <shankar.meembat at exaget.com>
> > > wrote:
> > > 
> > > 
> > > I am an outsider to this process with no experience in this area, so
> > > pardon
> > > the naivety.
> > > 
> > > "If Ofcom accepts that you have shown without reasonable doubt that you
> > > can
> > > provide an efficient transmission system and you have the funds to achieve
> > > that’  - seems to indicate that the application process requires that the
> > > costing is already estimated prior to submitting the application and
> > > submitted
> > > as part of the process ? 
> > > 
> > > What then causes the variation ? Ofcom awarding different transmission (AM
> > > instead of FM applied for) or changing some other conditions during the
> > > licence award ?
> > > 
> > > Shankar
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > Shankar Meembat, Founder and CEO
> > > UK: +44 (741) 1130680 
> > > US: +1 (702) 4782134 
> > > FI: +358 (50) 4862963	
> > > 
> > >  <https://www.facebook.com/exaget>
> > > <https://www.linkedin.com/company/exaget-ltd->
> > > <https://www.twitter.com/exaget> <https://www.twitter.com/exaget> 
> > > <https://www.twitter.com/exaget>
> > > 
> > > 
> > > > On 14 Sep 2015, at 13:43, Ian Hickling <transplanfm at hotmail.com> wrote:
> > > > 
> > > > This is the crux
> > > > Ofcom awards a Licence based on what you say you can do in your
> > > > Application.
> > > > If Ofcom accepts that you have shown without reasonable doubt that you
> > > > can
> > > > provide an efficient transmission system and you have the funds to
> > > > achieve
> > > > that and you fail - then it's your responsibility.
> > > > But - and it is a real but - how much contribution does Ofcom make
> > > > towards
> > > > your awareness of the hard facts?
> > > > If it doesn't do that effectively and you fail - whose responsibility is
> > > > that?
> > > > 
> > > > Ian Hickling
> > > > Partner
> > > > 
> > > >  <http://www.transplanuk.com/>
> > > > Office: 01635 578435  (7am-11pm UK time)
> > > > Carphone: 07530 980115 (only responds when driving)
> > > > 6 Horn Street, Compton, NEWBURY, RG20 6QS
> > > > 
> > > > 
> > > > From: richodr at blueyonder.co.uk <mailto:richodr at blueyonder.co.uk>
> > > > To: cma-l at mailman.commedia.org.uk <mailto:cma-l at mailman.commedia.org.uk>
> > > > Date: Mon, 14 Sep 2015 12:46:33 +0100
> > > > CC: stevejones42 at talktalk.net <mailto:stevejones42 at talktalk.net>
> > > > Subject: Re: [cma-l] Confession
> > > > 
> > > > Hi Ian
> > > >  
> > > > I think this is the first post to CMA Forum.
> > > >  
> > > > YMCA Radio Barnsley was successful in July 2014 in gaining an AM
> > > > licence.
> > > >  
> > > > In July 2015 we had to hand back the licence. 
> > > > 
> > > > The cost for getting on air £100k! (mast/equipment/field rent/porta
> > > > cabin/fencing/security/studio link/insurance/yearly mast inspection and
> > > > power supply to a field). Never mind 5 years on costs!
> > > >  
> > > > The lottery after checking our application for funds said that looking
> > > > at
> > > > other bids of a similar nature; we would not meet our outcomes!
> > > >  
> > > > So we had to hand it back. We tried but it was unrealistic.
> > > >  
> > > > Now then, “how’s small scale doing”   ?
> > > >  
> > > > Dave Richardson
> > > > YMCA Radio Barnsley.
> > > >  
> > > > 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: 14 September 2015 11:47
> > > > To: cma-l
> > > > Subject: [cma-l] Confession
> > > >  
> > > > I've just had to do something I really hate - admit failure.
> > > > This morning I've written to a sincere hard-working young man in
> > > > Bradford to
> > > > tell him that we can't offer him a feasible AM transmission system so he
> > > > can
> > > > comply with his hard-won Community Radio Licence.
> > > > Not just us - but it's a joint decision including advice from another
> > > > Ofcom
> > > > transmission provision company and also from our AM specialist friends
> > > > at
> > > > the BBC.
> > > > I've copied in several relevant people at Ofcom too so that are aware of
> > > > the
> > > > real difficulties that trying to put in an AM system where they say
> > > > there is
> > > > no FM can bring.
> > > > Two weeks ago I sent them what I believe is a fair and honest price
> > > > comparison produced in good faith for a potential CR Applicant on the
> > > > outskirts of London that showed AM costing over five times that of an
> > > > equivalent-performance FM system.
> > > > This isn't some form of organised aggressive anti-AM campaign - I'm just
> > > > trying to get the fairest deal for our Clients and for Community Radio
> > > > as a
> > > > whole.
> > > > Ian Hickling
> > > > Partner
> > > > 
> > > >  <http://www.transplanuk.com/>
> > > > Office: 01635 578435  (7am-11pm UK time)
> > > > Carphone: 07530 980115 (only responds when driving)
> > > > 6 Horn Street, Compton, NEWBURY, RG20 6QS
> > > > 
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