[cma-l] BBC funding for local TV/Not local radio

Mon Oct 25 16:03:35 BST 2010

Dear Chris,

Your words have real resonance for me as the MD of the UK's longest running licensed broadcast local TV channel, Channel 7.
We have been operating in the wilderness for 11 years building relationships and partnerships in what has been a consistently marginalised arena.
Our model is truly innovative and includes online, internet radio (plans to apply for an FM community license if/when the opportunity arises) and on cable
We do all this and run a corporate and training arm alongside with just 12 people and volunteers.
The BBC are our natural bedfellows and you're right to suggest that a 'hub' model can work - we do it here - however it might not work everywhere.
I don't believe community media should be siloed into 'radio', 'tv' or 'online' why not all 3?
yes a few policy changes may be required but fundamentally non-profit media hubs could be one way of joining in.

Best

Helen

www.channel7tv.co.uk
www.immagestudios.co.uk

On 25 Oct 2010, at 11:07, Chris Haydon wrote:

> Dear all,
> 
> Speaking from the broadband community media 'sector', I would like
> to say that I am as amazed as all of you labouring away on little or
> nothing in radio. The footprint of TV sounds fun though personally
> I remain as sceptical as ever about its practicability. I come from
> broadcast TV and know what it takes, staff, capacity, tech support,
> and so on.
> Syphoning off the BBC licence fee is an obvious funding method for
> TV, web-based local media and radio.
> I stick with the web-based area because of its accessibility,
> flexibility (multimedia etc), and low cost. Fund one person to
> operate as the 'hub' for a community and much can be activated and
> facilitated. It really doesn't cost much.
> The BBC millions could go a very long way on that basis.
> 
> On we go !
> 
> Chris Haydon
> Community TV Trust
> Southwark.TV
> (based in Peckham)
> 
> 
> 
> Quoting claire penketh <clairepenketh at yahoo.co.uk>:
> 
>>  Couldn't agree more. Was ever thus unfortunately. Radio always has   
>> been the poor cousin of its more glamourous counterpart, TV. Bit   
>> like Cinderella. we need a rich Prince Charming in the government to  
>> give the go ahead for consistent funds to cover at least some   
>> running costs ... Lets face it, radio is relatively cheap to run, in  
>> comparison to TV.. so we should win the cost effective arguement   
>> hands down.
>>    
>>  Claire Penketh
>> Stroud FM Station Manager
>>  
>> Better to have given it a go than never to have tried at all
>>  
>> 
>> --- On Sun, 24/10/10, Steve Suttie <stevensuttie at aol.com> wrote:
>> 
>> 
>> From: Steve Suttie <stevensuttie at aol.com>
>> Subject: Re: [cma-l] BBC funding for local TV/Not local radio
>> To: "mark polden" <markianpolden at hotmail.com>
>> Cc: "<cma-l at commedia.org.uk>" <cma-l at commedia.org.uk>
>> Date: Sunday, 24 October, 2010, 16:01
>> 
>> 
>> Hi there,
>> 
>> Forgive me, but is this not ironic?
>> 
>> There are 230 community radio stations licensed with no plausible   
>> fund to support them.
>> 
>> But here is a massive fund for community telly that doesnt exist yet.
>> 
>> I'm astonished by how ineptly this sector is organised.
>> 
>> Am I missing something, or are the DCMS having a laugh? Blimey, I   
>> can't articulate how frustrated and bemused this announcement has   
>> made me feel.
>> 
>> But its helped me think of a nice strapline for the sector!   
>> 'Community Media in the Uk - Running the London Marathon today,   
>> Learning to walk tommorrow.'
>> 
>> Blimey. I'm off to ask my wife to wake me up now.
>> 
>> Yours in utter bewilderment
>> Steve
>> 
>> Sent from my iPhone
>> 
>> On 22 Oct 2010, at 18:07, mark polden <markianpolden at hotmail.com> wrote:
>> 
>>> Why, why, why not funding for community radio. Unfortunately   
>>> seemingly our goose is cooked for this settlement as this   
>>> government has gone off half cocked already.
>>> 
>>> Mark Polden
>>> Flame CCR
>>> 
>>>> Date: Fri, 22 Oct 2010 17:33:31 +0100
>>>> To: cma-l at commedia.org.uk
>>>> From: sbuckley at gn.apc.org
>>>> Subject: [cma-l] BBC funding for local TV
>>>> 
>>>> Letter from DCMS to the BBC (extract)
>>>> 
>>>> "The BBC will play an active role in supporting
>>>> new local television services through a
>>>> partnership fund providing capital costs of up to
>>>> a total of £25m in 2013/14 for up to 20 local TV
>>>> services, subject to any necessary regulatory
>>>> approval. The BBC will also commit to ongoing
>>>> funding of up to £5m per annum from 2014/15 to
>>>> acquire content for use on its own services from
>>>> these new services. Should capital costs be
>>>> required earlier then this will be facilitated by
>>>> access to the existing digital switchover underspend by mutual agreement."
>>>> 
>>>> Source (and letter in full):
>>>> 
>>> http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/oct/22/bbc-funding-settlement-jeremy-hunt
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
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>> 
> 
> 
> 
> Chris
> 07970 970 715
> ---
> Chris Haydon
> Director
> Community TV Trust
> www.communitytvtrust.org
> 
> _______________________________________________
> 
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> 
> Community Media Association - www.commedia.org.uk
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Helen Philpot
Managing Director
Immage Studios Ltd & Seven CIC
www.channel7tv.co.uk
www.immagestudios.co.uk

Winner O2 Think Big Award 2010

Tel: 01469 515151
Mob: 07920 292360