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Annual Report & Accounts 1998 - 1999 |
Keeping the Spectrum Clean
The provision of the highest possible standard of radiocommunications to our customers remains central to the Agency's aims. To achieve this, local staff resolve interference problems, carry out inspections of radio installations, educate customers in correct radio use and where necessary, carry out enforcement action.
Enforcement Concordat
In furtherance of our commitment to best practice when working with business customers, the Agency adopted the Enforcement Concordat on 1 April 1999. The Concordat is a Government initiative to improve regulatory services to business. Adopting the Concordat underpins the Agency's previously published Code of Practice for working with business.
Dealing with Interference
The Agency's priorities in dealing with interference have been set by Ministers. These are to deal first with interference affecting the emergency services; second to assist businesses affected by interference; and, finally, to deal with other complaints. The Agency aims to respond to all complaints from the emergency services within 24 hours, to 98% of commercial complaints within one week and 98% of domestic interference complaints within one month. In the latter two instances, the remaining 2% of complaints are to be dealt with within a further 10 days and one month respectively. These targets were all met during the year.
Helping Business
For business users of radio who are unable to resolve interference generated within their own system, the Agency will investigate and advise on a repayment basis. During the financial year this service was used by 63 businesses.
Solving Interference to Domestic Reception
The Agency's leaflet Advice on Television and Radio Reception (RA 179) sets out measures that can be taken by householders to ensure that they are receiving the best possible reception. The leaflet also aims to assist householders whose broadcast reception is affected by interference and explains what the Agency can do to resolve these problems.
Often interference problems lie outside the Agency's statutory responsibilities and should be dealt with by private sector service engineers, dealers and aerial contractors. These instances are usually when a radio or television has poor immunity to unwanted signals, or inadequate aerial arrangements, as opposed to interference from the illegal use of radio or faulty electrical apparatus.
If an interference problem cannot be solved by the private sector, then the Agency can check viewers' and listeners' reception arrangements. There is a flat rate charge of £45 for this service because it does not form part of the Agency's regulatory duties. If a suspected source of interference is identified, then it will be checked free of charge as part of the Agency's regulatory work. The cost of this work is met from the BBC television licence income. During the year an Agency Working Group, together with the BBC, has been examining whether the domestic radio and television interference service can be made more effective. Details of the number of reported cases of interference for the financial year can be found in Table 5.
TABLE 5: DOMESTIC TV and RADIO INTERFERENCE
| PERIOD | Apr-Jun 1998 |
Jul-Sept |
Oct-Dec |
Jan-Mar 1999 |
TOTAL 1998/99 |
|
|||||
| Number of Reports | 971 | 1097 | 971 | 1209 | 4248 |
| Number of Paid Cases | 125 | 128 | 99 | 125 | 477 |
Electromagnetic Compatibility
Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) is the term used to describe the ability of equipment to co-exist without causing undue interference or being unduly susceptible to interference from other devices. It is of growing importance in an increasingly crowded and challenging electromagnetic environment. Not all interference comes from radio equipment. For example, electronic products are a significant source of 'electromagnetic pollution'. Continuing developments in technology together with changes in radio services make it essential that EMC standards are continually reviewed and updated. EMC is an important part of 'keeping the spectrum clean' and key to effective spectrum management. Without it, spectrum cannot be used to its full potential. The Agency's involvement in EMC includes advising other Government departments and participating in work, in the UK and internationally, on equipment standards.
 Minister Barbara Roche MP with Barry Maxwell, Director of Customer Service at a pirate radio site. |
Enforcement and Prosecutions Those radio users who fail to operate legally create the potential for interference to authorised radio users. Those who persist in such operation after having been warned, or who do so deliberately, are prosecuted. As these are criminal convictions details of all those convicted are notified to the National Identification Service. Full details of prosecutions, all of which were successful, cautions administered and warnings given can be found at Table 6. Those persons cautioned for admitted offences can have their cautions cited in court if they are convicted of an offence within five years. |
Enforcement and Prosecutions
Those radio users who fail to operate legally create the potential for interference to authorised radio users. Those who persist in such operation after having been warned, or who do so deliberately, are prosecuted. As these are criminal convictions details of all those convicted are notified to the National Identification Service. Full details of prosecutions, all of which were successful, cautions administered and warnings given can be found at Table 6. Those persons cautioned for admitted offences can have their cautions cited in court if they are convicted of an offence within five years.
Unlicensed Broadcasting
Unlicensed broadcasters are a particularly serious problem because of the annoyance of the interference they cause, often because of their poor quality equipment, as well as the continuing threat they pose to safety of life radio services. The Agency regularly takes enforcement action against unlicensed broadcasters. Agency staff carried out a total of 944 raids on unlicensed broadcaster transmitter and studio sites during the year and also secured 52 convictions for involvement with unlicensed broadcasting stations this year.
The Courts imposed a range of penalties, including prison sentences of one and three months, probation, community service orders and fines. During the year, telephone service providers disconnected 23 telephone services identified by the Agency as being used to facilitate the operation of unlicensed stations.
TABLE 6: PROSECUTION CASES CONCLUDED
IN THE COURTS
AND WARNING LETTERS ISSUED APRIL 1ST
| CATEGORIES | No of persons prosecuted |
No of |
Total of |
Total of costs awarded |
No of forfeiture orders |
No of conditional discharges |
No of absolute discharges |
No of admonishements (Scotland |
Official cautions |
Warning letters sent |
| CB (unlicenseable) | 11 | 11 (1) | £1,350 | £3,495 | 11 | 5 | - | 1 | 7 |
5 |
| CB (licenseable) | 23 | 23 | £1,175 | £2,262 | 9 | 6 | - | - | 6 | 10 |
| Unlicensed Broadcasters | 52 | 52 (2) | £7,850 | £19,550 | 41 | 18 | - | - | 3 | 4 (4) |
| Cordless Telephones | 1 | 1 | £1,250 | £549 | 1 | - | - | - | 1 | - |
| PBR | 11 | 11 | £4,510 | £2,841 | 3 | - | 1 | - | 8 | 5 |
| Amateur | 3 | 3 | £60 | £745 | 2 | 2 | - | - | 1 | 7 |
| Marine | 3 | 3 | £250 | £695 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 3 |
| Others | 1 | 1 (4) | £150 | £300 | 1 | - | - | - | 4 (5) | 1 (6) |
| TOTAL | 105 | 105 | £16,595 | £30,437 | 68 | 31 | 1 | 1 | 31 | 35 |
Footnotes
(1) 1 sentenced for using a scanner to retransmit
Police messages on CB radio.
(2) 2 sentenced for one month and three months imprisonment, 1 sentenced
to
six months Probation, 4 sentenced to 30-240 hrs Community Service
(3)Involvement in Pirate Radio
(4)6.6 MHz.
(5) 2 Low power alarms, 2 Videosenders.
(6) Videosenders
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