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An excellent move Steve, but a pity there was nothing in it about requiring Ofcom to re-address the problem that 20% of the UK population inside the M25 will effectively be deprived of Community Radio; as the Regulator maintains that there are only two FM and a few impracticable AM freqiencies available for all the potential Community radio stations which could be put in place.<BR>
I am astounded that everyone appears to accept this dictum when there is plenty of evidence - provided to an extent buy the hoardes of illegal broadcasters currently active in the UK - that it is not so.<BR>
Ian Hickling<BR>
Partner<BR>
transplan UK<BR> <BR>> Date: Thu, 16 Jul 2009 18:44:20 +0100<BR>> From: p.lewis@londonmet.ac.uk<BR>> To: sbuckley@gn.apc.org<BR>> CC: cma-l@commedia.org.uk<BR>> Subject: Re: [cma-l] Community Radio Fund - open letter to PM<BR>> <BR>> Dear Steve<BR>> <BR>> A very good letter. Please add my name to it.<BR>> <BR>> If you feel the need to do any redrafting in the light of responses from <BR>> others, could you think about the point I made in the letter the <BR>> Guardian published recently <BR>> (http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/jul/01/letters-fund-local-news) <BR>> that other Departments of Government should be required to contribute to <BR>> the CRF since CR touches on so many other agendas across the board. The <BR>> original inter-Departmental steering group for the Canadian Challenge <BR>> for Change programme is a good model.<BR>> <BR>> Incidentally, if there are other college and university lecturers on the <BR>> list reading this, I am very much in a minority in pressing this point <BR>> within the MeCCSA Policy Network. (Media Communications and Cultural <BR>> Studies Association). Most are occupied with defending the BBC against <BR>> top-slicing. If any MeCCSA member wants to join me in proposing a panel <BR>> to debate CR issues in the next Annual Conference at the LSE, JAnuary <BR>> 2010, please get in touch.<BR>> <BR>> <BR>> Peter M. Lewis<BR>> Senior Lecturer in Community Media<BR>> Department of Applied Social Sciences<BR>> London Metropolitan University<BR>> Ladbroke House<BR>> 62-66 Highbury Grove<BR>> London N5 2AD<BR>> <BR>> <BR>> <BR>> <BR>> <BR>> Steve Buckley wrote:<BR>> > Dear all<BR>> > <BR>> > It is five years ago today, that the House of <BR>> > Lords passed the Community Radio Order 2004 <BR>> > http://bit.ly/11voFK with the Order coming into force on 20 July 2004.<BR>> > <BR>> > It seems a fitting time to remind the government <BR>> > of some unfinished business - that is the <BR>> > woefully inadequate Community Radio Fund - and to <BR>> > support the CMA's efforts to keep this issue on <BR>> > the agenda. As a volunteer and director of <BR>> > community radio licence holder, Sheffield Live!, <BR>> > I am painfully aware of the gap between what we <BR>> > could achieve and what we do achieve as a result <BR>> > of the lack of adequate funding for the sector.<BR>> > <BR>> > So, to mark the occasion, I have drafted an open <BR>> > letter to the Prime Minister to be signed by and <BR>> > sent on behalf of community radio stations and their supporters.<BR>> > <BR>> > If you would like to join in signing this letter, <BR>> > please reply to me with your name and <BR>> > station/organisation affiliation (if any). If you <BR>> > feel moved to do so, why not also use the <BR>> > occasion to ask your MP to raise this issue with <BR>> > the PM. If there is sufficient interest in a <BR>> > fresh initiative on this, then we might also look <BR>> > at launching a petition, or more?<BR>> > <BR>> > Best wishes<BR>> > <BR>> > Steve<BR>> > <BR>> > //<BR>> > [draft for sign on, replies to <BR>> > sbuckley@gn.apc.org, deadline 12 noon 20 July 2009]<BR>> > <BR>> > Open letter to Prime Minister<BR>> > <BR>> > Rt Hon Gordon Brown<BR>> > Prime Minister<BR>> > 10 Downing Street<BR>> > London<BR>> > <BR>> > [date]<BR>> > <BR>> > Dear Gordon<BR>> > <BR>> > It is five years since the Community Radio Order <BR>> > 2004 came into force. The growth, since then of <BR>> > community radio has been described by Ofcom, in <BR>> > its Annual Report 2008/09, as “one of the great <BR>> > UK broadcasting success stories in the last few years”.