Rycote Open day

Thank you to Rycote in Stroud for their open day hospitality today, bargains were had, tea was drunk and cake was eaten. In addition they are a lovely, helpful company who know more than anyone about microphone mounts and windshielding. You can have a look for yourself at http://www.rycote.com/

University of Bath and Wiltshire College

The University of Bath and Wiltshire College are holding an on line open week for the Foundation Degree in Digital Media Arts. This open week takes place from Monday 22 March to Friday 26 March during which time you will be able to:

* find out more about the course
* get a feel for the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE)
* view resources and teaching methods
* join in with discussions between current students, tutors and other prospective students
* be inspired to apply for 2010!

Please go to www.bath.ac.uk/learning-partnerships/foundationdegree/online-open-weeks to register you interest and for more information.

Further information and login details to access the VLE will be sent to you during the week commencing Monday 15 March 2010. In the meantime, if you have any other queries please contact:

Caroline Thomas
Marketing Assistant
Division for Lifelong Learning

Email: crt28(at)bath.ac.uk
Telephone: 01225 383126.

Address :
Claverton Down
Bath
BA2 7AY

Ebay sound and photographic clearout!

Some have gone but there are still some of my sound and photographic cupboard clearout items on ebay.
Check out http://shop.ebay.co.uk/soundmary/m.html or search for the user name soundmary for details.

BBC Vision Intake Pool - getting into TV

I'm sometimes asked about routes into television and have to answer that the career structure can be a bit random. However courtesy of South West Screen whose newsletter often contains a lot of useful information I can tell you that the BBC have just announced this scheme:

BBC Vision Intake Pool

The BBC is always on the look out for talented people who can help us produce great material that entertains, educates and informs. BBC’s Vision Productions, which produces shows such as Coast, Spring Watch, Question of Sport, The One Show, Top Gear and Blue Peter runs the Vision Intake Pool as an entry route into the BBC.

Starting at the end of March and running for one year, it provides a great introduction to the media industry offering roles as Runners or Production Management Assistants in one of the industry’s most creative and respected media production teams.

It’s not a training scheme and although it doesn’t guarantee a job, you’ll become part of a pool of people who can be called on to fulfil a range of short-term contracts.
Previous television experience is not necessary and we welcome applications from people with a diverse range of experiences and backgrounds.

For those currently in education, entry into the pool can be deferred until after graduation.

Applications to be received by 31 January.
For more information and details on the roles available visit bbc.co.uk/jobs/vip

Call 0370 333 1330
Textphone 02890 328 478

Media Training Courses available in the South West - with possible 80% bursary!

PUSH: driving creative media professionals forward

PUSH is a brand new style of training for creative media professionals. It’s all about taking your skills to a higher level and helping you stay ahead of the game in these competitive times.

It is a series of short course modules aimed at people with a minimum of 2 years’ industry experience. They were designed with industry input and are taught by industry professionals.

n partnership with Skillset, South West Screen is pleased to be able to offer three fantastic learning and networking opportunities to get you ahead in 2010:

Storytelling Across Platforms, 25–26 Feb 2010
Developing the art of good storytelling in a landscape of multiplatform commissioning and delivery.

Multiplatform Deliverables, 11–12 Mar 2010
Meeting needs for up-to-the-minute technical skills in a world of multiplatform and multipurpose content. Please note the dates for this course have changed from 28th / 29th Jan.

Managing Creative Teams, 22–23 Mar 2010
Teaching essential management skills in the language of creative media industries.

These 2-day workshops for TV professionals also offer limited online support for up to four weeks afterwards, so there’s advice at hand when you start putting your new skills into practice.

And you may be entitled to claim a Skillset bursary to cover up to 80% of the cost! Bursaries are available to eligible freelancers and employees working in TV.

For more information on eligibility and how to apply, click on the individual titles above.

Bristol Media are also running three Multiplatform Training Courses in Bristol in 2010:
Introduction to Multiplatform and Social Networking
Shooting for the Web
Re-purposing TV content for Multiplatform
Click here for more information.

FOR SALE - various sound and photographic bits and bobs

It's been a cold icy day in Bristol today so I have spent the afternoon clearing out the cupboard and putting a few bit and pieces on ebay. There's a few things there now and there will a few more going on between 8 and 10 tonight. Some NP1 chargers, SLR camera kit and more DAT tapes included. There's even some very old carbon copy sound report sheets which seem impossible to get now!

