Notes from the first ever Phonic FM Public Meeting on 27 January 2009

Date: 27 January 2009

Duration: 7pm to around 8.30pm, following networking opportunities with free refreshments from 6pm.

Venue: Exeter Phoenix auditorium

In attendance: Pete Bishop (chairing the meeting, chair of the Phonic FM Steering Group); Dave Treharne (chair, Phonic FM Board of Directors); Patrick Cunningham (Director); Paul Giblin (Director); plus around 90 Phonic FM presenters, DJs, volunteers and members of the listening public (at its peak there were just under 100 people in the room).

1. Welcome by Steering Group Chair, Pete Bishop

Phonic FM Steering Group chair Pete Bishop opened the meeting by welcoming everyone present and thanking them for such a good turnout. Pete noted that the poor ‘public’ representation was no doubt partly because the advertisement only appeared in the Express & Echo the day before the meeting, when it was meant to have appeared two Fridays beforehand, so giving readers just one days notice rather than the two weeks notice originally intended.

He explained the format of the meeting and explained that, as well as being able to make comments and ask questions, those present could complete feedback forms which Pete would keep in confidence to inform Steering Group discussions. He explained how the Steering Group would receive and discuss the minutes of the meeting and then engage the Phonic FM Board of Directors about the issues raised.

2. Board Members Introduced

Pete then asked the Phonic FM Board Members to introduce themselves and say a little about their respective roles:

Dave Treharne introduced himself as the Chairman of the Board of Directors who’s role is to oversee the station’s overall development, and who has concentrated on securing our license from Ofcom, developing our training courses, setting up the Myriad play-out system and liaising with potential partner organisations.

Patrick Cunningham introduced himself as the Director with particular responsibility for station finances, operations and the refurbishing and equipping of the studios.

Paul Giblin introduced himself as the Director with responsibility for communication and marketing and securing public sector sponsorship, but also explained that all of the Directors roles do overlap as they ‘muck in’ to manage the station’s development between them.

Pete explained that Aaron Hornibrook is the Director responsible for station programming who couldn’t make the meeting because he was at his son’s birthday party. Likewise Frank Goddard, the Director responsible for private sector sponsorship could not make the meeting due to an engagement at the rugby club. The final Director, Mark Wallace, had recently resigned because he was now working in North Devon and no longer had the time to devote to the station.

3. Station overview by Dave Treharne

Dave out lined the station’s development since first going on air nearly a year ago on 15 February 2008.

Overall, he was very pleased with what Phonic FM had become and the progress that had been made in the first year of broadcast. Highlights included: moving from the small temporary studio in the Phoenix Media Centre to our new permanent broadcast studio in the Phoenix basement; establishing almost continuous live broadcast from 7am to midnight on weekdays and from 10am to midnight at weekends; setting up the Myriad play-out system to ensure Phonic FM also broadcasts all night and in gaps when presenters cannot make their shows; development of a second smaller training studio ready for the delivery of courses for paying customers and training for Phonic FM volunteers; maintaining an excellent website with comprehensive station information and online listening facility; and organising out first ever big Phonic FM benefit gig.

On the downside, Dave noted that the move into the new studio had taken a lot longer than originally planned, that the delivery of education and training courses were behind schedule and, as with any new organisation, phonic FM had suffered its fair share of “birth pangs”.  His vision for the next year included: completing our 7am to midnight programming so there are no gaps at all; encouraging more local live music broadcasts and consolidating links with our basement-neighbours Sound Gallery studios; and widening the brief of the station to cover more than just music (which currently dominates the broadcasts).

All in all, however, Dave concluded that “we’ve moved forward quite well” and Phonic FM has a studio which is the envy of the vast majority of community radio stations and an output which really does provide “a sound alternative” for the city of Exeter and beyond.

Dave thanked three important station volunteers: Jenna and Tony who have done some excellent work on the website and Tom who has programmed the Myriad system.

Pete then asked Dave how much time he puts into the station and the answer was about 20 hours a week. There was loud applause for Dave’s report and all the hard work he puts into Phonic FM.

