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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>OK Chaps here we go with the
Atomic Bomb !<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>As in all walks of life, you will always
get a minority spoiling it for the majority. Don’t take that too
literally even though we are talking here of a quarter of Stations. I can see
where this is now heading .. it is heading towards the amber lights that I have
been flagging up for ten years. I shall stand tall and be extremely arrogant
and point out that everyone will have to do it the way I have said since day
dot as the system is unworkable and is a debacle. This was apparent after 2
years, but of course the Ostrich walked onto the stage and buried it’s
head in the sand !<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>You may find that the other three quarters
of Stations are fulfilling the Commitments but they are jumping through hoops,
not having a good time of it, something that is meant to be enjoyable and a
nicety is actually a challenge beyond belief and that spinning 35 plates doesn’t
last forever and some start falling off. Most Stations tend to have one or two
stalwarts (mugs I think the word is) you know the ones, if they were a
Sunday Football team, they would wash the strips, put the nets up, collect the
subs, mark out the pitch in the pouring rain, organise the transport etc etc
these are ones who look like the walking dead, completely burnt out, now on
their fourth lap and of course extremely frustrated with the powers that be who
refuse to take the blinkers off.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>I am going to defend at least a half of
the quarter of Stations who are not ticking the boxes … they will be
genuine, and I bet at the root of a lot of the problems is :-<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><font
size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:navy'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>1)<font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></font></span></span></font><![endif]><font
size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:navy'>Lack of funding<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><font
size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:navy'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>2)<font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></font></span></span></font><![endif]><font
size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:navy'>Lack of PUBLIC FUNDING (grants etc)<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><font
size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:navy'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>3)<font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></font></span></span></font><![endif]><font
size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:navy'>Lack of available time to actually run the projects as time is
money, time builds up if you do not have that designated ‘EXTRA’
person to carry out the tasks<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><font
size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:navy'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>4)<font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></font></span></span></font><![endif]><font
size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:navy'>Radio Fund a complete and total utter shambles both re :- the
amount and the way it is distributed<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><font
size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:navy'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>5)<font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></font></span></span></font><![endif]><font
size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:navy'>Extra applications, extra bureaucracy re:- reporting and applying
for funding from the Radio Fund, bearing in mind that when Ofcom say ‘’sorry
your application has failed on this occasion and maybe the next and the next
and the next that actually amounts to 4 applications so it is an extra 4 plates
spinning.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><font
size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:navy'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>6)<font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></font></span></span></font><![endif]><font
size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:navy'>Listen to what I am saying / shouting / ranting ……
people are spending all their time doing things they are not meant to be doing,
and the things they are meant to be doing they can’t do because they a mithering
around with the nonsense.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>50% rule = more bureaucracy No
on-air advertising under the 150,000 bench mark for the apparent small
commercials (which incidently don’t exist, they are just a well thought
up myth ! DCMS hoodwinked !) = more headaches more bureaucracy. Decent hard
working, caring, doing their best volunteers being hauled up in front of Ofcom
because they happen to have gathered a measly £500 quid via a half way house
some could argue an on-air advert, and still we have Stations like Tudno and
Bay struggling along on no on-air adverts ????? bizarre to say the least and
barmy !<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>IT’S A DISGRACE, and I am very very
angry & frustrated about all of it. I also won’t walk away when the
going is tough, I will see this through as the British Bulldog has dug in !<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>I’ll tell you what …. put me
in a room with the DCMS and the Politicians and watch the argument. Yes it will
be an argument not perhaps a discussion and see who wins. They will lose the
argument because the whole system is flawed. They can throw as many ‘’ah
buts’’ at me as they wish, I will shoot the lot down in flames.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Advertising revenue ought to be just
enough so that people can operate on a Not-for-Profit manner (no divies, no
shareholders, no bonuses) just charitable and not-for-profit and simply run
the ‘end result’ which is a Local Radio Station sounding good
within it’s own parameters.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>I do not want anything to go wrong for
Commercial Radio, there is room for everyone … perhaps if we could
advertise properly the Community Stations could work more closely with the
Commercials and have shared Packages … this way everyone wins. They get
75% we get 25% and the reach of listeners is two fold. Working together not
against each other ….<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>A Radio Fund that can fund every Station
to the tune of about £19,000 every year EVERYONE RECEIVING THE SAME, with
no applications, no bureaucracy, no nonsense and the rules are :-<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>1) With £10,000 grand of it you employ a
Trainer (there’s your training and social bit fettled with lots of
happy bunnies in the Station, at the CMA, at Ofcom and the DCMS)<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>2) With the other £9,000 for a part-time
sales person / fundraiser… who if they get their skates on can up their
money to around £17,000 grand … the Station survives, maybe the trainer
becomes full-time and gets an extra tickle and we have more happy bunnies.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>The money dare NOT be used for anything
else. If Ofcom now want to rigorously enforce rules, here’s a good one
for starters and they get my backing.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Put a top limit on each Station …..
