News story about comments by David Vick of UK radio regulator The Radio Authority that the track record of community radio stations "has been pretty patchy", written by Grant Goddard in June 1992 for Broadcast magazine.

1. NEWS: REGULATOR SAYS
PERFORMANCE OF UK
COMMUNITY RADIO STATIONS
HAS BEEN "PRETTY PATCHY"
by
GRANT GODDARD
www.grantgoddard.co.uk
June 1992

2. Community radio's performance was criticised by The Radio Authority's Head
of Development David Vick at a Community Radio Association [CRA] London
conference. But he also announced new opportunities for community groups to
win licences, which were welcomed by many of the potential applicants in
attendance.
"The concept of community radio in the UK is still in the business of proving
itself," said Vick. "The track record to date has been pretty patchy."
He said that the Authority had chosen a number of its incremental contract
areas with community radio in mind, but one group had failed to submit an
application in time, whilst another handed back its licence before broadcasting.
"One other went bust soon after going on-air," said Vick, "and quite a few
others sold out to existing commercial radio stations, one even before they got
on-air."
A number of Radio Authority policy initiatives were unveiled at the conference,
including:
 A new programme of small-scale community licences to be advertised
simultaneously with the Authority's impending 128 licence expiries. Many
will be in metropolitan areas, with a shortlist published in two months,
following consultation with the CRA. Vick cited examples of London,
Toxteth and Kirkby in Liverpool, Birmingham, Leeds, Edinburgh and
Dundee.
 The introduction of a streamlined procedure for awarding new local licences
in rural areas such as Scotland, where there is available radio spectrum.
Vick hopes to advertise licences for these without DTI pre-clearance of
frequencies.
 Vick indicated "a very real likelihood that there could be a London-wide
Asian radio station next year." He suggested that this was not incompatible
with a separate Asian service winning a Newham/Tower Hamlets licence
the Authority would advertise "very soon". Vick noted that "the Asian
community in East London is rather different from the composition in West
London and elsewhere."
 Restricted Service Licences [RSLs] will no longer be granted to applicants
who could damage an existing commercial station's audience and
revenues. Vick cited the Authority's refusal of an Asian RSL within 'Sunrise
Radio's West London transmission area: "We feel we do have an obligation
to protect the position of local licensees who have to earn a living day-in
day-out over a long-term period."
 As reported in last week's 'Broadcast', two new London-wide AM
frequencies will be advertised next March, and Vick indicated the
unlikelihood of a single bidder winning both of 'LBC's existing channels.
News: Regulator Says Performance Of UK Community Radio Stations Has Been "Pretty Patchy" page 2
©1992 Grant Goddard

3. News: Regulator Says Performance Of UK Community Radio Stations Has Been "Pretty Patchy" page 3
©1992 Grant Goddard
 There will be no further regional licences, after the initial five advertised this
year, until 1996 when the 105-108 FM sub-band becomes available.
Vick estimated the minimum operating costs of a community station to be
around £80,000 per annum, assuming:
 Daytime local programming provided mostly by unpaid volunteers
 Overnight programming and administrative support provided by the local
ILR station
 National news provided free by IRN
 Three full-time paid staff
 Inner city rent & rates, electricity, phone
 Transmitter and landline costs
 Copyright payments.
Vick revealed that South East London community station 'RTM' lost £750,000
during its first two years on-air, and needs to earn £23,500 per month to break
even. He emphasised the need for community applicants not to be "naïve and
misty-eyed" and the importance of adopting a "practical, business-like
approach."
"We are trying hard to select those areas and those groups," said Vick, "that
we feel can give the community radio movement the best opportunity of
proving itself to best effect."
[First published in 'Broadcast' magazine as 'Vick Rounds On Community Groups', 26 June 1992]
Grant Goddard is a media analyst / radio specialist / radio consultant with thirty years of
experience in the broadcasting industry, having held senior management and consultancy
roles within the commercial media sector in the United Kingdom, Europe and Asia. Details at
http://www.grantgoddard.co.uk