<div dir="ltr">The Community Media Association (CMA) welcomed the House of Commons approval of the Community Radio (Amendment) Order 2015 that was finally signed off in the last hours of Parliament last week.<br><div><span class="im"><br>The CMA commends the following significant improvements:<br><ul><li>the provision for holders of a community radio licence to extend their licence twice.</li><li>the
provision to allow one organisation to be the holder of a local digital
television programme service licence as well as to hold a community
radio licence.</li><li>the provision to allow certain community radio
stations to receive income from the taking of remunerated advertising or
sponsorship of their programming output that were previously prevented
from doing so.</li></ul>The legislation will allow 25 stations that were
previously prevented from receiving advertising and sponsorship
revenues to receive up to £15,000. <br><br>The 200 other community radio
stations will be permitted to earn an additional £15,000 in advertising
or programme sponsorship before the "50% rule" (which limits a
station's income to not more than 50% from one source) applies.<br><br>The community radio sector is delighted with Ed Vaizey's remarks that "community radio remains an
unequivocal success" and that "community radio should be one of the key
priorities for the next Broadcast Minister to look at" in the next
Government.<br><br></span><span class="im">Dom Chambers, Chair of The Community Media Association says:<br><br></span><div style="margin-left:40px"><span class="im">“I
am really pleased that the Community Radio Order amendment has passed
through Parliament. From the outset the CMA has worked hard for the
interests of community broadcasters and it is great that DCMS so
positively took on our feedback when drawing up the Order. It will make a
big difference to some of our members ability to deliver media with
positive social impact. It is not offering overall solutions to the
challenges faced by our broadcast sector but it is a good start as we
work out how best to realise the fantastic opportunities that are out
there for community media.” </span><br></div><div style="margin-left:40px"><span class="im"></span></div><span class="im"><br></span><span class="im">However the CMA remains disappointed that the
Community Radio (Amendment) Order did not go further and permit all
stations to raise at least 50% of their revenue through advertising and
sponsorship. We see no reason why all community radio stations should
not operate on the same playing field.<br><br>Additionally, the
Community Radio Fund remains inadequate and while the community radio
sector has declined in income and viability, Government has, in recent
years, allocated £40m to the development of local digital TV services - a
disparity which community radio licensees consider to be grossly
insupportable.<br><br></span>The single most important change that Government
could make to the vigour and sustainability of the community radio sector and to its
delivery of public benefit, would be to significantly increase the size
of the Community Radio Fund in line with the 2003 Everitt report.<br><br></div><span class="im">The
CMA looks forward to working with the next Government to ensure a
better deal for community radio to enable the sector to continue
delivering positive social gain.<div class="gmail_extra"><br></div></span><div class="gmail_extra"><b>Notes for Editors:</b><br><br>1. The Community Radio (Amendment) Order 2015 amends the Community
Radio Order 2004 (S.I. 2004/1944).<br><br>2. The Community Media Association (CMA) is a non-profit making organisation founded in 1983 to support
community radio whose remit has expanded to include community
television and community-based Internet projects. The CMA represents the
community media sector to Government, industry and the regulatory bodies.<br><br>3.
Ed Vaizey MP was appointed Minister of State at the Department for
Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for Business, Innovation and
Skills, with responsibility for digital industries on 15 July 2014. He
is the Conservative MP for Wantage and Didcot.<br><br>4. In respect of the licensing of community radio services, all community radio licensees must satisfy 'characteristics
of service' requirements which are specified in Article 3 of the
Community Radio Order 2004. The characteristics of community radio
services are:
<ul type="disc"><li>That they are local services provided primarily for
the good of members of the public, or of particular communities, and in
order to deliver social gain, rather than primarily for commercial
reasons or for the financial or other material gain of the individuals
involved in providing the service;</li><li>That the service is intended primarily to serve one or more
communities (whether or not it also serves other members of the public);</li><li>That the person providing the service does not do so in order to
make a financial profit by so doing, and uses any profit that is
produced in the provision of the service wholly and exclusively for
securing or improving the future provision of the service, or for the
delivery of social gain to members of the public or the community that
the service is intended to serve;</li><li>That members of the community it is intended to serve are given
opportunities to participate in the operation and management of the
service;</li><li>That, in respect of the provision of that service, the person
providing the service makes himself accountable to the community that
the service is intended to serve.</li></ul><p>ENDS</p><p>\\<br></p></div><div><div class="gmail_signature">Community Media Association<br>-- <br><a href="http://www.commedia.org.uk/" target="_blank">http://www.commedia.org.uk/</a><br><a href="http://twitter.com/community_media" target="_blank">http://twitter.com/community_media</a><br><a href="https://www.facebook.com/CommunityMediaAssociation" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/CommunityMediaAssociation</a><br><br>Canstream Internet Radio & Video<br><a href="http://www.canstream.co.uk/" target="_blank">http://www.canstream.co.uk/</a><br><a href="https://twitter.com/canstream" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/canstream</a></div></div>
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