AndyL Posted December 8, 2009 Share Posted December 8, 2009 By now you are probably aware of the SAVE OUR SOUND UK campaign. The objective is to secure a fair compensation package for all those whose radio mics (and/or IEM's) will need to be replaced as a consequence of the UHF spectrum sell-off. Whether you own existing equipment or not, this is a huge issue for all activities and events that depend on these technologies. Pressure from Parliament AND YOUR MP is now critical to help persuade the Government to do what is required. Last week, Peter Luff MP tabled a Motion in the House of Commons. This has already been signed by several supportive MPs, including two Select Committee Chairmen. The Motion calls upon the Government to provide a compensation package that covers all fifteen spectrum channels being cleared, and at levels that cover the full costs of replacing existing equipment with like-for-like alternatives:Early Day Motion number 323, called ‘SAVE OUR SOUND UK campaign’ Clearly, we need as many MPs to sign the Motion as possible, and the industry needs to persuade them to do it. Therefore, I urge you to write to or e-mail your local MP. All you need to do is the following: 1. Identify your local MP. If you do not know who this is, then simply type your postcode into this page on the UK Parliament website: http://findyourmp.parliament.uk/ 2. Personalise and adapt one of the sample letters which can be downloaded from the Save Our Sound website here:http://saveoursound.wordpress.com/write-to-your-mp/ Choose the letter that best suits your situation and your circumstances. The options are: a. Equipment owner b. Equipment owner and user c. Equipment user but not owner d. Freelance sound engineer non-owner e. General concern 3. Once your letter is complete, either send it to your constituency MP by post or e-mail it across. E-mail addresses can also be found on the UK Parliament website http://www.parliament.uk/mpslordsandoffice..._lords/alms.cfm 4. Some MPs cannot sign EDMs but most can. Follow up your letter with a phone call to your MP’s office if you do not receive a positive response. The constituent organisations of SOS UK can only do so much. It is now up to you to help save your business and your industry. Also, please circulate this e-mail to anyone you know (for example, anyone could send the ‘general concern’ letter). The more pressure the better. Please direct anyone with questions to the SAVE OUR SOUND UK website www.saveoursounduk.com It would be great to get this in front of as many MP's as possible before the house 'rises' next week. I am sure that at this time of year many people on the BR suddenly become much more aware of radio mics than they might be the rest of the year.... (Oh yes they do!! ) :blink: Thanks, Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave1022 Posted December 8, 2009 Share Posted December 8, 2009 Do you know if there are any online petitions set up to support this? As much as I'd love to send off a letter I don't have a printer at the moment and don't have the time to handwrite a letter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyL Posted December 8, 2009 Author Share Posted December 8, 2009 Do you know if there are any online petitions set up to support this?Not yet...Please watch this space! In the mean time, as Boswell says, you can just email your MP, no trees need be harmed in the process. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boac Posted December 8, 2009 Share Posted December 8, 2009 I'll be sending a letter to my MP. As a lampy I'm curious as to whether any of the wireless DMX systems will be affected by this mess? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulears Posted December 8, 2009 Share Posted December 8, 2009 I too, got off my bum for once and the process was simple. enter your post code to get your mps details, then fill in an on line form, then copy and paste the letter after personalising it. You then get a nice confirmation email saying your mp has got it. Rather simple, which surprised me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tolley1466 Posted December 8, 2009 Share Posted December 8, 2009 Do you know if there are any online petitions set up to support this? As much as I'd love to send off a letter I don't have a printer at the moment and don't have the time to handwrite a letter. E-mail your personalised letter and I'll send it via post :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyL Posted December 8, 2009 Author Share Posted December 8, 2009 As a lampy I'm curious as to whether any of the wireless DMX systems will be affected by this mess?You might want to ask the manufacturers of said wireless DMX systems about that, it will depend what radio frequencies their systems operate on. As far as I know they are probably not affected, but I'm not in the wireless DMX business! If they operate below 470MHz or above 862MHz then they aren't affected by this particular debacle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RustyBrooks Posted December 8, 2009 Share Posted December 