[cma-l] Ofcom: 10th March, DCMS: 11th March

[Richard Berry]

Good news Friday. Great idea Martyn! I think it’s very easy to get downbeat and moan about lack of action here, or a lack of understanding there and think that anything that ofcom (or anyone else) does is somehow of cynical move or one that well ultimately do us harm. Amidst all that we perhaps forget what a great sector we have, if only we had a place to come together and celebrate.

Richard


(currently celebrating international womens day with an all female presenter and music schedule)


Richard Berry
Spark FM Station Manager
University of Sunderland, SR6 0DD
Call: (+44) 0191 515 2239
Tweet: @richardberryuk

[cid:E4B910A6-F493-4F36-B284-27FFFEBD2BD6]



From: cma-l-bounces at mailman.commedia.org.uk [mailto:cma-l-bounces at mailman.commedia.org.uk] On Behalf Of Martyn Haynes
Sent: 08 March 2016 15:03
To: The Community Media Association Discussion List
Subject: Re: [cma-l] Ofcom: 10th March, DCMS: 11th March

James makes a good point, albeit in his "unique" way  ;-)  - this mailing list has become an endless loop of negativity in recent months and I don't think it a) it represents our sector as a whole in a good light and and b) doesn't help us achieve our goals.

Sure, we're all facing an uphill battle with issues like funding, etc. and many of us believe that we should get more help from those in charge, but that's not going to happen to any great extent.  The benefit of being members of this association is work together, I worry that an echo chamber of whining isn't helping anyone.

Can I suggest one day a week, perhaps a Friday, we use this mailing list to show off the good things we've achieved, be it news about funding/volunteers/some great audio whatever in order to bring a bit of positivity back, we're all here for the same reasons, aren't we?  Let's promote and encourage that?

So, Feel Good Friday, who's in?

Martyn

On Tue, Mar 8, 2016 at 12:31 PM, James Cridland <james at cridland.net<mailto:james at cridland.net>> wrote:
>Much of the qualifying criteria were technical and designed so that Ofcom could gain empirical data, therefore it’s a technical trial.<

I think you misunderstand. It was a 9 month technical trial. I am now arguing that it is no longer a technical trial, and that Ofcom are just letting these muxes continue on-air while they work out what to do next. Good for listeners. Good for those people who gambled successfully to run those muxes. I can't see the downside.

But, this being the community radio list, don't let me stand in the way of more gripes and moans about Ofcom and how desperately unfair life is in general. We haven't heard how much PRS and PPL are going to charge yet! A rich seam!

In separate news, I'm really impressed at the quality of radio from the community radio sector here in Australia. I visited Bay FM in Byron Bay a few weeks ago, who had massively impressive news gathering, and 4ZZZ in Brisbane also has tremendous and unexpected programming (a fascinating computer games news show the other day). 4ZZZ appears to directly feed the local ABC with staff, and similarly many of the local ABC staff are also involved with 4ZZZ too. I've yet to hear anyone moan about ACMA, much less whine about the general unfairness of everything. Seems that people just get on and make great radio, with the same lack of resource as the UK manages on, by the way.




--
Martyn Haynes
Director

101.8 WCR FM
www.wcrfm.com<http://www.wcrfm.com>

Wolverhampton Community Radio Training (WCRT)
Newhampton Centre
Wolverhampton
WV1 4AP
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