[cma-l] update

Sat Dec 10 02:17:23 GMT 2016

Hi Nick

My thoughts on your points:

1. The Radio Fund was flawed from the outset.  Over time it has cultivated an unhealthy dependency culture in community radio.  The bi-annual ‘lottery’ for a slice of the fund is an undignified ‘gamble’ for the very existence of many services.

2. The average (mean) income for a community radio service is £55,000 (Ofcom Communications Market Report 2016); Under the old 50% rule, this would have permitted stations to raise no more than c£27k of that from on-air activities. Today, with the £15k allowance, stations are able to raise £35k from those same on-air activities without recourse to other off-air sources pop income. A 25% increase. This favours the bulk of community radio stations. You only have to look at the median average income for community stations, £32,500, to realise that for most stations the £15,000 represents nearly 50% of their income. So the allowance significantly reduces their dependency on grants and donations, etc. to balance the books.

3. One-size never fitted all and is now, thankfully, under reconsideration.

4. The new Key Commitments, if carefully crafted, can now be written so vague as to make this a non-issue. 

5. Unfortunately ‘all of us are not for profit’ doesn't include the artists at the heart of this - the writers, publishers and performers - each of whom want their slice of the copyright pie for the use of their works. Whether stations make a profit or surplus is neither here nor there for most of them. The ‘answer’ to the copyright issues lies in collective negotiating on behalf of the sector between the representative body (CMA) and PPL/PRS. But you have to know how to negotiate.  And if you are playing with PPL/PRS you better have some suits in you hand of cards.

David
The Radio People

> On 9 Dec 2016, at 14:54, Canalside's The Thread <office at thethread.org.uk> wrote:
> 
> Dear All
>  
> In response if I may please to an e-mail I received from a gentlemen last week I would like to point something out that is very important.
>  
> Regardless how it may seem I am actually a very very positive person and lend 100% of my energy and support to our great project that is Community Radio. I merely point out the things that I see as wrong. To do this is not wrong, it is in fact a duty.
>  
> In times when the other side of Road to Jericho is packed full, I think focus should be given on how we can help each other and especially how those in authority can also lend a hand as opposed to putting up barriers.
>  
> Key points :-   (that could be discussed next week)
>  
> 1)      Pro rata the Radio Fund has plummeted over the past 8 years at a rate faster than a greased Pig going down a Hill … to add to this, there has been a golden opportunity to at least pop a token gesture into the Pot, if nothing else. Instead, the 8 Million has gone elsewhere.
> 2)      Over a period of a number of years and many consultations it is now technically taken ‘as read’ that to run the AVERAGE/GENERAL Community Radio Station under AVERAGE/GENERAL rules we ON AVERAGE need around £80,000 per-annum. This is well known within and outside the sector. However, we still have a 50% ruling (which I don’t agree with as know, nor do I agree with any restrictions apart from targeting ‘the spend)      this 50% ruling if applied correctly, surely should at least come out at an allowance fee of ‘’’half’’’     ie:- £40,000 Pounds as opposed to £15,000 which is the point the restrictions kick in. At least what this would do is loosen the straight jacket, and give plenty of room for manoeuvre ………… and still provide protection to those about to throw their Toys out of the Pram.
> 3)      Tweaks (only tweaks) to Licences where both the Station itself and Ofcom ‘got it wrong’            this in our case could simply be adding ONE WORD to the Licence and where permitted allowing some Stations (as long as it caused no one else a problem) a small power boost.
> 4)      An acknowledgement that Key commitments can actually change, and change back again over a period as short as 12 months, sometimes out of control of the actual Station itself, and waiting for a consultation to come round again is not helping anyone.
> 5)      PRS/PPL actually doing the decent thing and acknowledging that ALL OF US are not for profit, and although at the end of each year we may have £5,000 - £10,000 in the account, this is in fact only a type of ‘float’ and not profit. We are being asked to report on nothing. This is also a matter of principal and not the amount of money. We report on how many songs we play per-hour and then send the agreed average/minimum fee. Yet again it seems we have had another process with opportunities missed, that in reality would have pleased and sufficed everyone concerned.
>  
> There are others, but it’s Christmas and I won’t bore you. The gentleman in question, please don’t shoot the messenger and don’t have a pop at those who are trying to help, even if the method is a bit off-piste. My only crime is, I just say it as it is, as pussyfootying around doesn’t bode well with my make up.
>  
> I have always tried to remain polite, it has just been the odd time frustration gets the better of all of us.
>  
> Is ones heart in the right place is the key question for all of us ??? ---------- the answer to that is most definitely ‘’yes’’       I always try to add a bit of humour to the observation to keep it light, even though it may be mixed with a touch of sarcasm.
>  
> All Mariah Carey wants for Christmas is you, All Mr N H Dumpty wants is a bit of common sense and all this nonsense gone by Spring 2017. Everything is possible you simply have to have the get up and go and the will power.
> Let’s have another go ……………. Get a big meeting and get everyone in the same room --- DCMS/Ofcom/PRS/PPL and Uncle Tom Cobbley
>  
> Onwards and Upwards
>  
> Feliz Navidad
>  
> Nick
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> 
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