Media UK

Running an RSL

The RSL

A Restricted Service Licence is the easy way of realising your dream of having a radio station on air with the minimum formality and cost.

Anyone who has not been previously been prevented from doing so, or does not have a conviction for illegal broadcasting can set up and run a radio station in the UK for a maximum of 28 days++ twice a year, providing there are 4 clear months between successive broadcasts.

There are two basic types of RSL - the Short Term licence which runs for a continuous period; and the Long Term, where broadcasts are either made on separate days, such as football clubs' Match Days, or are at very low power as in the case of Hospitals and Colleges which transmit to a specific site only.

For the normal Short Term Restricted Service Licence, a simple form on the Ofcom website is completed and two copies are sent with an Application Fee of £400 to Ofcom, a minimum of six weeks before the broadcast is planned to start. Ofcom will not register or process your Application until the Application Fee is received.

Additionally, there is a requirement for £40 per day for the Wireless Telegraphy Act licence to use an allocated piece of the spectrum, plus £30 per day which goes to Ofcom as your authority to broadcast. These fees and the Application Fee are zero-rated for VAT and these two latter must be with Ofcom before a Licence can be issued to you. It is an offence to broadcast without having received your Licence.

Royalties to the three music Collection Agencies are also needed if music in any form is to be played on the station in the amount of £31.85 per day (if paid in advance) for the PRS author/composer royalties licence; and £35 per day for the PPL artist/performer royalty licence. In addition there is the MCPS production music/recording copyright licence per 28 days for an audience of up to 100,000 if paid in advance of £54,53. These three fees attract VAT at the current rate of 17.5%.

Thus the fees alone to operate a radio station for 28 days ++ are just short of £5,000.

++ Longer broadcast periods are permitted under certain circumstances. The Muslim Fast of Ramadhan is followed by the Festival of Eid for instance, and Ofcom will permit an RSL of 32 days' duration. Others have been permitted up to 90 days where the audience is very remote and widespread - such as in island communities.

Ofcom has always said it will treat requests for longer RSL periods on their merits, but very few licences for broadcasting in excess of any single 28-day period have been granted.

RSL Basics - Staff

Regardless of the purpose, running a successful RSL reflects positively on your ability to run a radio station. Unless you're lucky enough to be backed by one of the UK's major radio groups, most RSL organisers will find themselves doing the majority of the work, maybe even with the assistance of one or two other people.

Unlike the commercial stations, many RSL operators simply don't have the manpower to delegate functions such as Sales, Marketing & Engineering, this isn't to say that no RSL has them, but the ability to compile a *team* that can work together on the majority of the tasks facing you is imperative.

However it's best to sit down and compile a schedule of the shows you'd allocate for that broadcast, it'll give you a clear idea of how many people you'll need to fill them all. That way you can allocate "slots" if you wish and don't risk telling too many people that you want them involved, when in reality you may not have the capacity to give them a 3 to 4 hour show to make it worth their while.

So where do you find a team? Well the best place to start is right here on MediaUK - post an advert in the Volunteers Wanted section looking for help and watch your inbox grow! The best thing about RSLs is that they are ideal for finding the next generation of talent. You need staff and they most likely need experience. You may be lucky to attract a few ex-ILR jocks who would help no end in boosting your local profile and can assist with training rookie jocks.

In terms of remuneration - many RSLs simply cannot afford to pay presenters, so don't be afraid to be in the same situation. Most people will be happy for the experience of originating some material for a demo tape or fulfilling an ambition to get on air. However you are more likely to attract a higher calibre of talent if you are able to offer payment or even just expenses - state this clearly in your job advert if you are able to do this.

RSL Basics - Funding

Once you have your Radio Station planned and have started off down the road to launching, you must seek to acquire funding to pay for the legally required Broadcast & Music licences, as well as Studio & Transmission Equipment (Hire/Purchase) as well as other associated costs such as Marketing and Expenses.

Firstly, you MUST sit down and consider whether your RSL project is going to be a not-for-profit venture or not. It's crucial you decide this first of all as it matters a great deal with regard to the funding options available to you. Generally speaking, not-for-profit RSL/Community Radio projects can attract vast amounts of public sector funding if they are properly managed and constituted, this isn't the case with commercially-driven RSLs which would normally be ineligible for these funding schemes.

If, like many RSLs, you wish to become a not-for-profit project, then you must seek to constitute yourself as a not-for-profit enterprise. The vast majority of funders will simply not take you seriously if you do not have an official Constitution or Management Board - these are the vital factors that prove to many funders your organisation's non profit status.

