[comradio-l] Exmouth's radio station pressures government

[CMA-L]

Original: http://bit.ly/1lfMc0

Exmouth's Bay FM has joined forces with 82 stations from all round the
country in appealing to Gordon Brown to do more to back community
radio.

Campaigners including Bay FM founders Andy and Julie Green argue that
local stations like Bay FM are integral to community cohesion - one of
the Government's mantras.

And they say Government sound-bites should be backed with increased
funding and a relaxation of the rules that prevent stations from
raising cash.

In June Bay FM went cap in hand to the town council in their bid to
buy a licence to become Exmouth's first a fully-fledged radio station,
after a series of successful 'test' broadcasts.

But despite support from councillors the finance committee were unable
to pledge their financial support - partially because of the
prohibitively high cost a full licence.

A Government community radio fund was set up in 2004 - but Mr Green
said that not only had the initial £500,000 funding not risen since
then, despite increasing numbers of licences being awarded each year,
but once licenced stations were often restricted from raising funds
through advertising or sponsorship.

He added that over 200 community radio services have been licensed
since 2004, 150 of which are on air, creating around 400 jobs,
involving over 10,000 volunteers, and serving a potential audience of
more than 10 million people.

But despite Ofcom saying community radio was "one of the great
broadcasting success stories", the recession and the failure of
government to recognise the need for increased funding, meant stations
were finding it increasingly difficult to survive - six new stations
recently failed to launch and three have had to hand back their
licences.

He said: "Community Radio is very often the heartbeat of a town but
all stations will cease to exist if nothing is done to change this
situation.

"Please help Bay FM and all the other stations in the UK by taking
just a few minutes to sign the petition."

You can sign the petition at: http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/allthevoices

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Community Media Association
-- 
http://www.commedia.org.uk/

Support community radio, sign the petition!
http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/allthevoices/