British Entertainment Industry Launches ‘Save Our Sound UK’ Campaign

[AndyL]

http://web.me.com/saveoursound/saveoursound/Save_Our_Sound_files/sos%20header%20V4.jpg

 

BRITISH ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY LAUNCHES ‘SAVE OUR SOUND UK’ CAMPAIGN

 

Yesterday, 10th November 2009, 21 major organisations representing the breadth and depth of the British Entertainment Industry launched a campaign calling on the Government to act to secure the future of live music, newsgathering, musical theatre, film making, television production, sports events, concerts, conferences (including party conferences) and church, school and community events in the UK.

 

All of these activities, that benefit everyone either directly or indirectly, are under threat. This is because Ofcom, supported by Government, has decided to clear out and sell the radio frequencies that the industry relies on, and move those evicted elsewhere. The precise location of this new much smaller ‘home’ remains for the most part undetermined. Meanwhile, all proceeds from the sale of the old ‘home’ will go to the Government.

 

As a consequence of the enforced ‘migration’, the vast majority of the UK’s valuable stocks of wireless microphones, which are essential tools for content production in the creative industries and beyond, will become unusable. If the activities and events listed above are to continue, then all affected equipment will need to be replaced at a stroke. This will cost tens of millions of pounds.

 

If the Government does not provide adequate funding to cover the costs, then live music, newsgathering, musical theatre and other events including those listed above are likely to become impossible to stage. There is little doubt that companies will go bust, individuals will go bankrupt, employees will be made redundant, and charitable and community organisations will have to divert funds from core services.

 

The impact will be so severe due to the fact that the UK’s pool of equipment for professional use is generally owned by small specialist firms and individuals that supply to end users when required. These businesses work to very tight margins and either cannot, or will struggle to cover the cost of replacing entire inventories. If they are forced out of business, which is likely under current proposals, then all productions that depend on their equipment and expertise will be under threat.

 

Read more at: www.saveoursounduk.com

[Pyramid]

Andy

Thanks for keeping us all informed.

Have posted a comment and must write to my MP.

 

I do feel however that this all seems a bit pointless as Ofcom / the government don't seem to care less, as long as they make, or save money today, they seem to just be focussed on getting through this year, not thinking to much about the long term future! (This is not a party political statement - I have no more faith in any of the other parties!)

 

Fed up!

 

Andy

[Andrew C]

Moved to General Tech Chat - Hoping for a wider audience!

[greenalien]

There is a slow but steady push to convert most of the radio spectrum from analogue to digital usage, thus allowing more use of limited spectrum. If you have equipment that is rendered obsolete by this move, it will doubtless join the millions of analogue TV sets currently filling recycling centres across the land. If you're expecting compensation, you have as much chance as the thousands of radio-controlled model enthusiasts, who had their equipment rendered worthless overnight when the then-government succumbed to the flood of illegal CB radios, and 'gave away' the 27MHz band 30 years ago.

[swampman]

With respect to the 27Mhz issue:

They were "forced" to do something because of the flood of "illegal" 27Mhz AM sets from the US and Italy which became part of the tuned car extras at that time, farmers' tractor communications, lorry drivers ch19 etc. Until then I do not think any other citizens except Official Licenced Radio Hams and spies could use the air waves!

Never mind the use of linear amps...

 

What did the Government peversly do?

Instead of legalizing 27Mhz AM it made the UK a special case with 27Mhz FM on different frequencies that had to be stamped on the front indicating their "legality" - different from every other country in the world!

 

How will the current change fit into the rest of the world's VHF/UHF systems - will it again be a UK special or is there a European level of consensus?

[Guest lightnix]

A couple of questions...

 

If the National Union of Journalists are really supporting this campaign, how come a search of Google News for Save Our Sound yields only two results? You'd have thought that at least one national newspaper might have carried something somewhere - even if it wasn't on the front page.

 

What about the BBC? You might also have thought that they'd have had something to say about it, what with them using all those radio mics and all that; but there's nothing on the BBC website at all - anywhere

 

Nice to see Harvey Goldsmith on board, but has anyone told Simon Cowell what's going on? If anyone can make the public sit up and take notice for five seconds, it's him http://www.smileyvault.com/albums/misc/smiley-vault-misc-053.gif

 

 

 

e2a... Is there anywhere I can get a car sticker or two? Or some leaflets - or even a PDF poster that can be printed out and stuck up on a wall??

