Many of the comments on the article from those obviously involved in CR are typical of the same self-delusional defensiveness and refusal to accept the truth that is part of the problem in the first place. However this guy has nailed it.
Glyn
November 17, 2014 at 9:40 pm
"On one hand these stations should not promise in their applications what they cannot deliver for 5 years.
On the other hand in order to win a licence they feel compelled to fulfil a rather narrow definition of community radio full of vague things like “social gain” and tick-box tokenism. That sort of “worthy” radio is all well and good, but there should also be room for other models of community radio.
A well run, more commercial approach could also add real value to a community. eg:
– more populist programming might secure more listeners than the haphazard format used by many stations.
-It could also give access to radio audiences for local businesses that could not afford to advertise in big commercial stations, and would not want to because they cover people far outside their business’s catchment area.
-A more polished approach could mean better-trained volunteers who might move on to a career in professional broadcasting.
Don’t get me wrong – I’m not saying they should be just “me too” commercial stations – but it is possible to be commercial AND local – just like your local newspaper can be."
Many of the comments on the article from those obviously involved in CR are typical of the same self-delusional defensiveness and refusal to accept the truth that is part of the problem in the first place. However this guy has nailed it.
Glyn
November 17, 2014 at 9:40 pm
"On one hand these stations should not promise in their applications what they cannot deliver for 5 years.
On the other hand in order to win a licence they feel compelled to fulfil a rather narrow definition of community radio full of vague things like “social gain” and tick-box tokenism. That sort of “worthy” radio is all well and good, but there should also be room for other models of community radio.
A well run, more commercial approach could also add real value to a community. eg:
– more populist programming might secure more listeners than the haphazard format used by many stations.
-It could also give access to radio audiences for local businesses that could not afford to advertise in big commercial stations, and would not want to because they cover people far outside their business’s catchment area.
-A more polished approach could mean better-trained volunteers who might move on to a career in professional broadcasting.
Don’t get me wrong – I’m not saying they should be just “me too” commercial stations – but it is possible to be commercial AND local – just like your local newspaper can be."
I can't disagree with this too much.
I feel now that so many of the local stations have been changed to the formulaeic offerings of Heart, Kiss, Capital and the like plus given the decline in The BBCs ability to cover anything truly local - it should mean that the door is wide open for Community Radio to come in and fill the pretty wide gap left open for a service that is truly local and meaningful.
In reality, it isn't that easy - especially considering that the vast majority involved in a station do it in their "spare time" are doing it for love not money - and in fact in many cases actually have to pay monthly subs to be involved at all. Training has a cost and one of the problems with CR is that so often the stations are cash starved. It is a bit chicken and egg - the better you get the more people want to get involved and the more ad revenue and sponsorship you start to generate and the more training you can do so the better you can get.... But it is getting that initial ball moving that is the tricky bit....
If, on top of that, too many volunteers start off with the attitude of "what can Community radio do for me" instead of "What can I do with community radio for my community" then you are fighting a losing battle from the off...
BUT the potential and the opportunity is there and done well CR can be a real asset to the community it serves
In my eyes the whole Community Radio saga should be investigated and relooked at; the stations in general just have far too small coverage areas in my eyes and there are some strange ones...look at Gaydio, originally licenced on FM for an LGBT service for Greater Manchester, but now a semi national dance music service via FM/DAB/online with only a couple of hours a day separate programming in the evenings on FM in Manchester. Listening to the Manchester FM service there is actually very little programming or speech dedicated to Manchester at all which is a great shame. Be interested to know how they are fulfilling their commitments for a community station.
In my eyes the whole Community Radio saga should be investigated and relooked at; the stations in general just have far too small coverage areas in my eyes and there are some strange ones...look at Gaydio, originally licenced on FM for an LGBT service for Greater Manchester, but now a semi national dance music service via FM/DAB/online with only a couple of hours a day separate programming in the evenings on FM in Manchester. Listening to the Manchester FM service there is actually very little programming or speech dedicated to Manchester at all which is a great shame. Be interested to know how they are fulfilling their commitments for a community station.
Could not agreed more .
The hole area of community broadcasting has changed & with the event of on line do we really need small FM licences ?. Some stations would be better off & cheaper being just on line,
In my eyes the whole Community Radio saga should be investigated and relooked at; the stations in general just have far too small coverage areas in my eyes and there are some strange ones...
