RADIO MIC FEE CHANGES - GOOD NEWS!As promised, the Joint Frequency Management Group have revealed the new radio microphone licensing arrangements in their latest Newsletter. To quote: "SHARED MICS - SIMPLER, CHEAPER" Lower cost, simplified licensing for ‘UK Shared’ radio microphones is expected to arrive in summer 2001. (The ‘UK Shared’ frequencies are those available for shared use at unspecified locations.) The proposals set a simple flat fee for any number of Shared VHF or UHF frequencies in an attempt to meet the needs of current, multichannel, equipment. VHF and UHF licences are still kept separate so that the Radiocommunications Agency would he able to identify specific users in the event of changes to spectrum allocations. The proposals also remove the difference in fee between ‘own use’ and hiring out since, in practice, this has become a meaningless distinction. The new VHF Shared Frequencies Licence would cost £75 and cover all the available 15 VHF channels. The current fees range from £96 for one channel to £320 for 15 channels. Similarly the new UHF Shared Frequencies Licence would COVET all the available 14 UHF channels for £75. This compares with £96 for one channel and £160 for up to 14 channels currently. The use of Shared Frequencies at Fixed Sites would also be covered by these new licences, instead of the Fixed Site fees used at present. We hope that the price reductions will encourage a greater take-up of licensing that better reflects the true value of the frequencies to the Programme Making and Special Events industry sector. As with much of our spectrum it is certainly a case of “show you use it or you might lose it”.
As a reminder to our members, the legal Shared Frequencies involved are: VHF Shared Frequencies (in MHz)175.250 191.900 199.700 208.300 216.100 175.525 192.800 200.300 208.600 216.600 176.600 193.000 200.600 209.000 216.800
UHF Channel 69 Shared (in MHz)854.900 855.275 855.900 856.175 856.575 857.625 857.950 858.200 858.650 860.400 860.900 861.200 861.550 861.750
And there you have it - TIME TO GET THAT LICENSE! SANDY MACRAE | 