[boswell]

Where have they been the last few years?

It's a bit late now to wake up and start shouting at the last minute. The digital revolution started in my area this month and will be completed by December and I still don't know what freqs I can use from December 2009.

This years Panto will use our existing channels and we will just see if we get interfered with!

We have been shafted due to the comparative lack of protest from the industry.

HMG can only see the 2012 Olympics and £££ from the sell off, after that, they don't care (they prob won't be in government anyway!!)

[drowner77]

Where have they been the last few years?

It's a bit late now to wake up and start shouting at the last minute. The digital revolution started in my area this month and will be completed by December and I still don't know what freqs I can use from December 2009.

This years Panto will use our existing channels and we will just see if we get interfered with!

We have been shafted due to the comparative lack of protest from the industry.

HMG can only see the 2012 Olympics and £££ from the sell off, after that, they don't care (they prob won't be in government anyway!!)

 

I have just sent an email to my MP, as I have nearly £10,000 invested in Audix and Sennheisser mics and in ear systems.. To replace any of them now, especially if I had to buy them new would cost probably more than double that and I cannot afford it..

 

However, as someone else has pointed out this craven and myopic government won;t do a blessed thing and I fear that we are --to coin a phrase-- "pissing up a rope" on this one...

[Guest lightnix]

Where have they been the last few years?

It's a bit late now to wake up and start shouting at the last minute...

To be fair, boswell, the British Entertainment Industry Radio Group (BEIRG) has been on the case for the last five years; steadily plugging away at Ofcom and the JFMG in whatever spare time they had left, after running their various companies and businesses. Where were you?

 

Maybe whoever gets the audio contract for the party political conferences next year, can make a point by forcing them all to use wired, handheld mics

[boswell]

I accept that BEIRG have been active in this but it's the other supporters of "Save our Sound" that have been complacent, why wait until now to start shouting. They should have been much more vocal earlier. As a small user, no one will listen to me, all I can do is sign petitions, take part in consultation and write to MPs etc (which I have done) It's the big boys that should have got their backsides into gear and started lobbying/making a fuss ages ago, when all this was suggested.

[Big Dave]

I accept that BEIRG have been active in this but it's the other supporters of "Save our Sound" that have been complacent, why wait until now to start shouting. They should have been much more vocal earlier. As a small user, no one will listen to me, all I can do is sign petitions, take part in consultation and write to MPs etc (which I have done) It's the big boys that should have got their backsides into gear and started lobbying/making a fuss ages ago, when all this was suggested.

 

I think you'll find they have by being members of, and supporting BEIRG. There have been a lot of people working hard trying to do something about this situation. I can remember being in a room at the Hamersmith Novotel three years ago along with representatives of nearly all the major audio companies discussing the situation with a guy from OFCOM explaining their position.

 

When the very first OFCOM consultation came out, the PSME group hardly got a mention. We are in a much better position than were - We''re just not there yet!

[kerry davies]

Those members who have been following this fiasco from day one know that BEIRG members include "the big boys" and that the "other supporters" like the PSA, PLASA etc have been trying to maintain lines of communication with OFCOM for what seems to be ever. Manufacturers, end-users and trade associations have spent a lot of time, effort and money since BEIRG got together almost exactly 5 years ago.

As Lightnix asks: "Where were you?" It is not too late to join one of the associations representing you, BEIRG itself or to get on board the Save Our Sound campaign and turn those negatives into positives. If nothing else at least people will have moaned at the relevant organisations.

As Boswell states, the digital revolution is already here and by the end of 2012 will affect everybody using the equipment so maybe those users complaining should have been a little more aware...the so-called "big boys" are and have been for years!

 

Edit: That Novotel meeting was as part of the PSA's AGM and some of the biggest "names" in the industry gave the OFCOM representative no room for doubting their feelings. I loved it!

[boswell]

I obviously have not explained my point of view clearly enough.

The small users do not have any power, a lot of them don't even know its going to happen!

The big users, as well as the lobbying, meetings etc should have been jumping up & down and getting LOTS of media attention on a regular basis for years, its no good setting up 'Save our Sound' campaign now the DDR is in progress, it should have happened years ago. The horse is out of the stable and the door is almost closed.