I think I agree - and I think the original idea of Access Radio was much better, but the government (at the time) moved to a very narrow vision of what the non-profit licences should be for, as basically an extension of a housing estate regeneration project onto the airwaves, as a social service which just happened to be on the air.
Providing programming with cultural value to a community just wasn't enough, and I think it really should have been. I've nothing against a radio station existing as part of a whole community regeneration project, providing training to disadvantaged kids and so on, but that shouldn't be the only reason non-commercial radio is allowed to exist.
It seems a lot of stations basically bent their real reason for existing to fit the government's vision on their application form, or made totally unrealistic promises for something run by volunteers. Whether they did it honestly or dishonestly (and I suspect a lot of the religious stations just wanted to relay satellite sermons from the start, and a lot of the anoraks just wanted to recreate Atlantic 252), as funding has dried up that's leading to problems down the line.
Also the social mission has brought in local "community leaders" - and unless you get someone really good, as someone who's been involved in local politics and community issues a few times, I can say that the furious internecine squabbling over trivial issues in those circles, not to mention epic personal grudges, is something not restricted to radio.
I think the system in France is better, where you have non-profit stations licenced for either cultural or social value, with more realistic expectations regarding things like automation and live speech content (I mean, we're dealing with volunteers here), and covering a wider area, bringing in a larger pool of volunteers.
Unfortunately here the commercial radio lobby here seems too influential to allow that sort of system to exist.
In my eyes the whole Community Radio saga should be investigated and relooked at; the stations in general just have far too small coverage areas in my eyes and there are some strange ones...look at Gaydio, originally licenced on FM for an LGBT service for Greater Manchester, but now a semi national dance music service via FM/DAB/online with only a couple of hours a day separate programming in the evenings on FM in Manchester. Listening to the Manchester FM service there is actually very little programming or speech dedicated to Manchester at all which is a great shame. Be interested to know how they are fulfilling their commitments for a community station.
I could not DISAGREE more and this is typical of the misinformed comments about CR - one small example about a specialist station which potentially clearly could have a wider appeal than just Manchester does not mean that the whole sector should be investigated! I first heard this station a few years ago on DAB whilst I was sitting on a beach having a barbecue in Brighton. I didn't even know it was supposed to be a CR station (but could understand why it was available in Brighton).
With regard to FM, Perhaps it is the slightly woolly phrase of "Community of interest" that needs to be examined not the concept of using FM for actual local communities. For many in our local community (city of cambridge) - FM is the main way they receive the station and our Community Radio station provides on average 17 hours of live alternative local broadcasting a day to them - more than from any other station!
Could not agreed more .
The hole area of community broadcasting has changed & with the event of on line do we really need small FM licences ?. Some stations would be better off & cheaper being just on line,
Are there any successful online-only community stations?
The comparison with local papers is an interesting one. I haven't read a local paper for years; in fact I don't think there is one for my area now. But there is a thriving local web site with news, travel info, a forum, what's-ons, adverts etc so no one needs to buy a paper. The question is whether a radio station would offer locals anything that a web site doesn't, and the answer is probably that it would play music.
What is the point of a 'community station' doing nothing but playing the same old music day in day out? It makes them no different to Radio 2, Heart, Smooth etc, only perhaps done at an amateur level and giving people with very little talent for radio a chance to preen over others.
What is the point of a 'community station' doing nothing but playing the same old music day in day out? It makes them no different to Radio 2, Heart, Smooth etc, only perhaps done at an amateur level and giving people with very little talent for radio a chance to preen over others.
Even worse if a community station just operates a jukebox 24/7 with no presenters and relays sky News Centre squeezed in at the top of the hour.
Even worse if a community station just operates a jukebox 24/7 with no presenters and relays sky News Centre squeezed in at the top of the hour.
Yes I agree - but MOST Community Radio stations are NOT like that in my experience
There seems to be lots of general negative opinions being thrown about on this thread but not backed up by facts and real examples! I suspect there are not that many people posting these remarks on here who actually really listen to, are involved in or know much about real Community radio.
What is the point of a 'community station' doing nothing but playing the same old music day in day out? It makes them no different to Radio 2, Heart, Smooth etc, only perhaps done at an amateur level and giving people with very little talent for radio a chance to preen over others.
Well here's a few examples that don't do what they're suppose to. I've given a few stations on that list a listen over the past year and this is what I've found. These have been noted down by myself personally. Even two of my mates have also given me two other examples which I've added in below.