<BR>> > <BR>> > Over 200 community radio services have been <BR>> > licensed by Ofcom since 2004. Around 150 of these <BR>> > services are “on air”, creating around 400 jobs, <BR>> > involving over 10,000 volunteers, and serving a <BR>> > potential audience of more than 10 million people.<BR>> > <BR>> > Yet this new sector is economically very <BR>> > precarious. Six stations have failed to launch, <BR>> > three have handed back their licences. Others are <BR>> > at high risk. This is not only a result of the <BR>> > recession but is a direct consequence of a failure in government policy.<BR>> > <BR>> > Community radio broadcasters, the vast majority <BR>> > unpaid volunteers, are disappointed that their <BR>> > achievement is not matched by greater government recognition and support.<BR>> > <BR>> > The Community Radio Order 2004 restricts <BR>> > community radio to a maximum 50 per cent of <BR>> > revenue from advertising and sponsorship and, in <BR>> > some locations, advertising is prohibited <BR>> > entirely. This settlement was to be complemented, <BR>> > in part, by a sizeable Community Radio Fund. The <BR>> > governments own impact assessment, in line with <BR>> > the recommendations of the Everitt Report, <BR>> > suggested the Fund would require £3-4 million per <BR>> > annum. In its first year £500,000 was provided <BR>> > and all 17 applicants were supported. Average <BR>> > grant per station was £26,119. Since then annual <BR>> > government spending commitments to the Fund have <BR>> > not increased at all. In 2008/09 the Community <BR>> > Radio Fund received 117 eligible applications, <BR>> > against which only 30 grant awards were made, <BR>> > with the average grant per station being just £14,978.<BR>> > <BR>> > To put this in context, the money available <BR>> > annually through the Community Radio Fund to <BR>> > support the operating costs of 150 community <BR>> > radio stations is less than the annual salary of <BR>> > a Radio 1 breakfast DJ. From being widely <BR>> > applauded in 2004 as a model of good practice, <BR>> > the UK settlement for community radio is now <BR>> > looking poor in comparison with many other <BR>> > western European countries. France, for example, <BR>> > provides around Euro 25 million per annum for around 600 community radios.<BR>> > <BR>> > The sums needed to put the community radio sector <BR>> > in the UK on a sustainable long term footing are <BR>> > modest by comparison with the government’s <BR>> > separate proposals for investment in local news <BR>> > consortia, the objectives of which can partly be <BR>> > met by the provision of news and information <BR>> > services on community radio stations.<BR>> > <BR>> > We are aware the Department of Culture Media and <BR>> > Sport is currently conducting a review into the <BR>> > Community Radio Order 2004. Alongside that review <BR>> > must also be a serious commitment to support the <BR>> > sustainability and development of community radio <BR>> > and its continuing delivery of social and <BR>> > economic benefit, by substantially increasing the <BR>> > government's public spending contribution to the Community Radio Fund.<BR>> > <BR>> > Yours<BR>> > <BR>> > <BR>> > <BR>> > <BR>> > <BR>> > <BR>> > <BR>> > <BR>> > _______________________________________________<BR>> > <BR>> > cma-l mailing list - cma-l@commedia.org.uk<BR>> > <BR>> > Community Media Association - www.commedia.org.uk<BR>> > _______________________________________________<BR>> > <BR>> > To manage your mailing list subscription please visit:<BR>> > http://mailman.commedia.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/cma-l<BR>> > <BR>> <BR>> <BR>> Companies Act 2006 : http://www.londonmet.ac.uk/companyinfo<BR>> <BR>> <BR>> _______________________________________________<BR>> <BR>> cma-l mailing list - cma-l@commedia.org.uk<BR>> <BR>> Community Media Association - www.commedia.org.uk<BR>> _______________________________________________<BR>> <BR>> To manage your mailing list subscription please visit:<BR>> http://mailman.commedia.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/cma-l<BR></body>
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