[CMA_Radioforum] send me your MP's names!

[Nicky Edmonds]

Hello Access Radio Groups,

It was very good to meet everyone who could make it yesterday. I found it
very inspiring to meet you all and to find out more about the progress of
the different groups so far. I hope everyone who was there also found both
meetings useful.

I will be writing up the notes from the access radio forum meeting very
soon. Meanwhile however, I've just heard today that Tony Lloyd MP for
Central Manchester has tabled an Early Day Motion (EDM) supporting Access
Radio. The text of the EDM is at the bottom of this email.

For those not up on arcane parliamentary procedures, an EDM is a way of
registering MPs views on particular subjects. It doesn't lead to a debate,
but it is a good way of gauging the mood of the house.
It's basically a numbers game- the more MPs we persuade to sign up, the more
support it will appear that access radio and community media generally has.

All that the MPs have to do is send a signed piece of paper into a central
office and this will be registered. There is an excellent database of EDMs
and which MPs have signed up at  http://edm.ais.co.uk/.  Some MPs are not
eligible to sign for EDMs however including Ministers and PPS's (
Parliamentary Private Secretaries)

Centrally at CMA we are planning a two part campaign. First we are
concentrating on MPs with a particular interest in community media.  This
obviously includes all those MPs lucky enough to have an access radio
station in their constituency. It  would be very useful if you could send me
the names of any MPs that you have already had contact with, or who serve
the areas that you will be broadcasting in. I will then be able to send them
a personalised letter asking them to sign the EDM.

It would be very effective if you could also contact your MPs and ask them
to sign. In the next few days I will  email out a draft letter that you can
use as a basis to contact your own MPs if you wish.

Th second part of the campaign will be much broader, as we will involve all
CMA members, including those who applied for an access radio license but
were unsuccessful.

Our target is to have as many MPs as possible -at least 200 -(and I dream of
300!) signed up by August 2nd, the end of the consultation period for the
communications bill.

I hope this is clear! Please give me a ring on 0114 279 5219 if you've got
any questions or email me on nicky at commedia.org.uk

Best wishes
Nicky


The text of the EDM

Please return to the Table Office

Access Radio

That this House

welcomes the launch of the first "access radio" services licensed by the
Radio Authority and serving Manchester, Bradford, Havant and Stoke on Trent,
Belfast, Leicester, Nottingham, Pontypridd and Central Glasgow; notes that
local and community television services are being pioneered under licenses
from the Independent Television Commission; recognises the important
contribution community media can make to social inclusion, neighbourhood
renewal, citizens' participation, local democracy and lifelong learning;
calls on the Government to include specific measures for the further growth
and development of community media which would include distinct licensing
arrangements based on clear public service obligations, reservation of
broadcast spectrum, guaranteed access to cable channels; and further calls
on the Government to establish a new Community Media Fund to help finance
start-up, development and operating costs.


SIGNATURE: ______________________  NAME:_____________________



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