Meridian FM - mostly a jukebox and news.
Big City Radio - no dance music programme.
Angel Radio - it would be better off as a three hour syndicated show than a station, I say this because if a presenter has had a heart attack or has died then there isn't anyone to replace them apart from who is already there.
Radio Plus - lack of any presenters and no decades or dance show.
Glastonbury FM - you have Glasto Festival going on and yet no mention of it on the local radio.
Radio Winchcombe - no actual dance programme, and who wants to listen to the same old disco classics from the 80's.
Uckfield FM - sounds as if its been ran by old Tories for old Tories.
What suprises me is that Penistone FM isn't on the list as that lacks a daily Breakfast and Drivetime programme and any unmentioned hours in the day time are either The Rewind or Non Stop Penistone FM.
Also Phoenix FM as Alex mentioned on another thread concerning the lack of any live shows and what I've noticed myself is that certain shows are getting broadcast on the wrong order or day. Yesterday straight after the Nu Vibe... sorry Friday Drivetime, Starwind hour was broadcast. Going by Phoenix's "schedule", if you could call it that, its either the dronefest for two hours or something else then a Metal programme then Starwind Hour which is a one hour version of the two hour dronefest. When they get it right it goes brilliant but over the last week they seem to be getting it wrong.
Yes I agree - but MOST Community Radio stations are NOT like that in my experience
There seems to be lots of general negative opinions being thrown about on this thread but not backed up by facts and real examples! I suspect there are not that many people posting these remarks on here who actually really listen to, are involved in or know much about real Community radio.
"Er, hello, er, this is err Charlie Charles, er, with the, er, rock show, er on Mansfield Community er Radio err, hello, err, this err, next, err track, err, is, errr, on the rock show with me Charlie Charles errrr on Mansfield Community er Radio, err is err, Elvis, errr, on Mansfield Community Radio, errr."
"Er, hello, er, this is err Charlie Charles, er, with the, er, rock show, er on Mansfield Community er Radio err, hello, err, this err, next, err track, err, is, errr, on the rock show with me Charlie Charles errrr on Mansfield Community er Radio, err is err, Elvis, errr, on Mansfield Community Radio, errr."
Radioviewer, if you want to hear what community radio actually sounds like rather than mimicing a bad CB impression, give the following a listen and you won't be disapointed.
Radioviewer, if you want to hear what community radio actually sounds like rather than mimicing a bad CB impression, give the following a listen and you won't be disapointed.
Radio Winchcombe - no actual dance programme, and who wants to listen to the same old disco classics from the 80's.
Why MUST Radio Winchcombe have a "dance programme"? Do you know the place? Have you (or one of your "mates") ever been there? It's a very small Cotswold town just over the hill from me, and believe me, you could get the potential LOCAL audience for such a show in the phone box in the High Street with room to spare!
Why MUST Radio Winchcombe have a "dance programme"? Do you know the place? Have you (or one of your "mates") ever been there? It's a very small Cotswold town just over the hill from me, and believe me, you could get the potential LOCAL audience for such a show in the phone box in the High Street with room to spare!
To appeal to the community and to please Ofcom's tick box excercise, you have to provide everything of musical taste even if the area doesn't have a northern soul or a rock fan. How on earth do you expect stations, such as Radio Winchcombe, avoiding having their licence revoked because the station in question doesn't air a particular type of show.
Glastonbury FM, an example that I gave on my previous post. You have a festival at Worthy Farm nearly every year, the farm in question is located within the Glasto FM TSA. I and my mates have been to Glastonbury Festival and since I found Glastonbury FM by looking for something local to listen to, I did not find one programme, not one, that was dedicaded to something that was going on in a field down the road. This is what I mean, the station should fulfil its obligations to Ofcom.
What a surprise you give this show as an example ;-)
I do know the presenter personally, as my wife and I (who are mates with him) gave him a hand setting up his own personal studio at his home in Morley and he's happy for me to link it here to be used as an example of a dance show likewise with Stafford's World which is a classic rock / pop show.
To appeal to the community and to please Ofcom's tick box excercise, you have to provide everything of musical taste even if the area doesn't have a northern soul or a rock fan. How on earth do you expect stations, such as Radio Winchcombe, avoiding having their licence revoked because the station in question doesn't air a particular type of show.