Check out http://shop.ebay.co.uk/soundmary/m.html or search for the user name soundmary for details.

Happy New Year from OFCOM (well sort of!)

JFMG have sent emails today (4th Jan 2010), following on from letters last week to Channel 69 Wireless Microphone Licence holders.

The email is less clear, but the letters say that all shared Channel 69 licences issued from today will also include shared use of Channel 38 (606-614 MHz). There are however still areas where Channel 38 is not available in order to protect radio astronomy (Cheshire and Cambridgeshire). JFMG are providing a web check tool to help identify these areas, additionally in these areas frequencies from Channels 39/40 will be made available but you must check in advance which frequencies are available in a particular location. Protection for radio astronomy ends on Jan 1st 2012 when I assume channel 38 will be available countrywide and use of 39/40 will be withdrawn from the shared licence.

It's not clear whether anyone who currently has a licence for channel 69 can swap this for a new channel 38/39/40/69 shared licence at no additional cost - unless they have recently renewed a licence that was due to expire on or after 4th Jan 2010.

No mention is made of when or what funding will be available for the change over. I can't imagine that many freelancers will want to hand over their channel 69 mics in exchange for funding (assuming this is how it will work) before channel 38 is available all over the country or am I missing something?

I've heard that at least one person has got very confusing information when calling JFMG and being told they need two licences - one for 69 and one for 38 at additional cost. It does seem rather unfair if new licences will include all the frequencies but the old ones cost the same but don't. All the relevant letters are available online (links below).

Channel 69 Shared Licence letter
Channel 69 Co-ordinated letter
Channel 38 letter
Channel 40 letter

**UPDATE Please read Paul Gill's comment on this post which clears up the confusion...

New Kid on the Blog!

Colleague Andy Leonard has recently started his own blog. As well as being a Lighting Cameraman based in Bristol, Andy is also a steadycam and polecam operator. Check out his blog to see what he's been up to.

Save Our Sound - write to your MP!

The Save Our Sound website is spearheading a letter writing campaign to MPs to highlight the current lack of a fair compensation scheme for current users of the radio mic channels which are about to be cleared by OFCOM.

Save Our Sound have provided a set of templates for letters to MPs so there's no excuse not to make your voice heard! Get downloading and write!

If you don't know who your local MP is, find out here.

O2, iPhones, unlocking and Asda mobile

As I've mentioned in a previous post O2 will now unlock your iPhone. It's free if you are on contract and £15 on PAYG. However on PAYG they won't unlock until you have had the phone for a year. If you are on contract you'll still have to pay up until the end of your contract.

I can confirm that the process works. I'm on a contract, filled in the online form and after about a week recieved a text telling me that me phone was now unlocked. To complete the process you have to put an non-O2 sim into the phone and connect to iTunes. iTunes then confirms the unlock. Reading other forums it seems that there have been a few problems with the online form and some people have had their request to unlock rejected. This has led to a certain amount of paranoia amongst those who have jailbroken their phones that this maybe the reason. Further reading seems to prove that's not the case and that resummitting the online form solves the problem. It does not seem that O2 can detect jailbroken phones as part of the unlock process.

I've tried sims from Orange, Vodaphone, Three and an Isle of Man O2 card in my phone and they all work as does my original O2 sim. It's going to be really useful next time I want to use my phone abroad as I'll be able to use a local sim card.

One thing you'll need to unlock your phone is an O2 sim as the online form needs an O2 number to be inputted. It does appear though that this doesn't have to be the same number as you originally purchased with the phone. Although whether the year on PAYG is measured via the Sim or the IMEI on the phone I wouldn't know.

I've found the iPhone very useful for work. I've stopped printing out call sheets now I can have them available on my phone. The email works brilliantly and the maps have helped me out of a hole more than once. It's very useful to be able to check while at work that the call sheet has arrived for the following day without having to wait until I get home. If I'm a passenger in a car anytime during the day I can sometimes catch up on the more important emails then saving me time at the end of the day. So many hotels have wifi now that it makes the internet very easy to use while on the road.

Leisure time wise my favourite app has to be the Cleartune instrument tuner which as great to have with me all the time.

