[cma-l] Lord Hall - BBC and Community Reporters

[David Duffy]

Hi Nick,

What I want to understand is why, when it is faced with making a billion pounds worth of cuts from its budget of over £5bn, the BBC is creating a pool of local reporters to share work with local newspapers. What are they sacrificing to make this investment and where is the value to licence fee payers? 

We have a serious problem with plurality in the UK.
Just three companies (News UK, DMGT and Trinity Mirror) control nearly 70% of national newspaper circulation.

Just five companies control some 70% of regional daily newspaper circulation.

Out of 406 Local Government Areas, 100 (25%) have no daily local newspaper at all while in 143 LGAs (35% of the total) a single title has a 100% monopoly. 

We need to open a debate on media ownership and offer serious proposals for a range of measures to raise the profile of community radio in increasing news pluralism in the UK. A link between the licence-funded BBC and a handful of privately owned shareholder-funded print media companies threatens that plurality and must surely threaten the viability of community media in the news space.

David
theradiopeople.co.uk <http://theradiopeople.co.uk/> 


> On 7 Sep 2015, at 14:05, Canalside's The Thread <office at thethread.org.uk> wrote:
> 
> David et al
>  
> You may find I floated this idea 5 years ago, I also attended 3 meetings at the BBC regarding this matter to which the end result was zilch. It was all hot air. Great idea but there was no one at their end to carry it out. On the last meeting a couple of years ago at media city it all became apparent that it actually had nothing to do with what the BBC could do to help us or perhaps work with us, is was more to do with what they could palm off or what we could do for them … in both cases there was no funding available.
> I have made these points before of course.
>  
> I have to say I went with an open mind and didn’t turn up looking for money, I went to try an implement this topic …… trying to liaise with anyone after the event was hopeless as there seemed to be no system on pecking order, and the organ grinders were never in residence.
>  
> I think something like this is good for Community Radio and it’s good for the BBC …….but they are the ones who must provide the ‘professional’ journalism and feed us the news stories / the material, we will then get it out to our listenership.
>  
> Thus far, our relationship with Radio Manchester on this matter ain’t happening.
>  
> We of course are in a bit of a tricky area as we are plonked smack bang in the middle of Radio Manc and Radio Clay Jug so technically you could argue we don’t have a local BBC Station. I’m sure Radio Manchester could oblige though.
>  
> It’s all exciting stuff, and yes I am remaining positive …… it is the usual though in Community Radio … everything is so slow and it’s like turning an Oil Tanker around.
> I hope we can get this in place sooner rather than later ……….. then again, come to think of it, everything takes ages in Canalside as well. We’re just getting around to jobs that were in the pipeline back in April.
>  
> Good stuff though         I agree with your final statement David …….who is tasked with implementing this ?    you guys at Radio People ?  CMA ?   Bill / Dom etc ?
>  
> Nick
>  
> From: cma-l-bounces at mailman.commedia.org.uk [mailto:cma-l-bounces at mailman.commedia.org.uk] On Behalf Of David Duffy
> Sent: 07 September 2015 08:33
> To: cma-l at mailman.commedia.org.uk
> Subject: [cma-l] Lord Hall - BBC and Community Reporters
>  
> Dear All,
> The BBC’s Lord Hall is about to make the first of four speeches outlining the BBC’s future.  What will it mean for community radio?
> Among the specific plans he will outline includes a multi-million pound investment in journalism, with a network of 100 public service reporters across the country to deliver news from courts and councils. 
> This is a great opportunity for community radio as a body to tap into a publicly-funded journalistic resource that could be and should be working directly with local stations.
> The BBC is also going to create a 'hub' for data journalism, giving local newspapers access to its statistical analysis, and offer audio and video clips free to other websites. 
> I hope the CMA is talking with both the BBC and DCMS. 
> Providing licence fee funded resources to privately owned media organisations ahead of not-for-profit community broadcasters is clearly unacceptable. A partnership with the BBC should have ambition and deliver outcomes that are more tangible than is currently framed in the memorandum of understanding.
> Local news is essential for a strong democracy and community radio needs to be at the forefront of its delivery. What the BBC is tabling is an unprecedented offer that would put millions into a local journalism partnership.  Community radio needs to be an equal partner in that.
>  
> David Duffy
> theradiopeople.co.uk <http://theradiopeople.co.uk/> 
> 
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