no sooner than I send a buzzy response to the report than it's pointed out to me that the numbers dont make for good reading - falling income, big spread between the thriving and the not-so-thriving etc...<br><br>so if I may qualify my previous ebullience...<br>
<br>It's tough out there and its going to get tougher - all the more reason to celebrate our achievements, work together and prove our worth...<br><br>[phew - feel better for that]<br><br>bests<br><br>Phil<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">
On 18 November 2010 10:12, CMA-L <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:cma-l@commedia.org.uk">cma-l@commedia.org.uk</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding-left: 1ex;">
Source: <a href="http://media.ofcom.org.uk/2010/11/18/small-stations-bring-big-benefits-for-local-communities/" target="_blank">http://media.ofcom.org.uk/2010/11/18/small-stations-bring-big-benefits-for-local-communities/</a><br>
<br>
Around 11 million people are now able to tune into community radio<br>
stations across the UK. This figure is up 17% year-on-year and an<br>
increase of more than a third (36%) since 2008, according to a new<br>
report by Ofcom.<br>
<br>
The Community Radio Annual Report provides a snapshot of community<br>
radio in the UK, which reveals a flourishing sector. Since the first<br>
station went live five years ago, a new community radio station has<br>
launched, on average, every 10 days. Today, a record 181 community<br>
stations are broadcasting and another 30 are preparing to take to the<br>
airwaves.<br>
<br>
Community radio stations typically cover a small geographical area<br>
with a coverage radius of up to 5km and are run on a not-for-profit<br>
basis. They serve a wide range of communities, targeting diverse<br>
audiences from rural to inner city areas with content ranging from<br>
community news and information to religious issues to experimental<br>
music and RnB, for example.<br>
<br>
Ofcom Chief Executive, Ed Richards, said: “The Community Radio Annual<br>
Report provides an encouraging picture of the state of community radio<br>
in the UK. In general, it’s been a challenging few years for the radio<br>
sector. Community radio has shared these challenges. Despite this, it<br>
continues to deliver local content and other community benefits. It is<br>
a genuine success story, and a great credit to the thousands of<br>
volunteers and enthusiasts that make it happen.”<br>
2 million hours of volunteering<br>
<br>
All stations involve volunteers in various jobs, including as<br>
presenters. The average station reports the involvement of around 75<br>
volunteers over a year. Across the industry more than 40,000 volunteer<br>
hours are spent each week producing more than 15,000 hours of original<br>
radio output. Ofcom estimates that, with over 180 stations on air,<br>
volunteers currently contribute more than 2 million hours per year to<br>
community radio.<br>
<br>
Chris Jones from Harborough FM in Market Harborough said: “One of the<br>
most satisfying achievements is watching people who initially came to<br>
us with little or no broadcasting experience being transformed into<br>
very competent community radio broadcasters.”<br>
Diverse audiences<br>
<br>
A large number of community radio stations provide services for minority groups.<br>
<br>
For example, Diverse FM in Luton broadcasts in community languages<br>
such as Bengali, Hindi, Gujarati, Urdu, Pahari, Polish, Arabic,<br>
Swahili and Patwa.<br>
<br>
Ashuk Ahmed at Diverse FM said: “Communities are offered radio slots<br>
to broadcast dedicated programmes, enabling them to ‘have a voice’ by<br>
raising issues that are relevant to them and promote better<br>
understanding of each other’s culture, religion and issues … this has<br>
brought about better community cohesion, enabling celebration of<br>
cultural diversity and understanding.”<br>
<br>
Several stations also provide services for rural communities, such as<br>
Tempo FM in Wetherby (West Yorkshire). “The station provides a much<br>
appreciated “Voice for Wetherby” to the considerable benefit of the<br>
community, on a very limited budget,” said Stuart Robinson from Tempo<br>
FM. “Creating a new focus for the area through the medium of radio, by<br>
linking the various communities within the associated towns has been a<br>
great achievement.”<br>
Social gain<br>
<br>
In addition to providing unique content, community radio stations<br>
deliver wide benefits to people in the areas in which they broadcast.<br>
This includes offering training and work experience opportunities,<br>
contributions to local education and providing a voice to those, such<br>
as older people or speakers of minority languages, who may find it<br>
harder to access the media.<br>
<br>
Rob Green from Halton Community Radio in Runcorn (Cheshire) said: “Our<br>
station reaches parts of the community that other stations and<br>
community groups cannot reach; for example the house-bound and<br>
severely disabled. Without the station they would not be able to<br>
participate in local discussions and debate. This was the main aim of<br>
the station and we are proud that we have managed to achieve this.”<br>
<br>
shmuFM in Aberdeen has worked with a range of partners to create a<br>
full-time training programme for prison inmates including the<br>
production of programmes for broadcast on the community radio station.<br>
Murray Dawson from shmuFM said: “The scheme has provided<br>
encouragement, motivation and support to prisoners who continue to<br>
develop their skills, post release, which has contributed towards a<br>
break in their cycle of re-offending.”<br>
<br>
The full report is available here:<br>
<br>
<a href="http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/broadcasting/radio/community/annual-reports/09-10/" target="_blank">http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/broadcasting/radio/community/annual-reports/09-10/</a><br>
<br>
\\<br>
<br>
Community Media Association<br>
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</blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>Phil Korbel<br>Director<br>0161 237 5454<br><br>Radio Regen is a community, media and urban regeneration charity <br>A company limited by guarantee and registered in England and Wales No. 3753832 <br>
Registered office: 12 Hilton Street, Manchester, M1 1JF <br>Registered Charity No. 1077763 <br><a href="http://www.radioregen.org">www.radioregen.org</a><br><a href="http://www.communityradiotoolkit.net">www.communityradiotoolkit.net</a><br>
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