4. Station finances and operational management by Patrick Cunningham

Patrick opened by explaining how the move from the temporary Media Centre studio to the basement studio and the associated work had given Phonic FM “one of the best small radio studios around”. In order to equip the studio and develop the basement rooms a significant amount of start-up income had been raised for the station: around £11,000 from Exeter City Council; £15,000 from Ofcom; £10,000 from Awards For All; £5,000 from Arts Council England; a little from membership subscriptions; a little transferred from the old Vibraphonic FM and £5,000 in the pipeline from Devon County Council.  This money had enabled the development of the studio and merely sustaining the broadcast would now only require about £8,000 a year to cover Phonic FM overhears.

Having explained the station’s current financial position, Patrick then moved onto the financial challenge facing Phonic FM. In essence, Ofcom have ruled that community stations cannot be seen to be competing with local commercial stations and, unless Exeter FM becomes more successful, Phonic FM cannot accept any on-air advertising or sponsorship because that would be judged to be taking potential revenue from that commercial station. He therefore asked everyone present to think creatively about ways of fundraising for the station, in particular organising smaller fundraising events alongside the big Phoenix event planned for 6 March 2009.

Patrick was thanked with generous applause for all the work he has put into the station’s development, in particular all the DIY work he’s undertaken in the two studios.

5. Marketing update by Paul Giblin

Paul began by explaining that his update would be in two sections: planned marketing activities which require a budget which he has asked for from the Phonic Board, and which will hopefully be allocated when the Devon County Council sponsorship revenue is paid; and ongoing marketing which all station supporters can get on with for nothing…

A marketing budget could be used to fund the following products: a properly printed programme which could also be a vehicle for off-air sponsorship;  well designed colour flyers and posters advertising the station; banners to established a Phonic FM presence when Phonic DJs play at gigs; likewise pull-up display panels; and a prominent sign in the Phoenix telling the public there is a radio station in the building.

In the absence of a proper marketing budget there is, however, a range of things everyone can do to promote the station: promoters involved with the station can add the Phonic FM logo to flyers, posters and websites; simple flyers have been produced for the station and a pile was at the front of the meeting for everyone to take away and leaflet their area (our website stats show an increase in listeners every time leafleting has been undertaken); and posters could be be taken away for  the first ever Phonic FM benefit gig on Friday 6 March with The Haggis Horns, Melosa and, of course, Phonic FM DJs. If this benefit gig was really successful the station stood to make about £2,000 profit, roughly a quarter of  the bottom-line running costs for a year, and other events could be arranged later in the year.

Paul also explained how, although many shows have their own Facebook profiles, we need an overall Phonic FM one, just as we have successful Myspace presence with over 1200 friends. He asked for a volunteer to run the overall Phonic FM Myspace account.

Paul’s presentation was met with applause, plenty of flyers and posters were taken away at the end of the meeting and volunteers came forward to run the Myspace site and produce banners.

6. Website development by Jenna Richards

Pete now asked for a quick update on website development from web-management volunteer Jenna Richards. Jenna explained how presenters and DJs could be trained to upload copy to the site and that more writers were needed for the growing web-presence.

7. Programming update read out on behalf Aaron Hornibrook

Dave Treharne gave a brief update on programming in Aaron’s absence, explaining how most of the programming slots had now been filled, that spoken-word output was gradually increasing and also asking for the meeting’s feedback on any aspect of the station’s programming.

8. Phonic FM Directorship vacancy and station accountability structure

Pete now explained that Mark Wallace’s resignation as a Director meant there was now a vacancy on the Phonic FM Board, and asked the meeting for nominations or expressions of interest in this position. Steering Group member Gervaise Cerio promptly nominated Steering Group member Bernie Sloane for this position but rather than accept his nomination, the meeting developed into a discussion of the role of the Board, the Steering Group and the station’s accountability structure, which it was agreed would be explained in this meeting report…

In legal terms Phonic FM is a limited company with a Board of six Directors, they are liable for the station’s assets and any trading the station undertakes. Technically, only the Directors can appoint another Director, but as a community radio station Phonic FM’s licence application to Ofcom also established a Steering Group made up of stakeholders (such as the City Council, Exeter College etc) and the wider community to oversee the station’s development and the Board is obviously obliged to take notice of Steering Group views when determining the station’s development. Whilst the old temporary Vibraphonic FM was a ’membership organisation’ and everyone paying a subscription fee had a ‘vote’ on the station’s business, Phonic FM has not been set up in this way, because of the liability taken on by the six Directors. Therefore whilst, Paul, for instance had been nominated to be a Vibraphonic FM Director at a members meeting, there was no such process for Phonic FM.

