<html>
<head>
<style><!--
.hmmessage P
{
margin:0px;
padding:0px
}
body.hmmessage
{
font-size: 12pt;
font-family:Calibri
}
--></style></head>
<body class='hmmessage'><div dir='ltr'>Following Ofcom's recent updating of its CR Timetable:<div><a href="http://licensing.ofcom.org.uk/radio-broadcast-licensing/community-radio/apply-for-licence/timetable" target="_blank">http://licensing.ofcom.org.uk/radio-broadcast-licensing/community-radio/apply-for-licence/timetable</a></div><div>- here's a relevant train of thought.</div><div>I was in South London on Friday, where we are building new studios for an International broadcaster, when I had to move my car at about 2 o'clock so that others could leave the rather small car park.<br>I put the radio on while I was waiting and found 8 strong illegal broadcasters within a few seconds - most of which I recognised from my own and others' previous scans as regular offenders.</div><div>Why are they still there - in some cases for well over a decade?<br>Because in Ofcom's judgement they aren't actually damaging any licensed transmissions.<br>Which means in essence that they are occupying frequencies which are available for legitimate use,<br>So as Ofcom is going to be inviting Applications soon for CRs within the M25, what is it going to be saying about FM availability?<br>Is this not a God-given opportunity to give illegal broadcasters a final chance to become legitimate or be wiped out?<br>The phrase "Hunted Down to Extinction" is the one I'd like to use.<br>Ofcom has precise and efficient detection equipment at Baldock and elsewhere, has all these illegal operators documented, knows where they are - and in many cases knows the identity of individual perpetrators.<br>It is also relatively simple to locate their transmitters and identify their supporters, funders and advertisers.<br>Let's have a proper effective campaign to tell illegal broadcasters in London to Shape Up or Ship Out.<br>It doesn't require any action by Parliament or any new legislation - just the enforcement of the Laws we have in place already to remove offenders by the people who are tasked with doing that.<br>We have ANPR units that automatically identify and deal with vehicles without road tax and insurance that are cheating us and the Government out of valuable revenue - so why not a similar process for these perpetual and equally dangerous law-breakers?<br>I'm going to put this formally to Government, to the DCMS and to Ofcom.</div><div>Who's with me?</div><div><br><div><div style="color:rgb(34, 34, 34);font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:12.8000001907349px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:1;word-spacing:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="3"><b>Ian Hickling</b><br></font></div><font style="color:rgb(34, 34, 34);font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:1;word-spacing:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);font-size:12pt;" size="3"><font style="color:rgb(34, 34, 34);background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);">Partner</font></font><br><br><a href="http://www.transplanuk.com/" target="_blank" style="color:rgb(17, 85, 204);"><img alt="" src="https://ci4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/2SkDsnIzSZgRbNnNKBSiwxiFhFQWRGV55mTjVL23fulnJpstZmYxeKrrYefY4qxiSgkMrAETld64XINLXCsujE_zI5gAsQyWeCWvHixcrNYtar3Sij4YlVBgN2NSQ-n2DsgZvrnpWZlfwCQ=s0-d-e1-ft#http://www.transplanuk.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/transplan_UK_weblogo_190x60.png"></a><div style="color:rgb(34, 34, 34);font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:12.8000001907349px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:1;word-spacing:0px;"><i><font size="3">Office: 01635 578435 (7am-11pm UK time)</font></i></div><div style="color:rgb(34, 34, 34);font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:12.8000001907349px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:1;word-spacing:0px;"><i><font size="3">Carphone: 07530 980115 (only responds when driving)</font></i></div><div style="color:rgb(34, 34, 34);font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:12.8000001907349px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:1;word-spacing:0px;"><i><font size="3">6 Horn Street, Compton, NEWBURY, RG20 6QS</font></i></div></div></div> </div></body>
</html>