In case you missed it on the Ofcom or JFMG mailing lists yesterday:


Ofcom today published a second consultation on the detailed design of the
award of spectrum to a band manager with obligations to programme-making
and special events (PMSE). The consultation includes detailed proposals on:
· The licence fee Ofcom will charge the band manager and how
we will introduce this to minimise disruption to PMSE users;
· How Ofcom will ensure the band manager makes spectrum
available to PMSE users on a fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory
basis;
· The scrutiny to which Ofcom will subject requests from the
band manager for non-PMSE use of this spectrum; and
· Technical conditions for using the spectrum.

The consultation which closes on 7 September 2009 can be found at
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/bandmanager09

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/06/23/of...pmse_proposals/
Is a journalists attempt at summarising this. I've not read the report but el reg are normally better than the likes of the BBC at writing summaries of tech reports.

So if I've got this right, they think that the bandwidth we use is worth 236 times more than they are currently receiving from licencing.

The "good news" is that they will only increase prices by 40% a year.

Excellent. So the £75 / year licence we currently enjoy may only go up to £17,700... I'll get out me cheque book.

One thing I notice is that JFMG only took £102,000 last year for Channel 69 licenses. This amounts to 1360 licenses issued--and this number sounds low to me.

When you consider the number of schools, colleges, churches, amdram societies, hotels, conference centres, theatres, hotels, etc. etc. who use more than the 3-4 channels you can get on license exempt frequencies, I have to be pretty sure that there are an awful lot of unlicensed mics out there. This is on top of all the folks who buy a mic, turn it on and use whatever frequency it's set to. Perhaps if more people had the proper license, the numbers for PMSE would look a bit better.

Bob

There is a very similar process going on in the US at the moment. The 700MHz band could only be licensed by TV stations and there were only 22 licenses ever issued. However, now the FCC has decided to remove this band from use there are literally thousands of users complaining about it. There's a very interesting thread on rec.arts.theatre.stagecraft.

If UK users don't buy the appropriate licenses for the bands they are using then OFCOM is quite in order to assume that they are not using that band.

Edit: to remove unnecessary quote.

8 or so if you include VHF... But as ever those trying to play by the rules are going to get screwed over because of those that don't give a flying.

PRS attack any venue or even retail outlet who they 'know' will be playing music. Has anyone ever had anything from JFMG to their venue asking if they have a license? Schools and colleges would pay up instantly, so would most pubs run by the big chains. With that number of legitimate license holders, it's no wonder we are not represented.

Perhaps we should have a poll here - do you use any of the non-license free channels - do you have a license. We would be a pretty decent sample, and have anonymity too?

We do use non-license free channels (12 of them over 2 channels [30 & 69]) and we have licenses for them, but at that price we won't be having licenses in the future!!
Even at current prices, I have moans from the bean counters at renewal time! We will just join the band of the great un-licensed

Sounds good to me.

However, if someone from JFMG contacted TBR and requested you gave up the member IDs of those who voted "No Licence" would you:

A) Be Able to with the Forum Software?
B) Have to by law/other greater force?
C) Would You?

Josh