UPDATE: The Ofcom presentation slides from this event are now available.  They would make good reading for anybody, not just those within the M25:

Community Radio Licensing

Technical Issues

Ofcom is hosting a workshop on the community radio licensing process on
Friday 19 June and again on Friday 26 June 2009. Potential community
radio licence applicants in region 8 – Greater London and other areas
within the M25 are invited to attend.

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/radio/ifi/rbl/commun_radio/tlproc/invites/area8.pdf

The events will be free to attend and will run from 10.30am to 3.00pm,
with a buffet lunch included, on both dates.

The presentations will be held at Ofcom’s office in London:

Riverside House
2a Southwark Bridge Road
London
SE1 9HA

Map: http://www.ofcom.org.uk/images/main/rh_map

The agenda includes presentations from Ofcom and the CMA: download here.

If you are interested in attending please email community.radio@ofcom.org.uk or
phone 0207 981 3687 to reserve a place on one of the days.

Please note: places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis and limited to two representatives per group.  Both presentations are the same, and we ask that interested groups book to attend on one date only.

A Charity called Community Dynamix Ltd (1126619) are putting on a three day
festival to generate money for 8 schools, community groups and community
projects in our area of Wiltshire.  They have brought together a great line up:

*Fri 24th July – Music in Flight
*Sat 25th July – Status Quo
*Sun 26th July – Troggs/Family Fun Day

See www.tidworthfestival.info for further information.

Tidworth Festival is putting on three very special events during the
weekend of 24th to 26th July 2009.

Music in Flight is being held on the evening of Friday 24th July 2009.

Status Quo, the legendary rock group, is the headline act at the Rock
Concert being held on the evening of Saturday 25th July 2009.

Family Fun Day with the Troggs – is being held on the afternoon of Sunday
26th July 2009

See website below for full details of these spectacular events.
Website:  www.tidworthfestival.info

Listed below is the offer from the Tidworth Festival committee:

The Tidworth Festival will supply ‘The Community Broadcaster’ with the
following tickets to be given away as part of ‘The Community Broadcasters’
on air competition/promotion plans:

1 pair of standard tickets for Music in Flight on the 24th July 2009.
1 pair of standard tickets for Status Quo on the 25th July 2009.
2 family tickets (two adults + two children)to the Troggs/Family Fun Day
on the 26th July 2009.

‘The Community Broadcaster’ to deal directly with the winners of the
competitions.
‘The Community Broadcaster’ to collect; names, addresses, emails and
contact phone numbers. Details to be forwarded to Mike Winterborne at:

info@tidworthfestival.info

The winners of the competition will be sent their tickets 2/3 weeks before
the event.

There are two generic radio promotions, one for Status Quo and the other
for Music in Flight.  If your members would like them please e mail:

baz.reilly@castledownradio.info

We are doing advance ticket sales only. Tickets for Music
in Flight and Status Quo will not be on sale at the event.  Tickets are only
obtainable from:

www.tidworthfestival.info
support telephone number: 01264 791929.

These events are being held with a view to making money for the Charity so
that it may deliver its objectives to assist those as outlined above.
This year the festival is also supporting the Help for Heroes Charity by
allowing it to fund raise during the events and we are also inviting
wounded soldiers to be our guests at the Status Quo concert.

Part of any surplus we make will go to an already identified project that
will help to enhance the childrens knowledge of the media through
training and the production of: newsletters, audio and video podcasts,
radio and TV programmes. This will involve children at all 8 schools in
our area. This project will be delivered through after schools clubs and
is not part of the normal school curriculum.

There currently are 8,000 tickets available for Music in Flight on the 24th
July and 10,000 tickets for Status Quo on the 25th July.

SPECIAL OFFER TO MEMBERS

We have been able to negotiate a members special deal on tickets for
Tidworth Festival 2009.  This offer closes at midnight on 28th June 2009.

Tidworth Festival is putting on two very special events during the weekend
of 24th to 26th July 2009 and they are offering our members a pair of
tickets with a saving of £7.50 and further pro rata savings if you buy
more than two.  You can book for one or both events at the special price.

