<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)"><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0cm;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
mso-fareast-language:EN-US;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#0563C1;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#954F72;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
mso-fareast-language:EN-US;}
@page WordSection1
{size:612.0pt 792.0pt;
margin:72.0pt 72.0pt 72.0pt 72.0pt;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-GB link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>Hi Guys<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Community Radio must be the only sector that has to operate with one sometimes two hands ties behind its back. The BBC is funded through the taxpayer. For that reason do not need to operate in a commercial sector. Yet they pay through the nose for staff on their national networks. A report recently showing what they pay presenters on their national network meant that by saving a couple of staff on there would probably fund the Community sector for a year or more. Commercial Radio can go out and sell air-time and sponsorship to their hearts content.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Then there is us, the Community Radio Sector. Restrictions on the advertising (is there any other sector in and out of radio where you are penalised for being successful). Having to chase funding to keep you station sustainable. If we can only make 51% the why don’t we pay 51% music fees?<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Everyone from councillors, to government ministers praises the work done by Community Radio and say how the value it. If that is true then it’s about time they started to work on a mechanism to fund Community Radio fairly, even if this is basic funding.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I am not calling for stations to be fully funded like the BBC, nice as that would be. However we should at least be treated fairly and with basic level funding it would be up to us then go out as we do already to make our station both successful and serve our community.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>This is not about a hand outs for me, it’s about fair funding for a sector that adds real value in so many ways. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Jeff Martin –Erewash Sound<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div></body></html>