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<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Calibri><EM>It looks like the first sentence of my
posting got chopped off (perhaps I deserve a beheading!). It should have
started:</EM></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Calibri></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Calibri>"Sorry if I've missed Ian's point, I just
couldn't see how items 1-3 should have higher priority than item 4, since
implementing them would be part of the Station Manager's responsibility.
"</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Calibri></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Calibri>As you say Pippa, viability has to be proved from
the outset, in fact beforehand, but I would say the main need to do so
is not for the funders nor Ofcom, but to prove to yourselves there is any point
pursuing the venture at all.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Calibri></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Calibri>Any team setting out on this road has to decide
how much compromise they can make in the early days to get started with the
funding they can achieve, butof course that can be slightly chicken-amnd-egg.
One of the toughest decisions is whether to 'go for broke' and plan everything
to have full funding and high-standard facilities from the outset, and try to
find big funders, or to start 'on a shoestring' with cobbled together gear and
try to work upwards from that. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Calibri></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Calibri>I would say that at either extreme, one thing
that can't be foregone is a paid station manager (not necessarily full-time) -
but then I'm a station manager, so I would say that! Seriously, my observation
is that any micro-scale station, needs at least one person, preferably a
pair, with both personal and formal commitment to making sure
things work and develop. Ironically, the bigger the station, probably the less
important a station manager is to its success, but still a person with drive and
commitment in the lead will make all the difference.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Calibri></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Calibri>The other things I would say should not be
compromised, even on the shoestring, are the ability to maintain a proper
technical quality and reliability of transmission and programming, and of course
the ability to comply with all Ofcom requiements (eg totally reliable logging of
output). If a financially viable shoestring solution can't be found to meet
these minimum needs, then I would say the whole scheme may not be
something that can sensibly be pursued.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Calibri></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Calibri>Sadly we've now seen two Scottish Highlands and
Islands CR licencees hand back their licences after a few years of failing
to get on air at all, because in each case after legnthy internal debate the
groups decided that if they couldn't raise the funds to 'do the job
properly' from the outset, then they wouldn't do it at all. One was in a
thriving, densley populated town, the other on a lightly populated moutainous
island. Right decisions? Who knows? At least they may have saved themselves
years of tough struggle on something that was eventually going to prove
non-viable in the long term anyway.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Calibri></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Calibri>Alex</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Calibri></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Calibri></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Calibri>...</FONT></DIV></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="FONT: 10pt arial; BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=tlr@gairloch.co.uk href="mailto:tlr@gairloch.co.uk">Two Lochs
Radio</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=pippa@curlyradio.com
href="mailto:pippa@curlyradio.com">pippa</A> ; <A
title=transplanfm@hotmail.com href="mailto:transplanfm@hotmail.com">Ian
Hickling</A> ; <A title=cma-l@mailman.commedia.org.uk
href="mailto:cma-l@mailman.commedia.org.uk">The Community Media Association
Discussion List</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Saturday, January 17, 2015 2:34
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [cma-l] imaging and the
announcement</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Calibri>would be part of the Station Manager's
responsibility. </FONT>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Calibri>Yes, I'd expect the station manager to do an
awful lot more of course - it wasn't meant to be an exhaustive list of a
Station Manager's responsibilities... has anyone ever got to the end of that
list? One of the problems is that generally the smaller the station, the wider
the range of the SM's direct responsibilities (but usually the lower the
pay!).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Calibri></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Calibri>As for news, in our case we see local
news as an absolutely key part of our local broadcasting - a key
differentiator for us against any other radio service available in our area,
and one of the main reasons for a sizeable proportion of our audience to tune
in (chances are quite a few tune in for the local news and weather and then
leave us again!). Producing it is probably our heaviest daily burden however -
it is time consuming and tedious to produce, day-in, day-out. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Calibri></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Calibri>For national news in daytime hours we get a 2-3
minute hourly bulletin from Glasgow. IRN/Sky News would sound completely
wrong for us in the north-west of Scotland, but the 'Glasgow and the West
Coast' bulletin of national and international news that we get fits in just
fine. During peak hours we follow the national bulletin with our local
news and weather.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Calibri></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Calibri>Alex</FONT></DIV>
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dir=ltr>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- </DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
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dir=ltr>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="FONT: 10pt arial; BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=pippa@curlyradio.com href="mailto:pippa@curlyradio.com">pippa</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=tlr@gairloch.co.uk
href="mailto:tlr@gairloch.co.uk">tlr@gairloch.co.uk</A> ; <A
title=transplanfm@hotmail.com href="mailto:transplanfm@hotmail.com">Ian
Hickling</A> ; <A title=cma-l@mailman.commedia.org.uk
href="mailto:cma-l@mailman.commedia.org.uk">The Community Media Association
Discussion List</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Saturday, January 17, 2015 11:39
AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [cma-l] imaging and the
announcement</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>Absolutely Alex! Once you are established, great. However it's
difficult at start-up level though because you need to prove to funders
(whether commercial or 3rd sector) that you are viable before they will
stump up the cash. </DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>What else would you expect a paid Station Manager to do? For me,
getting out and networking is a must. </DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>Incidentally, I'd love to know how colleagues handle news coverage. Do
you take a national service? Follow it up with local news snd weather?
Or is everything done in house? </DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>Loving these conversations! Together we are stronger!</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>Pippa</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV style="COLOR: #575757; FONT-SIZE: 75%">Sent from Samsung
Mobile</DIV></DIV><BR><BR><BR>-------- Original message --------<BR>From:
tlr@gairloch.co.uk <BR>Date: 17/01/2015 11:10 (GMT+00:00) <BR>To:
pippa@curlyradio.com,Ian Hickling <transplanfm@hotmail.com>,The
Community Media Association Discussion List
<cma-l@mailman.commedia.org.uk> <BR>Subject: Re: [cma-l] imaging and
the announcement <BR><BR><BR>
<DIV>But if you put your number 4 as number 1 instead, all the rest should
then be taken care of! :-) </DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>Alex </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="POSITION: relative; BORDER-LEFT: blue 1px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 10px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0px"
type="cite">On 16 January 2015 at 21:09 Ian Hickling
<transplanfm@hotmail.com> wrote: <BR><BR>
<DIV dir=ltr>After having built over 40 stations but not actually ever had
the pleasure of running one for more than 28 days, I'd prioritise in a
different order:
<DIV>
<OL>
<LI><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Calibri">Professional imaging – so you
sound to your audience like a proper radio. </SPAN>
<LI><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Calibri">A superb website featuring a
listen again service and links with social media</SPAN>
<LI><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Calibri">Make your ads in house by all
means, but make very sure they sound professional.</SPAN>
<LI><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Calibri">A full time paid Station Manager
who runs the business professionally and effectively.</SPAN>
<LI>Think carefully about News - go for local - don't bother with
national. </LI></OL>
<DIV>Whisky Mac for me please! </DIV>
<DIV>Ian </DIV></DIV></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE>
<DIV></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
<HR>
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