It was therefore agreed that the roles of the station’s directors and nominations for the vacant Directorship would be discussed by the Steering Group and the Board and expressions of interest welcomed now that the vacancy had been publicly announced.

9. Questions, answers and points of view session

The meeting was now thrown open to the floor to enable those present to question the Board members and make comments and suggestions about station development. As it was a public meeting, priority was given to ordinary members of the ‘listening public’ rather than station presenters, DJs and volunteers, and there would be another meeting lined up in the new future to enable them to focus on issues such as station equipment.

Here’s a brief resume of the issues raised and responses given…

Was there going to be a Station Manager?
Yes, an appointment is being planned in the near future, but there still needs to be discussion about the exact nature of the post in terms of technical support, fundraising abilities and how many hours a week the station can afford.
Would such a post be advertised?
Yes, on the Phonic FM website.
A clear view was expressed that such a great job opportunity should be advertised more widely than just on the station’s website.

There was a call for more female presenters on Phonic FM.
The Board agreed that this was a station goal and that Aaron’s programming had already increased the number of women on-air, but there was still a long way to go.
It was agreed to appeal for more women presenters on the Phonic FM website.

One person expressed a view that they listen to Phonic FM for the music and questioned the desire to increase the spoken-word element of the station.
The Board replied by reminding the meeting that a portion of spoken-word output was actually a condition of the station’s licence.

The new ‘Westenders’ youth comedy slot was highlighted at as successful spoken word venture, with its first outing during the meeting itself!

Likewise the new Sound Galley show featuring sessions by local bands was heralded as a great development, including Sound Gallery’s engagement of youth volunteers who now had their own show too.

It was asked if the station could accept funding for on-air advertising or sponsorship if there was no formal written contract involved.
The Board agreed to look into this.

There were a number of calls for podcasts and repeats of shows.
The Board responded by explaining that performing rights fees prevent Phonic FM from repeating shows with music in them but that spoken word shows can be repeated and that many individual shows are developing their own listen-again facilities on their own websites.
It was agreed to look into this further, as long as resources allow, of course.

A number of presenters raised the lack of communication from the Director responsible for programming, citing numerous examples of unanswered emails and also times when presenters had been double-booked and turned up to find someone else ready to do the show they thought they were doing.
In Aaron’s absence, tt was agreed that the Board and Steering Group would raise this with him and see what extra programming support was required.

It was suggested that links could be made to the Amazon and iTunes music sales website so that anyone buying music via the link would be generating a small amount of ‘commission’ income for the station.
It was agreed to look into this excellent suggestion.

Many attendees expressed a desire to help the station by volunteering in ways other than presenting or DJing but were unsure about the jobs which needed doing or exactly how to go about volunteering for such roles.
It was agreed that the Steering Group and Board would discuss this and volunteer roles would be advertised on the Phonic FM website and in a communiqué to members and, ideally, a volunteer co-ordinator role established to sustain this. It was noted that work is underway with volunteering organisations such as The D.R. I.V.E. Project and The Ivy Project to establish Phonic FM volunteering policies.

One member asked if a regular space for Phonic FM could be made available in the Exeter Phoenix brochure, as the station does so much to promote events at the venue.
The Board pointed out that the station has actually had a regular spot in the Phoenix brochure since its inception.

10. Meeting closure

The healthy, floor-led discussion meant that the meeting over-ran it’s original hour’s duration and Pete Bishop formally closed the meeting at around 8.30pm, with about 60 attendees still in the room. Everyone present was encouraged to take away flyers and posters to promote the station and the benefit gig, and, before people started to leave a member of the public called for a round of applause to thank everyone who had worked so hard to make the first year of Phonic FM a successful one.

Paul Giblin, Director – Phonic FM