CMFE and AMARC Europe received, on 6 February, a response on behalf of European Commissioner Neelie Kroes, on our letter dated 19 December 2011 titled: "Threats and concerns of local and community media towards the adoption of a single standard for digital radio: Let us not leave community radio behind in the digital revolution'".

The Center for Media and Communication Studies (CMCS)  of the Central European University in Budapest announces the release of the new study. Led by researcher Amy Brouillette it analyses the consistency of the Hungarian media regulations with European practices and norms. It addresses a key international policy debate regarding the conformity of Hungary’s new media legislation to European and EU media-regulation standards.

The study also contributes to the ongoing policy making process regarding Hungary’s media laws—particularly in light of the recent rulings by Hungary’s Constitutional Court which requires several provisions to be amended by 31 May 2012—as well as contributing to the debate around other areas of concern that have been raised by the European Commission, European lawmakers, and domestic and international stakeholders.

The Government of Sweden has commissioned the Broadcast Media Authority to investigate if community radio is being commercially exploited. The authority should consider and, if necessary, propose changes in the legal framework or other changes in order to stop misuse of community radio. The investigation should be completed 15 October, 2012. For several years private interests have taken over community radio licences via proxies posing as “non-profit associations”. In this way an informal commercial radio sector has been established. Today, 25 out of 130 community radio stations (närradio) are privately and commercially operated in Sweden. As they are formally community radio stations, they are not legally bound to pay the annual concession fee imposed on the official commercial radio stations.

Community radio is of importance for the civil society. If community radio licences are used for commercial means this will put associations at risk of losing community radio, says Culture and Media Minister Lena Adelsohn Liljeroth. It can also distort competition in the commercial radio market, she says. In a letter in May this year, the pan-european organization Community Media Forum Europe alerted the Swedish government on this issue. Internationally it is widely recognized that community radio stations should be non-profit operations for the benefit of citizens and associations in local communities (the third media sector).

Pieter de Wit, President of CMFE, contributed to the conference "Digital broadacsting in Europe: technical, legal and regulatory aspects" held in Kiev on 27 October 2011. He stressed the growing acceptance of DRM+ next to DAB+ as a solution for local and regional radio.

Even EBU now accepts Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM)* as member of the ‘DAB family of standards’. Also the Australian government showed, in their report from 12 October 2011, a preference for DRM and DRM+, above HD Radio, to be used to supplement DAB+ services in (some) local and regional areas.

> Download the full contribution from Pieter de Wit, including with links to cited documents

* Since March 2011, CMFE is an Associate Member of the Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) Consortium