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<P><B><FONT FACE="Arial"> A request for your views and an update in what's been going on behind the scenes…</FONT></B>
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<P><FONT FACE="Arial">The issue of how community / access radio should be funded is a bit of a political hot potato at the moment and I would be very grateful if you had a few minutes to read this email and then send back your views.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT FACE="Arial">As you probably know, the Standing Committee on the Communicatons Bill is meeting at the moment. Steve Buckley (CMA Director) is working very closely with one of the Labour MPs, Brian White, who will be tabling amendments supporting community media.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT FACE="Arial">However, CRCA (the Commercial Radio Compnaies Association) are also wishing to table an amendment that would conflict with our one .Brian White has recommended we endeavour to negotiate a common position with CRCA, as he has agreed to table CMA amendments and CRCA amendments but he is reluctant to do so where they come into conflict. . This conflict applies to our replacement clause 254 (see below) and concerns the issue of possible restrictions on advertising and sponsorship. Steve has sent a copy today to CRCA and he will meet or teleconference with them on Friday to see if we can find common ground. The debate on this is now likely to be on 21 January.</FONT></P>
<P><B><FONT FACE="Arial">Action</FONT></B>
<BR><FONT FACE="Arial">A. Please reply to this email with your views on the following options for what, if any, restrictions should be placed on access radio carrying advertising and sponsorship. It owudl be also useful to know if you presently carry any advertising and sponsorship on your station or plan to in the future.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT FACE="Arial">Possible options:</FONT>
<BR><FONT FACE="Arial">1. No compromise - Access Radio should be allowed to carry advertising and </FONT>
<BR><FONT FACE="Arial">sponsorship on the same terms as commercial radio. (this is the obvious </FONT>
<BR><FONT FACE="Arial">opening position for negotiation but it is not necessarily a desirable </FONT>
<BR><FONT FACE="Arial">outcome as overdependence on advertising could reduce social purpose).</FONT>
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<P><FONT FACE="Arial">2. Restrictions on the percentage of advertising carried (eg maximum 50%).</FONT>
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<P><FONT FACE="Arial">3. Restrictions on the amount of advertising minutes per hour (eg 5 minutes).</FONT>
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<P><FONT FACE="Arial">4. Restrictions on the form of advertising eg sponsor announcements allowed </FONT>
<BR><FONT FACE="Arial">but product advertising not.</FONT>
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<P><FONT FACE="Arial">5. Restrictions on the source of advertising (eg local companies only).</FONT>
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<P><FONT FACE="Arial">6. One or more of the above but only in specified geographical locations </FONT>
<BR><FONT FACE="Arial">(eg areas in which there are existing small scale commercial radio services).</FONT>
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<P><FONT FACE="Arial">B. Please contact your friendly MPs and let them know your views on this issue. In particular, draw their attention to a meeting on Wednesday 22nd January on Access Radio. This is a joint meeting for MPs and Lords orgnaised by the All Party Community Media Group and the All Party Commerical Radio Group. Mary Dowson and Phil Korbel will be speaking at this meeting. The issues of restricting funding for access radio and perahps restricting rural licenses may be key to this meeting, so the more friendly MPs who undertand the issues there the better. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT FACE="Arial">Please get in touch (0114 279 5219) if you have any questions </FONT>
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<P><FONT FACE="Arial">Best wishes</FONT>
<BR><FONT FACE="Arial">Nicky</FONT>
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<P><SPAN LANG="en-us"><B><FONT FACE="Arial">Clause 254</FONT></B></SPAN>
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<P><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Arial">Leave out Clause 254 and replace with the following new Clause -</FONT></SPAN>
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<P><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Arial">("Community radio</FONT></SPAN>
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<P><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Arial">-(1) In subsection (2) of Section 84 of the 1990 Act after paragraph (a)(iii) there shall be inserted -</FONT></SPAN>
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<P><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Arial">"or - </FONT></SPAN>
<BR><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Arial">(iv) for the benefit of members of the public in a defined geographical locality or of a particular community and not operated by the BBC or for commercial purposes (a "community service")"</FONT></SPAN></P>
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<P><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Arial">(2) In subsection (6) of Section 104 of the 1990 Act in paragraph (b) after "satellite" there shall be inserted ", community".</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Arial">(3) After that subsection there shall be inserted -</FONT></SPAN>
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<P><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Arial">"(6A) In determining whether or to whom to grant a licence to provide a community service and the duration of such licence OFCOM shall have regard to -</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Arial">(a) the extent to which the service would confer significant benefits on the public or on the particular community for which it is proposed to be provided;</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Arial">(b) the extent to which the proposed service is supported by the public or the particular community for which it is proposed to be provided;</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Arial">(c) the extent to which the proposed service includes provision for public access to training, production and broadcast facilities; and</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Arial">(d) the extent to which the proposed service includes measures to ensure accountability to and participation by the public or the particular community for which it is proposed to be provided."")</FONT></SPAN></P>
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<P><SPAN LANG="en-gb"><FONT FACE="Arial">Visit the Community Media Association!</FONT></SPAN>
<BR><SPAN LANG="en-gb"><FONT FACE="Arial"> </FONT></SPAN><A HREF="http://www.commedia.org.uk"><SPAN LANG="en-gb"><U><FONT COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial">http://www.commedia.org.uk</FONT></U></SPAN></A><SPAN LANG="en-gb"></SPAN>
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<P><SPAN LANG="en-gb"><FONT FACE="Arial">Telephone 0114 279 5219</FONT></SPAN>
<BR><SPAN LANG="en-gb"><FONT FACE="Arial">Email nicky@commedia.org.uk</FONT></SPAN>
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