[CMA TV] Community Channel hours extended

[Michelle McGuire]

Community Channel hours extended
Dan Wootton


The Community Channel is to broadcast for an extra two hours a day on  
Freeview, BBC director general Mark Thompson has revealed.

Thompson said last night that, subject to regulatory approval,  
broadcast hours for the Media Trust-run channel on DTT would be  
extended from its current three hour slot between 6am to 9am to 6am  
to 11am. The Community Channel uses BBC bandwidth.

The BBC, he added, would provide further support for the channel by  
establishing a specialist division in its factual and learning  
department to work on new projects. Further details are expected to  
be announced soon.

Thompson was speaking at an event to officially welcome Channel 4  
chief executive Andy Duncan as the new chairman of the Media Trust,  
replacing Michael Green who stepped down after nine years in the  
position.

Duncan called on the funding arrangements for the channel to be  
secured. "It is really important that the Community Channel becomes a  
permanent part of the public service landscape. It can't be a year by  
year thing," he said.

It was also announced that Disney, MTV and BT have joined other major  
UK broadcasters to sign a joint declaration that supports the  
channel, making relevant programming available for free and helping  
to market the channel on air.

BT has also agreed to carry the channel on its soon to launch BT  
Vision service.

Community Channel controller Nick Ware used the event to unveil plans  
for an innovative new interactive text and graphic service that will  
allow viewers to upload their comments on screen.

The Community Channel broadcasts for 24 hours a day on Sky, Telewest  
and NTL, and has 1.2 million viewers a month.


Source: www.broadcastnow.co.uk







Michelle McGuire
Editor, Airflash Magazine
http://www.commedia.org.uk
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