Music in Flight is being held on the evening of Friday 24th July 2009
see website below for full details of this spectacular event.

Status Quo, the legendary rock group, is the headline act at the Rock
Concert being held on the evening of Saturday 25th July 2009 see website
for details.

Website:  www.tidworthfestival.info

Tidworth Festival is organised by a charity that aims to support schools,
community groups and community projects and surplus funds generated will
be used by the charity for that purpose.  It is also supporting the
charity ?Help for Heroes?, who will be at all three days of the festival
to carry out fundraising, and a number of wounded soldiers have been
invited as guests of the Festival to attend the Status Quo concert.

To access this special offer go to “Book Tickets” on the Ticket
Information page of the website and enter the code  mem-jun09  in the
Promo Code box.  This will offer you the discounted ticket price of £31.00
without the process fee, a saving of £3.75 per ticket but you must buy
at least two tickets.  You can continue shopping after adding tickets to
the basket if you wish to book tickets (at least two) for the other event
under the same transaction, still at the special price

Dear Radio Skills Council

Further to the Skillset update I’d be grateful if you
could respond to the following:

1. To inform our work in developing a range of professional short
courses that count towards postgraduate qualifications – please
send details of:

o        any radio training providers that you’re aware of – this
could include existing in-house training schemes.

o        subject areas where training is most needed – sales,
leadership and management, business development have already been
highlighted.

2. Train to Gain – invitation to meet with skills broker to find out
about training and potential funding:

o        Skillset is working with Train to Gain to support development
of the service and to highlight the benefits it can offer to the
creative media industries.  If you would like to find out more about the
service and how it might support your business please let me know and
we’ll set up a visit.  A visit would involve Skillset together with a
Train to Gain Skills broker spending an hour or so at your company to
discuss your skills development needs and the broker would then source
suitable training and explore potential funding to support the cost of
that training.  These initial visits will provide valuable case studies
to inform further development of Train to Gain as a service.  The
attached briefing paper (circulated at the meeting) explains further.

3. Progression routes into and through the industry

o        Julie Hadwin is working on a progression map of routes into and
through the industry.  She would like to add a few anecdotes to
illustrate real-life career experiences.  Please could you confirm that
you’re happy for me to pass your contact details on to Julie so that she
can follow this up.

*Amy Thomas
*Radio Manager

Skillset | Screen West Midlands | 9 Regent Place | Birmingham | B1 3NJ
T: 0121 265 7140 | M: 07855 378640 | F: 0121 265 7180 | E:
amyt@skillset.org | W: www.skillset.org

These changes include specific reference to community radio and
the use of Service Level Agreements (see pages 117 – 118), also
lots of guidance on advertising and sponsorship.  You can find
the consultation HERE also on the Ofcom website

The closing date for responses is 4th September – we do urge you
to put in a response to the consultation and also to let us know
what you think, to inform the CMA’s response.

This consultation exercise from DCMS runs for 10 weeks until 25 August
2009 and is to secure views from the public, the community radio
sector and the radio broadcasting industry on three proposals
affecting the community radio licensing regime.

Consultation Paper:

The Digital Britain Final Report sets out the Government’s commitment
to consult on the following proposals:

• for a one-off five-year extension of community radio licences;

• to re-visit the rationale for the current restriction of 50% funding from any one source; and

• removing the rule which prohibits Ofcom from licensing a community radio station if it
  would overlap with a local commercial service with a coverage area of 50,000 adults or fewer.

Documents:

• Consultation on Amendments to the Community Radio Licensing Regime PDF (100kb)

• Consultation on Amendments to the Community Radio Licensing Regime RTF (694kb)

How to respond:

Closing date for responses and submissions is 25 August 2009.