In short I've found the iPhone a brilliant piece of kit. The brief dealings I've had with O2 customer service also seem to be good. My only gripe is with the network coverage which even on 2G does not seem to be as comprehensive as either Orange or Vodaphone. My standby sim - on Asda mobile which uses the vodaphone network seems a real winner both for network and price 8p calls and texts and fairly reasonable data costs also. A bargain if PAYG is what you are looking for and it now works in my iPhone for those moments when O2 is out of network.

http://shop.o2.co.uk/update/unlockmyiphone.html

In Praise of... channel 69

Fantastic editorial in today's Guardian

The Guardian, Tuesday 17 November 2009

With the possible exception of Britney Spears and Madonna,
few would die for a wireless microphone. But you would be
wrong to think it is not a subject capable of stoking passion.
Much of the live entertainment industry in Britain, along
with sports events, conferences and community events, will
be affected by an Ofcom plan to auction off the radio
frequencies upon which the industry depends.

The frequencies, known collectively as channel 69, were
originally exempted from the large block of spectrum being
freed up as the country switches from analogue to digital TV.
But such is the potential value of this prime bit of frequency
real estate for mobile broadband that the government could
not resist kicking the entertainments industry off this
channel.

Ofcom plans to move all current users on to a different
channel, but that is not the point. In the process, everyone
will have to throw away their old radio mics and buy new ones.
This is worth tens of millions of pounds, and Ofcom is
promising to refund only the residual value of the equipment
it is junking, not the replacement value. Many involved in live
music are operating on low margins and, in the case of
charitable and community organisations, no margins at all.
Much of the equipment is owned by small, specialist firms,
which could go bust. One of two things has got to happen.
Either Ofcom extends the period left to use microphones on
the old frequencies, or the government should pay up.

iPhone

I thought I'd check out blogging from the iPhone as it seems like there claims to be an app for most things at the moment!

Blogpress seems to offer quite a neat little solution to blogging on the go. Currently only allows you to edit posts made in the last 30 days but that may not be important to you. For adding new posts while "out in the field" it feels like it will do the job.

While on the subject of the iphone I have to say that while I love the phone itself, in the UK I'm more than a little unimpressed with O2's coverage. After a couple of months on the network and travelling around the country a fair bit I've found a lack of places where O2 works and others don't and many where others are chatting away on their phones and I have "no service". However it works better in my house than the Three network which was terrible and had awful customer service to boot.

Those on O2 might be interested to know that O2 have quietly announced that they will unlock the phones of those on contract for free and those on PAYG for £15. Those under contrct to O2 will still be in contract and have to pay till the end but at least will be able to place other SIMs in the phone while abroad or while spending any length of time in dead areas.

On the subject of iPhone unlocking, if you aren't on O2 there are a lot of websites out there that will charge you money for unlocking your phone. They all use programmes freely available from the iPhone dev team so if this interests you, look at their blog, have a google around and you may be able to unlock yourself for free. In order to unlock your phone this way you have to "jailbreak" it first. There is plenty of info on the dev teams blog and elsewhere about how to do this but there's debate about whether or not it's legal to do so..

BEIRG statement on Channel 69 Funding Consultation

BEIRG SAY “THOSE WHO DO NOTHING WILL LOSE OUT!”

The following is the text of the BEIRG statement:

"It is Vital that all PMSE users that will be affected by the consultation get involved and respond. BEIRG will provide as much assistance as we can, but at this stage PMSE equipment owners and users now have to get involved and make your voices heard.

On 30 June 2009, Ofcom published a statement setting out their decision to clear the entire 800 MHz band. This means that if you have wireless equipment such as radio microphones and/or in-ear monitors which operate in channels 61-69, they will be rendered obsolete by 2012/2013.

Enforced eviction of PMSE from the 800 MHz band will therefore result in major cost implications for all those that own affected equipment. Ofcom and the Government agreed to the principle of putting a funding mechanism in place to cover the costs of migration by paying to replace affected equipment.

Last week, Ofcom published a consultation – Clearing the 800 MHz band; Funding for programme making and special events - setting out their proposals by which PMSE equipment owners will be eligible for funding, and under what criteria. These criteria fall a long way short of what is required. Owners of ALL PMSE equipment MUST respond to this consultation document if they are to stand any chance of being able to change the limited and narrow nature of the eligibility criteria that Ofcom has set out.