Glastonbury FM, an example that I gave on my previous post. You have a festival at Worthy Farm nearly every year, the farm in question is located within the Glasto FM TSA. I and my mates have been to Glastonbury Festival and since I found Glastonbury FM by looking for something local to listen to, I did not find one programme, not one, that was dedicaded to something that was going on in a field down the road. This is what I mean, the station should fulfil its obligations to Ofcom.
Sorry Anthony I don't think you fully understand.
A Community Radio station's obligations to OfCom is what the station tells OfCom they are going to be in its own Key Commitments. OfCom does not write these - the stations do - and the licence is granted on the basis of these commitments.
OfCom only get concerned if the station does not keep to it's own promises - which is what has happened in these cases.
If the Key Commitments do not include covering Glastonbury - then they are NOT oblidged to do so! If they DO include a Northern Soul Show then they are. It's pretty simple.
The Ticks are in boxes the stations decide - NOT Ofcom They just want to be assured that the stations are carrying out the promises they made in the first place.
Glastonbury FM, an example that I gave on my previous post. You have a festival at Worthy Farm nearly every year, the farm in question is located within the Glasto FM TSA. I and my mates have been to Glastonbury Festival and since I found Glastonbury FM by looking for something local to listen to, I did not find one programme, not one, that was dedicaded to something that was going on in a field down the road. This is what I mean, the station should fulfil its obligations to Ofcom.
There's probably more to the town that concerns local residents w eek in week out than what Michael Eavis gets up to on his farm one summer weekend. Besides which the festival gets wall-to-wall coverage on at least three of the BBC's national radio stations and its own RSL, so maybe the area's full time community station is offereing something different, and relevant to locals, which is surely the point?
I don't think Ofcom are bothered that some stations are not sticking to their commitments 100%. I think they are more concerned about stations that are more like a PC sat in the corner of a room playing non-stop music.
Personally I think we need another level of licence (½ / 1 watt?) for people who want to play at radio rather than letting them loose with a 50 watt transmitter!
I don't think Ofcom are bothered that some stations are not sticking to their commitments 100%. I think they are more concerned about stations that are more like a PC sat in the corner of a room playing non-stop music.
Personally I think we need another level of licence (½ / 1 watt?) for people who want to play at radio rather than letting them loose with a 50 watt transmitter!
Were that it was 50 Watt - we only get 25 Watts to cover the whole of Cambridge
As for another level of licence - how about just turning the volume up and opening the windows - or better playing some music for free in the local pub or shopping centre - it would probably actually reach more people than some of the more self-indulgent "broadcasts" and the "presenter" would actually get some real direct feedback about the music people like - I think they used to call it DJing.
OfCom usually have to react when there is a complaint that a station isn't meeting it's commitments - but in this case it appears to be a blanket trawl through the annual reports to see why the stations themselves feel it is OK to report that they are NOT meeting those commitments.
They must be forced to use the 25 watts horizontal to meet the licence.
25 watts vertical and 0 watts horizontal is pathetic.
Yes I agree - I don't think I know any that actually just do that. Usually Ofcom are more upset if they find that the power is higher than that allowed.
But isn't this technical debate getting a bit off topic as this thread is about the CR stations that are being investigated by OfCom because they have reported that they are not keeping to their key commitments.
It would be more interesting to hear from any of the members of the 50 CR stations concerned as to what the nature of these investigations actually is....
Comments
Glyn
November 17, 2014 at 9:40 pm
"On one hand these stations should not promise in their applications what they cannot deliver for 5 years.
On the other hand in order to win a licence they feel compelled to fulfil a rather narrow definition of community radio full of vague things like “social gain” and tick-box tokenism. That sort of “worthy” radio is all well and good, but there should also be room for other models of community radio.
A well run, more commercial approach could also add real value to a community. eg:
– more populist programming might secure more listeners than the haphazard format used by many stations.
-It could also give access to radio audiences for local businesses that could not afford to advertise in big commercial stations, and would not want to because they cover people far outside their business’s catchment area.
-A more polished approach could mean better-trained volunteers who might move on to a career in professional broadcasting.
Don’t get me wrong – I’m not saying they should be just “me too” commercial stations – but it is possible to be commercial AND local – just like your local newspaper can be."
I can't disagree with this too much.
