[cma-l] Bad news on the DDR and local television‏

[Marilyn Hyndman]

Peter, I had meant to say that I accept your analysis - local  
television does have a lot to offer the film and television industry....

you wrote
> With respect to the HoC committee it’s a shame, verging on  
> dereliction of duty, that they have failed to recognise what a  
> rejuvenating and transforming influence a national LCTV network  
> would have on the national TV and film industry, providing a  
> seedbed of programme ideas, actual programmes and trained  
> craftspeople.  (Not to mention the boost it would give to the film  
> and television equipment industry.)  New ideas are something the  
> industry is desperately in need of.  The millions of pounds that  
> have been fed into the film industry has barely lead to a handful  
> of decent films and hardly any great ones - ok, maybe one or two.   
> A national LCTV network would facilitate the development of great  
> swathes of talent that are routinely ignored by the mainstream and  
> that would reinvigorate the industry - an urgent necessity in the  
> face of global competition.  Implicit in this of course, and  
> equally as important, is the fact that LCTV would give a voice to  
> all underrepresented groups in society and this would also  
> eventually feed into mainstream film and television production and  
> broadcasting, thereby enriching the cultural life of the whole  
> country.

in reply
We have said this to DCMS and asked to meet with the people who are  
responsible for film but have not been successful. Millions also go  
into film from the Lottery and we have said in the past that an  
argument should be made for community media from these funds. In  
Northern Ireland there was an Access to the Arts fund for which film  
was eligible, provided the films made were about art (ie: film was  
not seen as an art form in itself for which there should be  
access...if a group applied for drama for example, it did not have to  
make a play about an artist etc etc). This was discontinued for film  
and was very difficult to get anyway, most film orgs failed. Although  
we argued that there should be a fund for access and participation  
within film lottery monies when film was delegated from the old Arts  
Council system (England and Wales as well), it was not taken up here  
and I don't think in England and Wales either?

As far as I know, film is the only art form for which there is no  
provision for access and participation in a 'community' context  
within arts lottery monies, all other art forms have this...however,  
given that lottery funds will decrease so much next year with the  
Olympics, it may not be worth arguing for anymore! I think what  
groups, like Station House, for example, have tended to do is to go  
to the Big Lottery and explain the community development and social  
inclusion benefits instead, which is very true too of course!

There is still a question mark around equality of opportunity though,  
when it comes to art/film lottery monies.

Best wishes,
Marilyn