The only way that users stand any chance of effecting changes to the current proposals is by speaking up NOW! Ofcom Funding Consultation Document Here

*WHAT OFCOM SAY*

Key funding proposals:

Who/which equipment will be eligible for funding under the current proposals set out by the consultation? -

Equipment hire companies that did not need to be licensed should be eligible for funding, subject to providing clear verifiable evidence that renting, not operating, PMSE equipment is the basis of their operations. - Aside from the exception of rental companies, only those who held a channel 69 license on 2 February 2009 or during the previous 12 months will be eligible, subject to verification by the JFMG licensing database.

Only equipment that was purchased before 2nd February 2009 or was bought between 2nd February 2009 and 30th June 2009 for ‘compelling’ reasons will be eligible with various demanding justifications.

Only equipment that is tuneable to channel 69 will be considered as eligible for funding subject to strict criteria.

Who/which equipment will *NOT* be eligible for funding under the current proposals set out by the consultation?

Equipment purchased after 30 June 2009. It is Ofcom’s view that their new ‘bandplan’ for channels 38-40 will mean that nobody will need to buy channel 69 equipment again. - Those who did not have a channel 69 licence on 2nd February or up to 12 months before and had no legitimate reasons for allowing licences to lapse - Equipment that is not tuneable to channel 69 (unless there are ‘compelling reasons’ otherwise). Ofcom’s position is that although equipment that is tuneable to channels 61-68 is being affected (rendered obsolete) by the clearance of the 800 MHz band, only channel 69 gear will be eligible because they believe that they have provided sufficient termination of access notice for channels 61-68.

How much will equipment owners be allowed to claim?

Ofcom are proposing that the amounts involved will be based on the residual value of the equipment for the period starting on January 1st 2012 until the end of its ‘useful life’ with the end of 2018 as a cut-off date (Under this proposal, there will be a maximum residual value of any equipment of 7 years). Ofcom’s reasoning for this is that users would not have reasonably expected to be able to use channel 69 after this date. - There are other detailed questions and proposals on methodology of equipment valuation and funding calculation that need to be addressed


*WHAT BEIRG SAY*

While we welcome the fact that Ofcom consider that the PMSE community warrants a 51-page funding consultation document, disappointingly the content falls way short of what BEIRG had been expecting to see. We are effectively being ‘evicted’ from channel 69, along with the rest of the 800 MHz band on very sharp terms. The current proposals relating to funding eligibility and timing of eligibility are in BEIRG’s view totally unacceptable.

Owners of licensed equipment that operates on channel 69, and any other equipment that will be affected by the clearance of the 800MHz band, should be compensated in FULL, on a ‘new for old’ basis. This situation has been forced onto the industry, and users should not have to bear any costs associated with being moved to a new home.

Indeed the Digital Britain report stated; "The Government is committed to the timely release of 800 spectrum and will work with Ofcom to understand and meet the technical challenges. It has already endorsed Ofcom’s proposal setting out its plans to clear channels 61, 62 and 69. The Government will facilitate this replanning and will meet the costs incurred by broadcasters and PMSE users as a result of these changes." Not some of the costs or a share the costs or a proportion of the costs.

Again – ‘The Government will meet the costs incurred by broadcasters and PMSE users.’ And PMSE equipment is in use across frequency channels 61-69 inclusive. All of the work that BEIRG has been doing over the past few years has ensured that the PMSE industry has been recognised, marked out and given ‘special status’. Ofcom has recognised that the diverse and disparate nature of our industry means that we are not capable of competing in a free, open spectrum market.

However it now seems that by dropping so many caveats into the funding eligibility criteria, Ofcom and the Government are going to make it extremely difficult for honest, hard-working PMSE users to claim what BEIRG believes they should be morally entitled to. PMSE owners and users should not be forced into increased levels of debt just to stay in business as a result of the 800 MHz clearance plan.

New users of the 800 MHz band will have everything to gain while existing users under current proposals will have everything to lose. BEIRG will of course put together a response to this consultation, which we would suggest all PMSE users then utilise as the basis for their own individual responses. Please send an email to alun(at)ranelagh.info if you wish to receive a copy of the BEIRG response once it is complete.