I feel now that so many of the local stations have been changed to the formulaeic offerings of Heart, Kiss, Capital and the like plus given the decline in The BBCs ability to cover anything truly local - it should mean that the door is wide open for Community Radio to come in and fill the pretty wide gap left open for a service that is truly local and meaningful.
In reality, it isn't that easy - especially considering that the vast majority involved in a station do it in their "spare time" are doing it for love not money - and in fact in many cases actually have to pay monthly subs to be involved at all. Training has a cost and one of the problems with CR is that so often the stations are cash starved. It is a bit chicken and egg - the better you get the more people want to get involved and the more ad revenue and sponsorship you start to generate and the more training you can do so the better you can get.... But it is getting that initial ball moving that is the tricky bit....
If, on top of that, too many volunteers start off with the attitude of "what can Community radio do for me" instead of "What can I do with community radio for my community" then you are fighting a losing battle from the off...
BUT the potential and the opportunity is there and done well CR can be a real asset to the community it serves
Could not agreed more .
The hole area of community broadcasting has changed & with the event of on line do we really need small FM licences ?. Some stations would be better off & cheaper being just on line,
Providing programming with cultural value to a community just wasn't enough, and I think it really should have been. I've nothing against a radio station existing as part of a whole community regeneration project, providing training to disadvantaged kids and so on, but that shouldn't be the only reason non-commercial radio is allowed to exist.
It seems a lot of stations basically bent their real reason for existing to fit the government's vision on their application form, or made totally unrealistic promises for something run by volunteers. Whether they did it honestly or dishonestly (and I suspect a lot of the religious stations just wanted to relay satellite sermons from the start, and a lot of the anoraks just wanted to recreate Atlantic 252), as funding has dried up that's leading to problems down the line.
Also the social mission has brought in local "community leaders" - and unless you get someone really good, as someone who's been involved in local politics and community issues a few times, I can say that the furious internecine squabbling over trivial issues in those circles, not to mention epic personal grudges, is something not restricted to radio.
I think the system in France is better, where you have non-profit stations licenced for either cultural or social value, with more realistic expectations regarding things like automation and live speech content (I mean, we're dealing with volunteers here), and covering a wider area, bringing in a larger pool of volunteers.
Unfortunately here the commercial radio lobby here seems too influential to allow that sort of system to exist.
I could not DISAGREE more and this is typical of the misinformed comments about CR - one small example about a specialist station which potentially clearly could have a wider appeal than just Manchester does not mean that the whole sector should be investigated! I first heard this station a few years ago on DAB whilst I was sitting on a beach having a barbecue in Brighton. I didn't even know it was supposed to be a CR station (but could understand why it was available in Brighton).
With regard to FM, Perhaps it is the slightly woolly phrase of "Community of interest" that needs to be examined not the concept of using FM for actual local communities. For many in our local community (city of cambridge) - FM is the main way they receive the station and our Community Radio station provides on average 17 hours of live alternative local broadcasting a day to them - more than from any other station!
Are there any successful online-only community stations?
The comparison with local papers is an interesting one. I haven't read a local paper for years; in fact I don't think there is one for my area now. But there is a thriving local web site with news, travel info, a forum, what's-ons, adverts etc so no one needs to buy a paper. The question is whether a radio station would offer locals anything that a web site doesn't, and the answer is probably that it would play music.
Even worse if a community station just operates a jukebox 24/7 with no presenters and relays sky News Centre squeezed in at the top of the hour.
Yes I agree - but MOST Community Radio stations are NOT like that in my experience
There seems to be lots of general negative opinions being thrown about on this thread but not backed up by facts and real examples! I suspect there are not that many people posting these remarks on here who actually really listen to, are involved in or know much about real Community radio.
Well here's a few examples that don't do what they're suppose to. I've given a few stations on that list a listen over the past year and this is what I've found. These have been noted down by myself personally. Even two of my mates have also given me two other examples which I've added in below.
Meridian FM - mostly a jukebox and news.
Big City Radio - no dance music programme.
Angel Radio - it would be better off as a three hour syndicated show than a station, I say this because if a presenter has had a heart attack or has died then there isn't anyone to replace them apart from who is already there.
Radio Plus - lack of any presenters and no decades or dance show.
Glastonbury FM - you have Glasto Festival going on and yet no mention of it on the local radio.
Radio Winchcombe - no actual dance programme, and who wants to listen to the same old disco classics from the 80's.
Uckfield FM - sounds as if its been ran by old Tories for old Tories.
