Big subject !

Lawrie knows his subject and is a very clever guy. Painting a broader picture, the Radio Caroline name opens many doors. It gets publicity where other stations would get no publicity and creates goodwill ( and thus income ) that other stations cannot get. The loyalty and longevity factor brings an audience. Tony Prince put his money where his mouth was with United Broadcasters and tried again the formula of recruiting known names, thinking that ex Radio 1 and Radio 2 listeners would seek out their one time broadcast heroes. But they did not. His listening figures rarely exceeded 100 connections while our figures ( using in the main part unknowns ) get thousands of listeners.

Lawrie's observations make sense in that we are prepared to use AM and maybe pick up extra listeners from other AM outlets that have closed. Also we are prepared to invest in Solar energy which most of the other AM operators could have done. Given justification we would buy more Solar.

The first argument concerning Ofcom and our AM is that they are using deeply historic calculations of how much broadcast power is needed to minimise external interference. The figure does not take in to account the vast increase in devices that pollute AM. At my home, overhead wires on poles hamper 648 even before I get to the end of my lane. On my local High Street I drive in and out of ' mush ' from routers and cables and shop lighting. Since our Harris could send 25KW it surely should be our commercial decision as to whether we could fund this.
I have thought ( and mentioned to Lawrie ) that maybe Ofcom don't want Caroline to expand further. He thinks that this does not even enter their minds, simply that when consulting their book of rules there is what Lawrie calls ' the law of unintended consequences '.
We understand that there is to be some consultation on future use of AM and we will want to be represented there to present logical arguments. But Ofcom have no urgency of time. It took maybe seven years to get a decision about our AM in the first place with shifting deadlines that amounted to 'kicking the can down the road '.
As I am of a 'certain age ' everything in the process of expanding Caroline is taking too long.

But that is another subject.

PM.