RE: [CMA] Ofcom's review of the Community Radio sector

Thu Nov 23 21:28:46 GMT 2006

Thank you Alan,

It's a testing time for the sector knowing that in a few years there could
well be over 150-300 community radio stations in the UK.

The two questions posed...'the restrictions are unnecessary' or 'too
burdensome'

In respect to my station - Awaz FM, which serves the Asian Community in
Glasgow and likewise that of sister stations like Desi Radio serving the
Punjabi community in Southall and the Afro-Caribbean New Style Radio in
Birmingham we would feel that the restriction on sponsorship and advertising
is a burden. All three of us are broadcasting to a community of interest.

I support the view that restrictions on advertising should NOT remain and a
classic example of this:
When an ILR station like Sunrise feels under threat and complains not
because a local business, who cannot afford to advertise on Sunrise but
chooses a more local station like Desi Radio because of its unique
programming and local content. Desi Radio was doing what Sunrise should also
be doing...catering for the community it broadcasts to.
Some community radio stations can't afford to take advertising, even if they
are allowed to carry advertising they might not have the resources due to
just trying to concentrate on running the station. Keeping the station
on-air is a challenge in itself.
If a community station broadcasts Quality Content - people will listen,
people want to advertise and people will feel its there station.
Running a 28 day licence station is totally different to running a fulltime
community radio station, we have to think like a business otherwise we will
go under and even though the Pilot Projects scheme didn't have anyone go
under there is a real danger that as Ofcom issues licences to who ever can
demonstrate on their application form that they tick all the right boxes
that all the hard work done to getting on-air will be for nothing.

We either have the same restrictions or we lose them.
Having them is a burden to most... and so far I haven't heard from anyone in
community radio that one major funder (50% of the total income), if they
have a major funder dictates how the station is run. I haven't seen any ILR
station go under and more of a case they are bought over (Q96 in Paisley
which actually moved to Glasgow which was a shocking in the first place, was
recently allowed to be acquired by Real Radio and yet there complain was
that we in the community radio sector have this fund that pays stations fat
salaries.
To both questions posed...I am from the camp that agrees that there should
be NO restriction as both are unnecessary and burdensome.
Also...what we need is BBC and Commercial Stations to agree that in order
for Community Radio to be an important player and work alongside in the
sector it needs at least 1 or 2% percent of the Licence Fee and some of the
advertising revenue of Commercial Stations to be set aside for Community
Radio where it will enable Community Radio to develop staff, programming and
evaluating the effect it does bring, a place where new talent will emerge.
None of the ILR stations in my area feel the threat of community radio in
Glasgow and there are three in Glasgow. We are all different in our own way.
Half a million pounds in the fund is a laughing stock and makes no sense in
supporting and developing Community Radio.
Without proper funding to operate will see many voices struggle to be heard.

This is an important time and we as the third tier need to raise our voices
and show how important we are but we need to survive to deliver what we were
set out to do.
Someone once said...'Community Radio doesn't see it self sometimes as
professional enough' we need to change that attitude and show that we are
important and just like BBC and ILR we are just as valuable and important.

'Release this Apartheid placed on us with this restriction and lets us speak
freely over the airwaves.'

Not sure if this is a strategy but a platform to breathe life back in all of
us. Over to you...!!!

Regards,

Javed

-----Original Message-----
From: cma-l-bounces at commedia.org.uk [mailto:cma-l-bounces at commedia.org.uk]
On Behalf Of Alan Fransman
Sent: 23 November 2006 16:14
To: cma-l at commedia.org.uk
Subject: [CMA] Ofcom's review of the Community Radio sector

+ Ofcom's review of the Community Radio sector +

On 16 July 2004, in the House of Lords Debate on the Community Radio 
Order 2004 Lord McIntosh of Haringey, (Minister for Broadcasting at the 
time) said the following about the restrictions in the Community Radio 
Order:

"We have formally asked Ofcom to conduct a review of the community radio 
sector two years after the first community station is licensed. If that 
review concludes that the restrictions are unnecessary or too 
burdensome, we will remove or modify them by bringing forward a further 
order for Parliament's approval. In short, this order is not necessarily 
the final word on the subject. Once we have better knowledge of how the 
two parts of the sector are developing, we will revisit the restrictions 
in this order to see if they are still necessary."

The full transcript of the debate is available on this link:
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200304/ldhansrd/vo040716/text/407
16-05.htm

Ofcom's review is now getting underway and the regulator expects to 
conclude the process towards the end of 2007.

Today Javed Sattar from Awaz FM in Glasgow opens a discussion on 
strategies for influencing Ofcom's review of the Community Radio sector.

Over to Javed...

-- 
Book now for the Community Media sector's premier event!
http://www.commedia.org.uk/festival2006

CMA Festival & AGM 2006
25 November 2006
City University
London

Alan Fransman
Community Media Association
15 Paternoster Row
Sheffield
S1 2BX

+44 114 279 5219

www.commedia.org.uk

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