8, 2009 On the flip side, I know that all this radio spectrum selling off is going to very very costly, but it has led to digital transmission for microphones to be developed, and, with increasing numbers of microphones being used on larger productions (over 40 frequencies on my last job with two dedicated techs) this will make our lives a whole lot easier, with less interference and easier set up... no componder noise when no input... Just a thought, though I'm not a wireless owner. Just want to try and be a devils advocate, see if there are any views from people who make and purchase as to the benifits... be interesting to hear your thought Andy? (Have written to MP too, so don't shout at me :) ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyL Posted December 9, 2009 Author Share Posted December 9, 2009 On the flip side, I know that all this radio spectrum selling off is going to very very costly, but it has led to digital transmission for microphones to be developed, and, with increasing numbers of microphones being used on larger productions (over 40 frequencies on my last job with two dedicated techs) this will make our lives a whole lot easier, with less interference and easier set up... no componder noise when no input... Just a thought, though I'm not a wireless owner. Just want to try and be a devils advocate, see if there are any views from people who make and purchase as to the benifits... be interesting to hear your thought Andy? (Have written to MP too, so don't shout at me ) The digital radio mic products that are around now, and many that have still to see the light of day, were in development well before any 'spectrum sell off' cast a gloomy shadow over our world. Was this recent production that you refer to using all digital radio mics? Either way, it doesn't matter whether your transmissions are digits or analogue if there are no frequencies that you can use. Cue somebody suggesting that 2.4GHz is the answer... :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RustyBrooks Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 All very much analogue Andy, just seeing if anybody had any info on where we are likely to go if (when) the powers that be sell our frequencies off for vast amounts of money... What's been done to get around it, yes I know that its doom and gloom, but there must be some possible solutions to the problems? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulears Posted December 11, 2009 Share Posted December 11, 2009 I've had a nice letter from my MP. he can't sign the EDM but is writing to the Minister on behalf of his constituent. If you wish to see the letter it's here. My MP is a whip, so as a member of the Government can't sign - which at first sounded a bit odd, but his letter indicates an approach my him may carry a little more weight? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyL Posted December 13, 2009 Author Share Posted December 13, 2009 I've had a nice letter from my MP. he can't sign the EDM but is writing to the Minister on behalf of his constituent. If you wish to see the letter it's here. My MP is a whip, so as a member of the Government can't sign - which at first sounded a bit odd, but his letter indicates an approach my him may carry a little more weight?Nice one Paul! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 I've had a nice letter from my MP. he can't sign the EDM but is writing to the Minister on behalf of his constituent. If you wish to see the letter it's here. My MP is a whip, so as a member of the Government can't sign - which at first sounded a bit odd, but his letter indicates an approach my him may carry a little more weight? Yep, my MP is a Cabinet member and is actually very good about responding to these kind of petitions (at least the office is ...). It all boils down to an EDM generally expressing disapproval with the Governments position on A Topic - so having cabinet members signing EDM's could be seen as a breach of Cabinet solidarity (whether or not you think that's a good thing is an entirely different topic not relevant to this topic or the Blue Room in general ...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pyramid Posted December 15, 2009 Share Posted December 15, 2009 At last! I've done something useful while I've been sat here on my bum! - Amending and emailing the letter is really easy. I've sent it to my MP, the PM, Ben Bradshaw(Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport).Also tried to email Lord Mandelson but his address(SoS for business, Innovation & Skills) is nowhere to be found! Lets rouse our elected representatives into action for us (if they ever do do that!) Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boatman Posted December 15, 2009 Share Posted December 15, 2009 ..Also tried to email Lord Mandelson but his address(SoS for business, Innovation & Skills) is nowhere to be found!.. If it follows the standard format try this: mandelsonp@parliament.uk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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