for example, we need about £80,000 grand a year to operate comfortably (we
actually operate on £50,000) don’t permit anymore unless under
extraordinary circumstances, this in itself protects the commercial sector. If
the Radio Fund was decent, we only need another three quarters and it’s
job done. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>We already have the biggest restriction of
all …….. a 25 watt / 25 watt transmitter and power limit …. Is
that not enough ?? I would argue it is more than enough. I f you want more
examples I can give them to you, but the e-mai will go on forever.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>We then have a wonderful situation with no
more aggro and angst, no more going around in circles, no Stations being hauled
up or ticked off because all the commitments are fulfilled.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>When Dom and Bill sit down with these
people at Ofcom, I would hope they will mention some of the pointers that I
have been raising over the past ten years … you also need the decision
makers there ie:- the Organ Grinders and not the Monkeeees get the DCMS
in there, ask them (no tell them) to wake up and smell the coffee, get the job
done and then we can all get on with the job in hand.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>If we carry on in the manner that we are
(re my e-mail yesterday) there won’t be any Stations left to haul up as
they will all be in the Radio Skip.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>For God sake, this is not rocket science. Do
it this way and no one needs investigating, not even Ofcom, and their job would
be easier as well. I could run this whole thing with my eyes shut.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Regards<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Nick<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Obviously Dom and Bill will put it
slightly more diplomatic than moi’ …. I’m just wondering
whether the rant might actually be the best policy now, as we’ve
virtually tried everything else. The ones who need hauling up are actually the Ministers
from both Governments over the past ten years who quite frankly have been a
complete waste of space and about as much use as an ashtray on a motorbike or a
chocolate fire guard !<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>IF after all of this Commitments are still
not being fulfilled GET SHOT of the jokers that’s it really
PERIOD !<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Thanks for reading, if of course you
managed to get to the end LOL </span></font><font size=2 color=navy
face=Wingdings><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Wingdings;color:navy'>J</span></font><font
size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:navy'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span lang=EN-US
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'>From:</span></font></b><font
size=2 face=Tahoma><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>
<st1:PersonName w:st="on">cma-l-bounces@mailman.commedia.org.uk</st1:PersonName>
[mailto:<st1:PersonName w:st="on">cma-l-bounces@mailman.commedia.org.uk</st1:PersonName>]
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>On Behalf Of </span></b>terry mechan<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> 18 November 2014 12:09<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> <st1:PersonName w:st="on">The
Community Media Association Discussion List</st1:PersonName><br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> Re: [cma-l] Ofcom to
investigate over 50 community radio stations</span></font><span lang=EN-US><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face=Calibri><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Calibri;color:black'>Who is investigating
OFCOM?<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face=Calibri><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Calibri;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face=Calibri><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Calibri;color:black'>terrymechan.com <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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color=black face=Calibri><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Calibri;
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<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><font size=2 color=black
face=Calibri><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Calibri;color:black'>Dom
Chambers, Chair of the Community Media Association:</span></font><font
color=black face=Calibri><span style='font-family:Calibri;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<div style='margin-left:30.0pt'>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Calibri><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Calibri;color:black'>“It is a matter
of great concern that around one quarter of community radio licensees are being
investigated by the regulator in the area of key commitments. I know what
extraordinary levels of social impact are achieved in our sector so we need to
analyse where there are shortfalls in getting that information back to the
licence regulator. Ofcom investigations can be very demoralising to those
operating from a volunteer base. I am also concerned at the length of time it
has taken for these investigations to come to light nor that this was brought
up in our last quarterly meeting. As one who has filed five annual returns on
behalf of a licensee I very much look forward to discussing this situation with
Ofcom as CMA chair when we attend our next meeting in December.”</span></font><font
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