CMFE has responded to the Draft Report 141 published by the Electronic Communications Committee (ECC) within the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT), named Future possibilities for the digitalisation of band II (87.5 - 108 mhz).

'Concerning CMFE, its users, the audience and the radio stations should handle digitalisation of the FM-band very carefully since the FM-technology is a very mature system that is highly appreciated - Pieter de Wit, President of CMFE stated - It is a simple and flexible system and very cost effective. FM-receivers are cheap, compact and widespread: every household has several receivers.

CMFE recognises also that the amount of frequencies, available within the existing FM-band, is not enough to fulfil the need of all aspirant radio organizations. Community radios often lack proper access to FM. On the one hand because all frequencies are already used by (and technically planned for) public and/or commercial radios, but on the other hand also often by the lack of proper legal recognition and the lack of urgency to provide adequate frequencies and to use proper planning mechanism to meet the needs of (often small scale) FM-frequencies for community radios.

Digital sound broadcasting can contribute to solve this kind of problems. It is necessary then, that this new systems build on the advantages of existing FM technique and that a smooth transition is provided. The existing analogue FM cannot be switched off before the new digital system is fully accepted by audiences. This process therefore needs a transition period in where both analogue and digital broadcasting of existing radios is possible.

Representatives of the non profit media sector voiced their views about a draft decree on the audiovisual sector on a public hearing hosted by the Catalan government (Generalitat de Catalunya) and the media regulator, the Audiovisual Council of Catalunya (Consell Audiovisual de Catalunya), at a meeting held in Barcelona on 10 December 2009. CMFE's Board member Núria Reguero (first speaker on the left in the picture, with the Consell de l’Audiovisual de Catalunya’s adviser, D. Comas and the Catalan Assembly for Social Communication’s representative, L. Bergés, source: El Triangle) was invited to comment on the decree’s contents, together with speakers from the Catalan Association of Social Communication, during a round table devoted to the third sector’s view. Other round tables were organised representing the Government, the academy and the commercial sector points of view.