What suprises me is that Penistone FM isn't on the list as that lacks a daily Breakfast and Drivetime programme and any unmentioned hours in the day time are either The Rewind or Non Stop Penistone FM.
Also Phoenix FM as Alex mentioned on another thread concerning the lack of any live shows and what I've noticed myself is that certain shows are getting broadcast on the wrong order or day. Yesterday straight after the Nu Vibe... sorry Friday Drivetime, Starwind hour was broadcast. Going by Phoenix's "schedule", if you could call it that, its either the dronefest for two hours or something else then a Metal programme then Starwind Hour which is a one hour version of the two hour dronefest. When they get it right it goes brilliant but over the last week they seem to be getting it wrong.
"Er, hello, er, this is err Charlie Charles, er, with the, er, rock show, er on Mansfield Community er Radio err, hello, err, this err, next, err track, err, is, errr, on the rock show with me Charlie Charles errrr on Mansfield Community er Radio, err is err, Elvis, errr, on Mansfield Community Radio, errr."
Radioviewer, if you want to hear what community radio actually sounds like rather than mimicing a bad CB impression, give the following a listen and you won't be disapointed.
Dance: http://www.mixcloud.com/fascinating_rhythm/
Decades: http://td1radio.com/mikebrown/
Rock: http://td1radio.com/staffordsworld/
Culture: http://cambridge105.fm/shows/polish-waves/
What a surprise you give this show as an example ;-)
To appeal to the community and to please Ofcom's tick box excercise, you have to provide everything of musical taste even if the area doesn't have a northern soul or a rock fan. How on earth do you expect stations, such as Radio Winchcombe, avoiding having their licence revoked because the station in question doesn't air a particular type of show.
Glastonbury FM, an example that I gave on my previous post. You have a festival at Worthy Farm nearly every year, the farm in question is located within the Glasto FM TSA. I and my mates have been to Glastonbury Festival and since I found Glastonbury FM by looking for something local to listen to, I did not find one programme, not one, that was dedicaded to something that was going on in a field down the road. This is what I mean, the station should fulfil its obligations to Ofcom.
I do know the presenter personally, as my wife and I (who are mates with him) gave him a hand setting up his own personal studio at his home in Morley and he's happy for me to link it here to be used as an example of a dance show likewise with Stafford's World which is a classic rock / pop show.
For the record my real name is Anthony.
Sorry Anthony I don't think you fully understand.
A Community Radio station's obligations to OfCom is what the station tells OfCom they are going to be in its own Key Commitments. OfCom does not write these - the stations do - and the licence is granted on the basis of these commitments.
OfCom only get concerned if the station does not keep to it's own promises - which is what has happened in these cases.
If the Key Commitments do not include covering Glastonbury - then they are NOT oblidged to do so! If they DO include a Northern Soul Show then they are. It's pretty simple.
The Ticks are in boxes the stations decide - NOT Ofcom
There's probably more to the town that concerns local residents w eek in week out than what Michael Eavis gets up to on his farm one summer weekend. Besides which the festival gets wall-to-wall coverage on at least three of the BBC's national radio stations and its own RSL, so maybe the area's full time community station is offereing something different, and relevant to locals, which is surely the point?
Personally I think we need another level of licence (½ / 1 watt?) for people who want to play at radio rather than letting them loose with a 50 watt transmitter!
Were that it was 50 Watt - we only get 25 Watts to cover the whole of Cambridge
As for another level of licence - how about just turning the volume up and opening the windows - or better playing some music for free in the local pub or shopping centre - it would probably actually reach more people than some of the more self-indulgent "broadcasts" and the "presenter" would actually get some real direct feedback about the music people like - I think they used to call it DJing.
OfCom usually have to react when there is a complaint that a station isn't meeting it's commitments - but in this case it appears to be a blanket trawl through the annual reports to see why the stations themselves feel it is OK to report that they are NOT meeting those commitments.
They must be forced to use the 25 watts horizontal to meet the licence.
25 watts vertical and 0 watts horizontal is pathetic.
Yes I agree - I don't think I know any that actually just do that. Usually Ofcom are more upset if they find that the power is higher than that allowed.
But isn't this technical debate getting a bit off topic as this thread is about the CR stations that are being investigated by OfCom because they have reported that they are not keeping to their key commitments.
It would be more interesting to hear from any of the members of the 50 CR stations concerned as to what the nature of these investigations actually is....