They should have brought it into the media spotlight every month, all theatres could have had notices in their progs etc, run some events on wired mics etc

all to create publicity. Most small users (Churches, Pubs, DJs, small amdram) still don't know about the existence of BEIRG or the DDR. Ofcom & HMG have (in my opinion) deliberately kept Joe Public in the dark to avoid any backlash. Wait until a big football match can't find radio mics for the match officials! but by then it's too late.

 

 

Ofcom & HMG are only interested in making sure there are enough radio mics for 2012, after that they don't care and it's too late to start shouting. /rant

 

I feel better now, made a bad day feel better :)

[AndyL]

I obviously have not explained my point of view clearly enough.

The small users do not have any power, a lot of them don't even know its going to happen!

Actually that's rubbish, the small users have the most power of all because there are more of them. More people equals more votes at election time, more MP's to write to.

...a lot of them don't even know its going to happen!

And as someone who is apparently so well informed, you have done precisely what to help the situation?

The big users, as well as the lobbying, meetings etc should have been jumping up & down and getting LOTS of media attention on a regular basis for years, its no good setting up 'Save our Sound' campaign now the DDR is in progress, it should have happened years ago.

You can only get media attention if the media show interest in the subject. Just because something is important to a sector of the community and they issue press releases does not mean that the media will give it any coverage no matter how often the press releases are sent out. Ask yourself how many newspapers this story will sell. The subject has received coverage in the main stream press from time to time over the last five years but 'spectrum' isn't exactly a sexy subject so it probably wasn't on the front page of any of the tabloids. Radio mic users don't buy much newspaper advertising either but I'm sure that has nothing to do with anything. As for the broadcasters, they have other problems to contend with, not least the fact that the same regulator that is reponsible for spectrum is also responsible for regulating the broadcasters.

 

The main thrust of the campaign is not to halt DSO or any such thing, the point is to secure proper funding for all users, big or small, that will be forced to re-equip through no fault of their own. Most importantly Channel 69 wasn't under any threat until December 2008. Thanks to all the campaigning by BEIRG and others, prior to that date Ofcom had recognised the importance of Channel 69 to the industry and had stated repeatedly their intentention that Channel 69 would continue to be available for PMSE use after DSO, so the majority of radio mic users were comparatively safe. However in Dec 08 that all changed. So this particular campaign could not have been started 'years ago' because there would not have been anything to campain about. So long as Channel 69 remained 'safe' the number of radio mic users affected by DSO was comparatively small, albeit that they were the 'big users'. The need for this campaign only became clear following the recent Ofcom funding consultation.

...all theatres could have had notices in their progs etc, run some events on wired mics etc

Obviously you at least arranged for these things to happen at Southport Dramatic Club, right?

 

I'm so glad that your rant made you feel better but I don't find it helpful. If you aren't part of the solution....

[paulears]

That's a tad unfair - I was involved in the surveys that were carried out, when was that, a couple of years ago. After that, I heard nothing whatsoever - yet they had my name, contact details and phone numbers. I'd never heard of the BEIRG until I read about them on here, and now get the odd email from them. I've expressed my concern to whoever wanted it, but I too feel that as a small user, nobody is talking to me. I have a license that's been running for years, yet I've had no information from JFMG or the Government about the thing at all!

 

It is clear that the Government simply wish to not stir the waters. That said, Shure, Sennheiser, Trantec and the other lesser know brands have established distribution chains. It would be possible to use the dealers to contact their user base in the same way they would handle a product recall. This would cost, but there again, they could offer discounted (or not) re-tunes, and turn it into a sales advantage. "Did you know the radio microphone system you bought from us will shortly be declared illegal to use by the Government? We can re-tune it at a special price of £xx, or offer you an upgrade to the latest ABC at a special price"

 

I'm afraid that saying how terrible it will be for shows in the West End and how sad it will be that people won't be able to hear them doesn't work with people like us. If The massed pressure from the big manufacturers cannot do anything, I really cannot see ordinary people who use mics occasionally being very bothered.

 

Only yesterday, I spoke to a singer who had dropped her microphone and the shop were attempting to sell her a proper Shure system, not the nasty beginners one she has been using (A G2 Senn!!) at a cost of £650. No mention of lifespan, or any of the problems to come. If the shops don't know, or simply just want to carry on flogging kit, I really can't see many MPs getting letters they'll pay attention to?