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

[Bill Best]

Fwd:

From: Karl Hartland <karl at 209radio.co.uk>
Date: Fri, 24 Nov 2006 12:53:00 +0000
To: javed at awazfm.co.uk
CC: cma-l at commedia.org.uk, 'Alan Fransman' <alan.fransman at commedia.org.uk>


I can speak from experience; and that tells me the restrictions are
completely counter-productive to our sector and jeopardise the future
sustainability and independence of our work.

209radio in Cambridge is unable to take any advert/sponsorship revenue
at all due to a local ILR's presence. Our situation could be seen as a
moot point; we knew the restrictions were there (however they came about
legislatively....), we knew they would apply to us because of our local
ILR, we recognised this in our application and we have planned for it in
everything we do.

The reality has been the pain of taking a large number of phone and
email queries from local businesses who actively want to advertise with
us even though we have not yet launched our FM licence, and having to
turn them away or offer just a website advert, in between the heavy
workload of grant applications and opening the occasional polite
declining letter from said grant providers.

We have to fill that revenue gap somehow and we do this by constantly
husbanding a large number of projects. We will always have to do this at
a significant level, not least to meet our social gain objectives, but
there comes a point when you are chasing paper to chase money and the
risk is of being separated from your aims and objectives. We need
flexibility as stations and the sector as a whole needs not to be as
beholden to/dependent on funders, not to be as tied up. As my LA grant
officer is constantly saying "the pot is ever tightening and I can't see
this situation changing"

And do we not have social gain objectives connected with
promoting/stimulating our local economy? What better way of doing this
than opening up an entirely new affordable market for promoting those
small and independent businesses who constantly tread the line of
solvency because they can't compete with the marketing budgets of the
big boys?

Another aspect to our situation is that the MCA population of our local
ILR is quoted as c.134,000 as of 2001. This figure currently won't be
revised until 2011 at the next census, by which time the population in
our area will most certainly rise above 150,000. Cambridgeshire is
experiencing an enormous amount of growth and development; I do not
doubt that this will happen, it's a question of when.

If the upcoming review deems no change in the current restrictions, will
OFCOM stick to their guns and refuse to revise Cambridge's situation
(and that of others perhaps?) until 2011/12?
I have actually been told as much!

Local Authorities and Development Agencies calculate and provide interim
population data to organisation such as the NHS, so that they may
allocate their resources better. Am I hoping too much when I see that
the same approach may be suitable to managing data within the
broadcasting sector?

Conversely, I personally think there is danger on the other side of the
coin. Presuming a much freer funding environment post-review, which
might include unfettered access to advertising revenue; can a
sales-driven community radio station truly fly a Community Development
flag? Some kind of framework is required, in my mind. But surely one
less punitive than now.

I also worry about calls for top-slicing the licence fee and profit from
ILRs. Do we have a right to ask that? I haven't yet seen or heard a
rationale for it that I can subscribe to.

For me, admittedly without an enormous amount of critical thought on it,
a legitimate third way in any situation is taking a risk by using its
peers as a financial crutch, however the money is pooled and
distributed. It could easily be the first weapon unsheathed when critics
review our work and efficacy.

Would it not be more in the Community Media vein to find ways to work
together for mutual benefit, a la the BBC/CMA memorandum? Why not a
CMA/CRCA memorandum?

Like Javed, I'm just riffing here and hoping to contribute angles and
thoughts only. For me, the situation should ideally change but thought
should be given to the ramifications for Community Media's central
missions as opposed to leaping straight out of the shackles and diving
headlong into the future. Look before ye leap all ye who stand here!

K

Karl Hartland
Director 209radio

Citylife House
Sturton Street
Cambridge
CB1 2QF

tel: 01223 488418
fax: 01223 488419
mob: 07968 898254

Javed Sattar wrote:
>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