Please send your comments to:

Email: consult@commedia.org.uk and we will collate your responses or
send directly to community_radio@culture.gsi.gov.uk

Post:
Community Radio Consultation
Radio & Media Markets Branch
Media Directorate
Department for Culture, Media & Sport
2-4 Cockspur Street
London SW1Y 5DH

Web: Submitting the form below will send your responses to DCMS. Please ensure you have read the disclosure warnings in the Consultation PDF

cforms contact form by delicious:days

Rt Hon Ben Bradshaw MP
Secretary of State
Department for Culture, Media & Sport
2 – 4 Cockspur Street
London
SW1Y 5DH

Community radio & the wider community media sector

Dear Ben Bradshaw

I am writing to welcome you to your new post as Secretary of State for
Culture, Media & Sport.

The Community Media Association is the umbrella body representing
community radio and the wider community media sector.  Community radio
in particular is one of the government’s real success stories, going
from 15 stations in 2001 to the current number of 201 licensed
stations, which is likely to rise to 300 by the end of next year.  It
is the true “third tier” of radio, serving some of the most
disadvantaged and marginalised communities throughout the UK.

The CMA is also involved in urging the government to enable the
development of local television in the UK, through United for Local
Television, which would create many jobs in both the creative
industries and local journalism sectors.

Your colleagues at DCMS already have a wealth of information from the
CMA both on the future of the radio sector and local TV.  I would
though welcome the opportunity to meet with you to discuss the future
of community media in the UK, particularly in the light of the recent
resolution by Europe’s Council of Ministers supporting the development
and expansion of community media across Europe, signed by the UK
government.

I look forward to hearing from you and wish you well in your new post.

Yours sincerely

Jaqui Devereux
Director, Community Media Association

The Community Media Association is delighted to be a marketing partner
for The Guardian Activate Summit 2009.  The CMA will be attending the
conference to represent the views, interests and concerns of the UK
community media sector to other sectors and to other industry players.

The Guardian Activate Summit, taking place on 1st July in London, is a
new one-day event for leaders working across all sectors who have
proven that, through the use of technology and the internet, we can
make the world a better place.  Members of the CMA are entitled to a
10% discount on the standard delegate rate.  If you are interested in
attending please visit http://guardian.co.uk/activate and quote
discount code GP01.

From politics and the environment, to education, the media and the
economy, the Activate Summit will feature some of the world’s most
influential figures and thinkers. By sharing their success stories
Activate 2009  aims to provide a means to, perhaps, shape the way you
view your business and the way you view the world.

Confirmed speakers include:

• Dr. R.K. Pachauri, chairman, IPCC & director general, TERI
• Thomas Gensemer, managing partner & founder, Blue State Digital
• Bradley Horowitz, vice president of products, Google
• Jon Udell, evangelist, Microsoft
• Iqbal Quadir, founder, GrameenPhone & founder and director, Legatum
• Centre for Development and Entrepreneurship at MIT
• Tom Watson, minister for digital engagement
• Arianna Huffington, founder & editor-in-chief, Huffington Post
• Charlie Leadbeater, founder, Participle / author, We Think / fellow, Nesta

For a full speaker line up please visit http://guardian.co.uk/activate

The Guardian says that “the Activate Summit is an opportunity to ask
the biggest questions, challenge accepted norms, create new precedents
and reshape the world, using technology and the internet as tools”.

Interest in this exclusive event is very high and delegate places are
selling fast.  Register today and take advantage of your 10% CMA
membership discount at http://guardian.co.uk/activate.  Play your part
in building a better future through the internet.

From Phil Shepherd, Chair of the CMA:

Here is a template for a letter of support for Local TV to be sent
URGENTLY to the Secretary of State at the following address:

Rt Hon Andy Burnham MP
Secretary of State for Culture, Media & Sport
Department for Culture Media & Sport
2-4 Cockspur Street
London SW1Y 5DH

You might wish to preface the letter with a sentence like:

“We are a licensed community radio station but have serious aspirations to
move into Local TV as well.”

“We write on behalf of (——) in support of the United for Local Television
(’ULTV’) proposals advocating the universal availability of public service
local television.