This process that has been forced on us has no benefit to the industry, only cost whereas every other potential user has a new business opportunity to build/grow/improve their busineses. It is imperative that ALL equipment owners that will be affected RESPOND to this consultation. This is the part of the process that we need your help with if we are to stand any chance of getting you what you deserve, not just what they are prepared to offer. BEIRG will also put together a response to this consultation, which we would suggest all PMSE users then utilise as the basis for their own individual responses.

If you have any questions about this consultation or any other spectrum related issues then please do one or all of the following:
• Join the BEIRG Group on Linkedin http://www.linkedin.com
• Join BEIRG if you are not already a member http://www.beirg.org.uk

A Problem with Noise - Radio Four - 20th August

This sounds like a very interesting upcoming programme on Radio Four.

A Problem with noise

Thursday 20th August 21:00 on BBC Radio 4

Wildlife sound recordist Chris Watson investigates the man-made noise pollution which is becoming increasingly invasive in our lives and in our environment, affecting both humans and wildlife. He explores what noise is, the impact of man-made noise and the possible long-term consequences if we don't turn the volume down.

In the oceans, increasing levels of background noise is disrupting long-distance communication among whales. On land, studies of Great Tits have revealed how birds near busy roads sing at higher frequencies than those in nearby quieter woodlands.

In 1996 the European Commission issued a Green Paper which stated that an estimated 20 per cent of all EU citizens were exposed to noise levels that scientists and health experts considered to be unacceptable, at which most people become annoyed, sleep is disturbed and health may be at risk. Noise is a health issue as well as a nuisance. Recent studies have demonstrated excessive risks of hypertension in people living near airports, even when asleep.

Following the Green Paper, the European Commission issued a directive for member states to map noise levels of major cities. Today, noise, like air and water pollution, is an environmental issue which governments and policy makers cannot ignore.

Chris discovers that education is the first step in taking personal responsibility when he explores the potential damage of exposure to loud music in public venues or on personal listening devices.

OFCOM and Channel 69 - the latest

Yesterday the following email was sent to licensed users of channel 69

14/08/09 Funding proposals for the move from Ch69 to Ch38 revealed

On 30 July 2009 Ofcom confirmed Ch38 would replace Ch69 during 2012 and that a funding mechanism would be put in place to help those affected by the move.

Ofcom have now published a further consultation: ‘clearing the 800MHz band’ focussing on more detailed points regarding eligibility and the methodology for calculating funding. It also discusses timing and licensing issues surrounding the move to Ch38.

The main proposals are as follows:

Eligibility
Users who will be eligible for funding under the proposals:

· users who purchased before 2 February 2009 equipment capable of tuning to Ch69 but not Ch38; and were also in possession of a valid Ch69 licence after 2 February 2008;
· licensed users who needed to buy Ch69 equipment between 2 February 2009 and 30 June 2009;
· Rental companies

Users who will not be eligible for funding under the proposals:

· Ch31 – 37 and Ch60 – 68 users;
· users whose equipment does not tune to Ch69;
· users whose equipment tunes to 69 but also tunes to Ch38;
· users who have never held a licence to operate Ch69;
· users who purchase Ch69 equipment after 30 June 2009

Residual value of equipment

Under the proposals:

· Funding will be based on the residual value of PMSE equipment in 2012;
· Ofcom propose that funding will not be given for residual value of equipment past 2018

Licensing arrangements

· Ofcom propose to include access to frequencies from Ch39 and 40 in the shared licence arrangements for Ch38 to provide a solution to the issue of providing UK-wide access prior to the UK-wide availability of Ch38
· Ofcom also seek views on the options for new licensing arrangements for Ch38 as detailed on the JFMG website: http://www.jfmg.co.uk/Pages/News/Moving_69.htm

This is only a 5 week consultation so please take the time to look at it and send your thoughts to Ofcom by 11/09/2009. In addition why not take part in the discussion on our PMSE forum. We will gather the feedback and ensure that Ofcom are fully aware of all views expressed.

I and others I'm sure will be concerned by the use of the phrase "Funding will be based on the residual value of PMSE equipment in 2012" as that indicates to me a very minimal sum for many of us that will not get us back to the position we were in before the changes.

Add to this the fact that Channel 38 is not yet available to us anyway and you have a very difficult situation for the radio mic manufacturers and recordists alike.

In addition to the links above a questionnaire can be filled in at http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/pmse_funding/howtorespond/form which I urge people to do.