Community Media Association

What Community Media Association does

The Community Media Association (CMA) is a UK-wide not-for-profit limited by guarantee company, founded in 1983 and registered in England & Wales, that serves as the representative body for the community broadcasting sector. Its mission is to promote access to media for all and to safeguard the future of not-for-profit media, enabling cultural and creative expression, community development, and entertainment through community radio and media. The organisation successfully lobbied for the creation of community radio licensing in the UK and continues to represent the best interests of not-for-profit broadcasters in a changing regulatory and technical landscape.

CMA operates as a membership-led organisation with 1-10 employees, funded through membership fees paid by participants engaged with not-for-profit media. Its core offerings include a membership program providing access to a network of expertise, best practice, and advice; the annual Community Media Festival (held in 2025 at BBC Media City UK Salford to celebrate 20 years of community radio); an interactive online map of member radio stations across the UK; and a partnership with Canstream to deliver specialised streaming solutions to community media organisations. The CMA is headquartered at 311 Wimbledon Park Road, London, and engages members through its website, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and email newsletter channels.

Name

Community Media Association

Legal name

Community Media Association

Website

https://commedia.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Community Media Association is the UK representative body for the community broadcasting sector, founded in 1983 and funded through membership fees. It serves not-for-profit community radio stations and media practitioners by providing advocacy, networking, best-practice advice, an annual festival, and streaming solutions via Canstream.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Broadcasting Trade Association

NAICS

Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)

Keywords

• Community broadcasting
• Community media advocacy
• Nonprofit trade association
• Community radio licensing
• Membership organisation

Headquarters

HQ city

Sheffield

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Membership: As a not-for-profit limited by guarantee company registered in England & Wales, the CMA is funded through membership fees. The organisation offers membership to participants engaged with not-for-profit media, providing access to a network of expertise, best practice and advice.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Community Media Association (CMA) is a not-for-profit limited by guarantee company that serves as the UK representative body for the community broadcasting sector. It operates a membership programme providing access to a UK-wide network of expertise, best practice and advice for participants engaged with not-for-profit media. The CMA also organises the annual Community Media Festival and maintains an interactive online map of its member community radio stations.

Product overview

The Community Media Association (CMA) is a membership-led organization that functions as the UK representative body for community broadcasting, rather than a product company. The CMA offers membership services providing access to expertise and best practice networks, organizes the annual Community Media Festival, and maintains an interactive map of member radio stations. The CMA also partners with Canstream to provide specialized streaming solutions for community media organizations. These offerings are designed to enable people to establish media for cultural and creative expression, community development, and entertainment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Community Media Festival: Annual festival celebrating community media and radio, held at BBC Media City UK in Salford.

Products and services

• CMA Membership A members-led membership programme for participants engaged with not-for-profit media, providing access to a UK-wide network of expertise, best practice and advice, and supporting the work of community broadcasters.
• Canstream Streaming Solutions High-quality specialised streaming solutions provided through a partner service (canstream.co.uk) for community media organisations, accessed via the CMA website.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Others

• Co-operative College: UK-based organisation promoting co-operative values and providing education, research, and advocacy for the co-operative movement. Comparable as a UK membership-led nonprofit representative body with an advocacy and educational remit, though serving a different sector.
• Radio Reverb: Radio Reverb is a Brighton-based community and student radio station operating on a not-for-profit basis. Representative of the type of CMA member organisation — useful as an example of CMA's grassroots member base rather than a direct competitor.

Broad incumbents

• World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC): AMARC is the global umbrella for community radio, coordinating international advocacy and capacity building. Overlaps with CMA's sector-shaping role but at international rather than national scope.
• The Radio Centre: The Radio Centre is the UK trade body for commercial radio, representing commercial stations to government, regulators, and advertisers. Operates in the same UK radio sector and performs analogous advocacy functions to CMA but for the commercial rather than not-for-profit segment.
• BBC Local Radio: BBC Local Radio is the UK's main public-service local radio network, hosted at BBC Media City UK Salford where CMA's 2025 festival was held. While not a peer in structure, it is a major ecosystem participant and potential partner for CMA member stations.

Direct peers

• Radio Regen: Radio Regen supports the establishment and development of community radio stations in the North of England, providing training and sector support. Comparable to CMA in mission and focus on community radio capacity building, with a more regional UK footprint.
• National Federation of Community Broadcasters: NFCB is the US national membership organization for community radio stations, offering training, advocacy, and resources to noncommercial broadcasters. Directly comparable to CMA in mission, member model, and services, despite the US regulatory context.
• Community Broadcasting Association of Australia: CBAA is the Australian national peak body for community broadcasters, providing advocacy, training, and member services to not-for-profit radio stations. It is the closest international analogue to CMA, differing only by geography.

Regional players

• Community Media Network Ireland: Community Media Network is the representative body for community television and radio in Ireland. Closely comparable to CMA in role and structure, though operating in a different (though nearby) jurisdiction.
• Voice of the Listener & Viewer: VLV is a UK independent audience advocacy organisation for broadcasting and related services. Shares CMA's UK audience-focused, public-interest orientation toward broadcasting, though its focus is listener advocacy rather than community station support.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Community_Media
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@CommunityMediaUK
• Facebookfacebook.com/CommunityMediaAssociation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/community-media-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Community Media Association