<html>
<head>
<style><!--
.hmmessage P
{
margin:0px;
padding:0px
}
body.hmmessage
{
font-size: 10pt;
font-family:Tahoma
}
--></style>
</head>
<body class='hmmessage'>
<BR>
Mark<BR>
There is no "5km Rule"<BR>
There never has been!<BR>The 5km is a suggestion for what the usual Community Radio station should aim for.<BR>
The criterion has always been - as I have said so many times - that it is up to you as the Applicant to identify your target audience and to tell Ofcom how you proposed to cover it.<BR>
Just a few have done that and have been allocated the coverage they want<BR>
If you can't or don't do that, then you really have no-one to blame but yourself.<BR>
And similarly, if you don't get someone who understands propagation to guide you and prepare your technical submission, you're asking for trouble because you most likely won't cover your desired audience and you therefore won't be able to command the kind of revenue you'll need to stay in business after your set-up funding has gone.<BR>
The vast majority of the 190-odd CRs on air at the moment are in this situation and Ofcom currently has said "no chance" for anyone wanting clearance to upgrade transmission.<BR>
It has to be said also that the money to put in a sensible transmission system that will do the trick usually isn't made available at the start and that's the other reason why stations are suffering.<BR>
I know of one recently that spent £900 on three mic arms and then decided that it couldn't afford a processor.<BR>
Crazy!<BR>
<BR>
If you mean asking for more power, then that's quite a different matter from your "5km Rule", but Ofcom will still give you exactly the same message for a long time to come.<BR><BR>
<HR id=stopSpelling>
From: markianpolden@hotmail.com<BR>To: phil@somersetfilm.com; cma-l@commedia.org.uk<BR>Date: Fri, 24 Dec 2010 08:25:33 +0000<BR>Subject: Re: [cma-l] Happy Christmas and future thoughts for CMA<BR><BR>
<META name=Generator content="Microsoft SafeHTML">
<STYLE>
.ExternalClass .ecxhmmessage P
{padding:0px;}
.ExternalClass body.ecxhmmessage
{font-size:10pt;font-family:Tahoma;}
</STYLE>
Hi All
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>From our point of view, it is great the swing that CMA has with ofcom.</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>We would like to propose a task for CMA, it is this.</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>To tackle the 5km rule for community radio and seek a seperate definition for "community of special interest" radio stations which does not involve the 5km rule</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>We believe that this needs to be done before round three applications are sought i.e. within the next three months</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>I have been seconded by our management to attend CMA meetings</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>Phil - Where is the Jan 29 meeting</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>Mark Polden</DIV>
<DIV>Flame CCR</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><BR><BR>Date: Thu, 23 Dec 2010 18:18:31 +0000<BR>From: phil@somersetfilm.com<BR>To: cma-l@commedia.org.uk<BR>Subject: [cma-l] Happy Christmas and future thoughts for CMA<BR><BR><PRE>Hi members and friends<BR> <BR>Happy Christmas and a great New Year to all!<BR> <BR>This has been a challenging year for most of us in different ways and the<BR>signs are that it won't get much easier anytime soon. However the good<BR>news is that thanks to the hard work of our great staff and the support of<BR>members, CMA is holding its own and continuing to punch above its weight on<BR>many fronts. <BR> <BR>We are far from complacent however and right now Council is looking at the<BR>best ways forward for the organisation into 2011-12 and beyond. We need<BR>your input into this debate.<BR> <BR>* Three of the main questions are: what are the key characteristics of our<BR>sector? what does the sector need? - and - what can the CMA feasibly offer?<BR> <BR>Some of the answers to these questions are obvious of course - like lots of<BR>us (but by no means all) run radio stations, like we need more money and<BR>higher profile for example! Others may not be so clear.<BR> <BR>We've found it useful to go back to our Charter and to ask if it remains fit<BR>for purpose. The answer in our view is primarily 'yes, the Charter<BR>continues to eloquently express what we mean by community media and what the<BR>important principles are that inform our practice'. I'm adding the<BR>wording of the Charter in full to the foot of this posting for you to<BR>review. We feel there are some details which could do with updating but<BR>only minor revisions needed. What do you think?