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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-GB link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>Dear All<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I know the final list hasn’t yet been tweaked but I have a suggestion and a few observations to make.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I have made my feelings known over the years regarding what ought to be done at Conference and what ought not be done, so I don’t really want to trawl over that again, however I do feel that this year in-particularly is very important. We have our first Radio awards, grants are drying up, the situation is actually one step worse than that according to latest barrage on the message board confirming that half of the funders out there haven’t a clue who we are or what we do.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>To be honest, I have gone around the block so many times over the past 14 years that I don’t think I know either !?<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Time to get back onto the straight and narrow and back on-piste.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Inviting people from Local BBC / Regions and other big doofers in the Radio Industry is all well and good, and I am sure they have knowledge, wisdom and experience, but will they be educating us on how we can improve and make Community Radio better and more sustainable ? if not, then what is the point ? I know for a fact that if you added up the wages of the three folk who are meant to be coming, with that amount of money I could run our Station for two years and still have enough money left over to take a dozen of our Volunteers on a two weeks jolly to the Maldives.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I apologise now for possibly sounding rude, but I have to admit that I have no intention of sitting through hours and hours of waffle from so called BBC experts if it has no bearing on what we are trying to achieve. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Can I ask through this column please as to whether any of our chaps are speaking ?? for instance I do know that over the past three years Dom Chambers has been traveling the length and breadth of the Country gathering information up from various Stations. He came here 2 years ago --- he has recently been in Galashields and Erewash (I think ?) I know Dom isn’t on the CMA Board and is part of the CRF, however, the goals and end results are the same, so would it not make sense to invite him to speak ??? I’m sure he has lots to tell and share with us about ourselves. With a good question and answers we may as a team be able to pick some holes in issues. We most certainly will not be able to do it listening to folk who know nothing about us, were born with a silver spoon in their mouth and are on cheers easy street.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I think it is time we started to rock and roll and get bopping to the correct tune ….. our tune.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I am aware that I sometimes come across as the Dennis Skinner of Community Radio, but in my defence I believe I only say it as it is.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The awards are coming …. The ‘other’ awards appear to have stalled, fallen over and then skidded and slid back down the slope faster than a greased Pig ?? perhaps the entry fee was too much ??? dunno ? So yes, we have lots and lots to celebrate and I look forward to applauding all our winners, achievers and have a goers ……… but let us not get carried away or be complacent there are lots of things STILL not right, and we won’t change them sitting on our backsides listening to irrelevant hot-air.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The conference this time ought to be a call to action and a Plan B.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I wish listen to Dom Chambers, Phil Korbel, Bill /Martin / Lucinda etc etc not BBC / Commercial Radio wallers ….. unless of course they come at it from a different angle. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>BTW I don’t need a complimentary drink from PPL/PRS I’ll buy my own thanks.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>H Dumpty Esq<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>