We are aware that the future shape of public service broadcasting (PSB) in
Britain is now at a crucial stage and that a local television network, on
seventh mux spectrum in Scotland and on Channel 6 on Freeview in England,
Wales and Northern Ireland is now being seriously considered as a PSB
provider.  We welcome this idea unreservedly.

We recognise that a universally accessible service is not something that can
be achieved now or in the foreseeable future on broadband alone.  An
accessible terrestrial Local TV network of 50-80 + stations will be truly
local and universal and will create hundreds of jobs all over the country.
We are after all one of the few countries in Europe not to already have such
a network in place.

ULTV have identified a number of  ‘models’ for running each local public
service broadcasting station, dependent on local preferences and funding.
Some will involve local authorities; some may not.  The business models
exist to make this work.

All over the UK numerous community media groups make engaging, popular
programmes for which there are almost no broadcast outlets, particularly
since the demise of regional ITV.  Local TV would change that frustrating
scenario which does so much to hold back creativity, community empowerment
and mutual understanding.

Local TV can offer:

• creative content from diverse marginalised and hard to reach communities
• extensive access to content from the voluntary sector through local partnership working
• a grass roots shop-window to promote government initiatives
• access for viewers to a network of participation and engagement
• signposts for viewers to informal learning opportunities

We understand that spectrum could be released for a Local TV network, that
technically it is entirely feasible. We support ULTV’s assertion that the
opportunity cost that might be seen as ‘lost’ by gifting spectrum to Local
TV, would be more than compensated for by the social gains to be generated
from such a service.  The Public Voice coalition has evidenced this claim in
some detail.

We know that ULTV have held positive talks with local newspaper groups and
with the BBC.  We believe that Local TV can play a vital role in a new,
strategic pattern for regional media, indeed that Local TV can be a key
player in local public service broadcasting.

We believe in summary that building on the great success of community radio,
Local TV is vital to the future of local democracy.

We thank you for your support for Local TV to date and would urge you to
seize this opportunity to bring it to reality, as an all win for the future
health of our nations and regions.

Yours sincerely

etc

Ofcom has published a statement setting out the reasons for the award
of new community radio licences to the following stations:

• HCR FM, Huntingdon

HCR FM will serve the people of Huntingdon and the surrounding area.
It has long experience of broadcasting in the area, having carried out
13 temporary restricted service licence (SRSL) broadcasts since 1995.
It proposes a service of familiar music and local news and
information that suits local tastes. The applicant demonstrated
good community links with local businesses and community groups
and evidence of demand and support for its proposals. It set out
a training plan covering a range of skills. In addition there is
an induction programme for new volunteers and a commitment to provide
access and training to a wide range of people from the local community.

• intobeats, Bedford

intobeats will provide an urban music service primarily targeted at
under-35 year-olds in Bedford. The applicant has over 10 years
experience in urban music, and has been running an internet project
since January 2008. Group members have experience of doing DJ
sets and working on other internet and FM stations, and bring a good
knowledge of various urban music genres. This will help ensure the
station caters for the tastes and interests of local urban music
enthusiasts, broadens radio choice locally and provides a
radio station to a section of the community that is currently
underserved by such services. The committee was impressed by the
fact that this service would offer a different kind of social gain
from most community radio stations, in particular RLC felt that the
station could offer considerable benefits for young people in the area.
intobeats has a track record of encouraging participation from
urban music enthusiasts and proposes to build on this and on its
experience of providing training to volunteers.

• AHBS Community Radio, Ashford, Kent

AHBS will provide a service for those involved in healthcare, but also
encompassing the wider community of Ashford (Kent). The applicant is a
well-established organisation, and a registered charity, which has
operated a hospital radio service since 1971. As well as
health-related output, the station will include information from
Ashford Borough Council and programmes produced by local schools and
the wider community which will broaden choice locally. The
applicant has a comprehensive training strategy, developed over a long

period. It has in place a support system for new volunteers.

Source:

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/radio/ifi/rbl/commun_radio/tlproc/awards/may09/