<BR> <BR>Does everyone read and digest the charter when they sign up to the CMA? Do<BR>we all adhere to these principles in our activities? We feel it's<BR>important to go back to first principles in this way, to try and identify<BR>our USP and our collective commitment to it. We are entering an ever more<BR>complex multi platform environment in which it will be increasingly<BR>difficult to discern the provenance and intention of content. CMA and the<BR>community media sector has a stated common purpose and we need to be clear<BR>we are all signed up to the same starting point. There may well be other<BR>organisations who would also subscribe to the Charter - they are our<BR>potential partners as we seek to sustain accessible platforms for the UK's<BR>rich diversity of voices to be heard without fear or prejudice.<BR> <BR>Once we all confirm that we have the starting point right (and I know this<BR>was done years back but a review process is always healthy) then there are<BR>important questions to ask about structure and strategy. Council is<BR>looking at these issues too.<BR> <BR>Our next meeting is on 29 January. I will post a weekly update on our<BR>debate through January and look forward to hearing your views as we move<BR>forward. We need your input so please give it some thought. First off,<BR>thoughts about the Charter and whether we can reference it as a kite-mark<BR>for content. A bit like Fair Trade for example. There are pros and cons<BR>for this argument but let's hear your thoughts. Many thanks.<BR> <BR>In the meantime, here's to a good festive season for all.<BR> <BR>Best wishes<BR> <BR>Phil<BR> <BR>Phil Shepherd <BR>Chair of Council<BR>Community Media Association<BR> <BR>philshep.wordpress.com<BR> <BR> **********************<BR> <BR>THE COMMUNITY MEDIA CHARTER<BR> <BR>Recognising that Community Media fosters the freedom of expression and<BR>information, the development of culture, the freedom to form and confront<BR>opinions and active participation in local life; noting that different<BR>cultures and communities lead to a diversity of forms of Community Media;<BR>this Charter identifies objectives which Community Media share and should<BR>strive to achieve: <BR> <BR>1. To promote the right to communicate, to assist the free flow of<BR>information and opinions, to encourage creative expression and to contribute<BR>to the democratic process and a pluralist society;<BR>2. To provide access to training, production and distribution facilities, to<BR>encourage local creative talent, to foster local traditions, and to provide<BR>services for the benefit, entertainment, education and development of their<BR>audience; <BR>3. To seek to have their ownership representative of local geographically<BR>recognisable communities or of communities of common interest;<BR>4. To be editorially independent of the government, commercial and religious<BR>institutions and political parties in determining their programming policy;<BR>5. To provide a right of access to minority and marginalised groups and to<BR>promote and protect cultural and linguistic diversity;<BR>6. To honestly inform their audience on the basis of information drawn from<BR>a variety of sources and to provide a right of reply to any person or<BR>organisation subject to serious misrepresentation;<BR>7. To be established as organisations which are not run with a view to<BR>profit and to ensure their independence by being financed from a variety of<BR>sources; <BR>8. To recognise and respect the contribution of volunteers, to recognise the<BR>right of paid workers to join their trade unions and provide satisfactory<BR>working conditions for both;<BR>9. To operate management, programming and employment practices which oppose<BR>discrimination and which are open and accountable to all supporters, staff<BR>and volunteers; <BR>10. To foster exchange between Community Media practitioners using<BR>communications to develop greater understanding in support of peace,<BR>tolerance, democracy and development.<BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR></PRE><BR>_______________________________________________ cma-l mailing list - cma-l@commedia.org.uk Community Media Association - www.commedia.org.uk _______________________________________________ To manage your mailing list subscription please visit: http://mailman.commedia.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/cma-l</DIV><BR>_______________________________________________ cma-l mailing list - cma-l@commedia.org.uk Community Media Association - www.commedia.org.uk _______________________________________________ To manage your mailing list subscription please visit: http://mailman.commedia.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/cma-l </body>
</html>