Community Media Association

The CMA and community radio stations around the country are supporting a campaign for an improved financial settlement for the sector including an increased Community Radio Fund. The campaign is already gaining coverage in other media and community broadcasters are naturally keen to publicise it.

Community radio services can play an important role in the promotion of local democratic debate and they also have a mandatory social gain objective, set out in the Community Radio Order 2004, of the facilitation of discussion and expression of opinion in respect of individuals or groups of individuals in the community that the service is intended to serve, or in respect of other members of the public. The campaign and the funding arrangements for broadcasting are topics that may well be of interest to community radio listeners and thus merit coverage in news and other programmes.

Community radio licensees also have legal obligations with respect to due accuracy and due impartiality in news reporting and ensuring that no undue prominence is given in programmes to views and opinions of particular persons and bodies, where these are on matters of political or industrial controversy and matters relating to current public policy. These are set out in the Ofcom Broadcasting Code and are based on the Communications Act 2003.

This guidance note is intended to assist community broadcasters in fulfilling their role in promoting local democratic discussion with their obligations as broadcast licence holders to respect the rules of the Broadcasting Code. It has been prepared with the assistance of independent legal advice. The guidance does not substitute for the terms of the Broadcasting Code or the Communications Act 2003. Broadcasters should obtain their own legal advice if in any doubt on any of these matters.

You may download the guidelines from here: Editorial guidelines re allthevoices campaign

Please sign the petition and spread the word: link