[cma-l] Tories call for 81 local TV stations

[Nicky Edmonds]

 From today's Telegraph:

An ambitious report that looks at how local news can be brought to more 
areas and at a lower cost will be published on Wednesday morning and 
will form the basis of a new Tory consultation on communications.

Among the proposals that Jeremy Hunt, the shadow culture secretary, is 
most keen to see work is that of cheaper news gathering at a local level 
which can be broadcast via new television stations that only reach 
individual communities.

The report has been written by Roger Parry, a media expert and former 
BBC reporter. He highlights how when the switch-over from the analogue 
television signal to digital happens in the next few years Ofcom will be 
able to create 81 new local television channels at little cost.

Mr Parry's 58-page report examines what can be done with that new 
platform. He is recommending that local reporters can combine new 
digital camera technology which is low cost and does not requite several 
people with easier broadcast techniques, to bring news into people's homes.

The channels themselves can be manned and run by volunteers, he suggests.

Mr Parry estimates that it would cost just £1,000-a-hour to produce 
compared to close to £10,000 an hour for some existing local news channels.

The Conservatives are keen to exploit new ways of bringing local news to 
people particularly as cost constraints have started to threaten much of 
the output in many regions of the UK.

Mr Hunt recently said that the old way of covering regional news had failed.

"Why does Birmingham Alabama have 8 local TV stations when Birmingham in 
the UK - four times the size - has none?" he asked.

"In America even much smaller cities have not one but a whole clutch of 
local news channels, greatly enhancing both a sense of community and 
vibrant local democracy. None have access to a licence fee. So instead 
of putting yet more burden on taxpayers why is the government not 
embracing a digital-era version of syndicated local TV, something that 
could also prove to be a lifeline for our local newspaper industry?"


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/conservative/5828314/Tories-call-for-American-style-local-news-channels.html
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