Manx Radio And The Interlopers

[parchedpeas]

That said, the cost of providing the other two stations would be minimal if they pooled their resources. So why not sell Douglas Head, build new studios for all three stations and have Manx Radio 1, 2 and 3 all catering for different markets.

[Donald Trumps]

It's not really your money anyway, so f**k off!

 

(That's for those on the down escalator; for those on the up escalator, the Chief Minister will be around shortly to read you his news and play you some of his personal favourite records [including Tangerine Dream])

[Stu Peters]

That said, the cost of providing the other two stations would be minimal if they pooled their resources. So why not sell Douglas Head, build new studios for all three stations and have Manx Radio 1, 2 and 3 all catering for different markets.

In granting 3FM's licence, the (then) Director of the Communications Commission cited the 'plurality of news' as being an important factor. That goes out of the window with shared resources. If you want Manx 1,2 and 3 on that basis, you'll have three pop music stations with the taxpayer contributing to the bottom line profits of two purely commercial stations and starving MR of the funding it needs to continue as a public service rather than a cash machine for investors/shareholders.

[Donald Trumps]

Not sure anyone actually wants it, taxpayers as ever are pondering what might be a reasonable way forward

 

The question is whether to let them die a commercial death or if there is an alternative to offer locals multi-channel programming

 

Myself I think yer Spotify and their ilk are going to kill music radio - but thats only an opinion

 

Bring back the Rock Show is what I say

[woolley]

It does smack of an attempt by the two purely commercial operators to take either a slice of the government funding or at least get MR out of the commercial area. The details should certainly be published for consultation and not finish up as a done deal behind closed doors.

[spermann]

That said, the cost of providing the other two stations would be minimal if they pooled their resources. So why not sell Douglas Head, build new studios for all three stations and have Manx Radio 1, 2 and 3 all catering for different markets.

In granting 3FM's licence, the (then) Director of the Communications Commission cited the 'plurality of news' as being an important factor. That goes out of the window with shared resources. If you want Manx 1,2 and 3 on that basis, you'll have three pop music stations with the taxpayer contributing to the bottom line profits of two purely commercial stations and starving MR of the funding it needs to continue as a public service rather than a cash machine for investors/shareholders.

 

Here here!

 

Which is why MR should not be allowed to take advertising revenue. I dont think you mate will like that though as he will lose his job to.

[woolley]

What would a purely public service MR cost with the sales function stripped out? Maybe we could lean on the BBC to part fund it with a contribution from the government and a third income from 3FM/Energy renting space in Broadcasting House if they still cannot hack it financially after having already consolidated the two stations in one location on Victoria Street. Perhaps we could aim for a subvention reduced to about £250k under this model.

[thebees]

Yeah, the BBC, loads of money, they should call it BBC isle of Man, winner.

[Stu Peters]

I think my 'mate' is probably a proponent of the fully-funded model, although since we don't have anything to do with each other outside work I don't know.

 

Doesn't it strike anyone else that at a time our government is facing its biggest challenge in a generation, it is fiddling around with the purpose and funding of Manx Radio again? How many reports does it take to get the message home to politicians that by all reasonable standards (many set by those same politicians), MR has continued to do the job it has always done, for a (shrinking) fraction of the 'going' rate, and it's just them who are moving the goalposts again and talking themselves round in circles?

 

From what I can gather MR's board has told IOMG that if they want to keep cutting funding, that's understandable but something has to give, so decide what. Of course, nobody wants their fingerprints on cuts that some people won't like - so instead they're huffing and puffing and looking at an option which frankly shouldn't even be considered (in my humble if biased opinion) because it comes from someone who has everything to gain and nothing to lose from any changes. Anyway, wasn't IOMG planning to spend hundreds of thousands having online videos made - maybe that's what the subvention is earmarked for in future.

 

To Woolley's serious point, I doubt there's room at Broadcasting House for additional studios. I think a similar BBC LR station would have a budget of c.£4m pa (and still take network feeds and news to sustain the output). The other thought though is why SHOULD MR relinquish commercial income in favour of two competitors who have set up in an established market and failed to dominate it? Has either made much of a real difference? I sometimes listen to 3FM (usually when George is on) and think it's a good option for people who want 'just' music, but I gave up on Energy a long time ago.

 

A master stroke would be if IOMG can convince the BBC it doesn't deserve any income from the Isle of Man and that we're going to issue a Manx Broadcasting Licence instead in future to share between those who provide an actual public service - and I'd probably include Paul Moulton and TVIM/Greenlight in that. But MR's death by a thousand cuts is NOT the next best thing.

[sarahc]

Why doesn't Manx Radio decide what to cut instead of making threats every time the government tries to reduce their money?

[Pierrot Lunaire]

We should stop paying the 'licence fee' - given the rubbish service we receive from them - and start our own as mooted above

 

No we shouldn't.

[Donald Trumps]

We should stop paying the 'licence fee' - given the rubbish service we receive from them - and start our own as mooted above

 

The income should be invested in a multi-media national broadcaster and the fastest internet service in the known universe

 

This will help generate growth in our economy

[Stu Peters]

Why doesn't Manx Radio decide what to cut instead of making threats every time the government tries to reduce their money?

MR has been cutting back for years - for example back in March five of us lost our staff jobs if you remember. Since Treasury is effectively manager of the public's ownership of MR, it is only proper that if it reneges on a Tynwald funding schedule it helps decide what it thinks the public would be happy to do without.

[Pierrot Lunaire]

I'd be happy to do without all of it.

[manxie44]

Why doesn't Manx Radio decide what to cut instead of making threats every time the government tries to reduce their money?

MR has been cutting back for years - for example back in March five of us lost our staff jobs if you remember. Since Treasury is effectively manager of the public's ownership of MR, it is only proper that if it reneges on a Tynwald funding schedule it helps decide what it thinks the public would be happy to do without.

 

Seriously - Why does it cost more to produce the [Mostly recorded], Public Service programmes, than to have a DJ sitting at a desk playing [in Manx Radio's case] mostly dreadful 'Club' music. Why is the music during the day so awful. I think in your case Stu that you generally play quality stuff on your own shows, so why the rubbish at other times. What conditions are there on Manx Radio on the type of Music they play ? [ie - 'Play Lists'] Why do the other Stations seem to have a more free hand on what they play.? These are genuine questions. I am not getting at you, but many, many people only want to listen to decent music during the day. We don't only want to listen to MHKs and 'Top ' Civil Servants spouting their own agendas. Am I the only one who thinks that the Radio 4 type programmes on MR are mostly monotonous and almost exclusively Government based ?