A Constitution is a document which states the objectives and powers of an organisation. Essentially it isn't a legally binding document, but once adopted it does govern your organisation until it is otherwise amended or "un-adopted". Without this document, your organisation cannot declare itself a not-for-profit enterprise and as stated above, you would struggle immensely to secure funding without this. Your first port of call to acquire a constitution should be to your local Council for Voluntary Services - this is normally an independent organisation supported by your Local Authority that assists not-for-profit organisations and those working with the voluntary sector. They will be able to advise you on your obligations and in many cases will be able to draw up a Constitution for you - free of charge.

Once you have this, you must establish a Management Board. This board will govern the organisation during its existence under the terms of your constitution. The number of people you must appoint again depends on the terms of your consitution, which can vary from project to project, but as a general rule of thumb your organisation cannot be governed by any less than three people. You can normally have as many people as you want but a good tip is to try to ensure an odd number of members. This way you can almost always ensure that a decision can be made on crucial votes - avoiding the dreaded "split decision" of having a tied vote.

Once you've established your constitution and your Board - you can then seek public sector funding. Again speak to your local Council for Voluntary Services (CVS) and ask them to do a "Grantfinder" search - you will normally have to be a member of your local CVS to do this, but it varies from area to area. The Grantfinder database is a vast resource detailing funding schemes from your local area/region and the entire United Kingdom. CVS will assist you with using the Grantfinder programme, which will find suitable matches withy funders who could possibly support your project.

From then on you must find out information about each funder; get an application form and guidelines and start applying! A typical turnaround on a £5,000 funding scheme is 10 to 12 weeks, but this differs from funder to funder and the timescale from application to decision is normally listed on a funder's Grantfinder profile and/or on the funder's website.

Of course, just because you're a not-for-profit enterprise, it doesn't mean you can't seek commercial revenue; although you must bear in mind that under the terms of your Constitution, any profits you make must either be ploughed back into the organisation or donated to a local charity. Once you've acknowledged this, you can sell airtime just like any other RSL!

Here a few ideas to have a play with:- Go with your station plan to the local big car dealers. They want and need to be community-friendly. Ask if they would like to sponsor part of the station or a show or two, do the same with the local big supermarkets and the local papers. (The Breakfast Show with Davie Jones BMW - Taking you to work in style... The Drive Show with Sinsco Supermarket - It's your one-stop shop) Do a mock-up jingle and play it to the managers, talk to them about the community aspects of the station, flatter them, tell them how good it will be for them and ask them if they would like to join you at the outset for this exciting project.

This - hopefully along with a few local big businesses (look for the ones who advertise on ILR and the local paper) will get your finances and station off the ground.

RSL Basics - Equipment

So, you've gone through the rigmarole of finding funding and applying for your RSL to Ofcom - but where are you going to find equipment? and what kind of equipment will you need? There are several factors to consider here - firstly there's your budget. Nobody wants to spend a fortune on renting equipment but you must understand that the quality of your equipment WILL reflect on your station's sound and reputation. For example - using Winamp to play audio from the studio isn't really a realistic option; simply because it wasn't built with radio broadcasting in mind and will horribly expose your RSL to criticism and technical problems. So - the first tip to bear in mind is to get the RIGHT tools for the job.

You need to consider your needs. Do you really need a 24-channel mixing desk? Think about what the likely uses of your studio and what kind of equipment you need to satisfy that. There are a number of studio rental companies out there than can assist, advise and supply your equipment needs:

transplanUK - http://www.transplan.uk.com Radiquip - http://www.radiquip.co.uk Press Red - http://www.pressred.biz/ Station-Z - http://www.station-z.co.uk

In addition, you could try approaching groups that regularly broadcast RSL's - often they own their own equipment and may be willing to hire it out whilst it is sat idle. This may be a lower cost option than the commercial hire companies, although you may (but not necessarily) have to accept less 'back up' and less absolute technical expertise:

Cheshire FM - http://www.cheshirefm.com/

You'll find that most companies in this area will be only too pleased to give you as much help and advice as you need by e:mail or over the phone, because they are looking for your business.

You will also need to consider provision for transmission equipment - including getting your audio from your studio to your transmission site. Discuss this with your studio equipment provider who will be able to best advise you on what you'll need or refer you to a reputable company. Oh - and for future reference, the guy who installed your TV aerial probably won't be suitable for the job unless he is briefed by a reputable transmission provider and uses suitable hardware. These types of businesses can though be useful for erecting guyed masts on the sides of building.

Be aware that Ofcom may well arrange an inspection of your link and transmission equipment during your broadcast; and can require you to cease broadcasting and even seize and destroy your equipment if it does not comply with the very strict requirements of current EBU and CCIR Regulations. Just because the equipment you use is CE-marked doesn't necessarily means it will comply!