SO
Yes this was talked about in the early 2000s, but they stuck with Cambridge.
I seem to recall the BBC looking for a base in the centre of Milton Keynes as this was the time when the BBC wanted to be visible to the licence payer, ie locations such as Hull or the Mailbox, therefore a central location in MK would be considerably cheaper than Cambridge city centre.
Yes this was talked about in the early 2000s, but they stuck with Cambridge.
LL
It's been achieved in Canada where cable is the main distribution outlet for tv. For example if you live in Barrie, which is 68 miles north of Toronto, the PSB CBC Toronto station covers Barrie, but the commercial provider CTV has a channel for Barrie, complete with a local news bulletin. (A similar distance from London to Hastings, where the latter has a different local news bulletin on BBC One and ITV rather than a London bulletin)
IPTV I believe is the best way of resolving these regional issues, where already iPlayer viewers who don't have satellite or cable to choose which BBC region is their default, so they get the correct news at minimal cost.
I'd like ITV to provide something similar on ITV Hub, where currently it's not easy to watch a whole ITV regional bulletin unless you live in a couple of regions that upload their bulletins to the news website.
London Lite
Founding member
I'm sure every county would love to have a dedicated BBC bulletin and I believe its possible but until or unless digital terrestrial television ends and everyone starts watching though satellite or streaming it won't happen.
It's been achieved in Canada where cable is the main distribution outlet for tv. For example if you live in Barrie, which is 68 miles north of Toronto, the PSB CBC Toronto station covers Barrie, but the commercial provider CTV has a channel for Barrie, complete with a local news bulletin. (A similar distance from London to Hastings, where the latter has a different local news bulletin on BBC One and ITV rather than a London bulletin)
IPTV I believe is the best way of resolving these regional issues, where already iPlayer viewers who don't have satellite or cable to choose which BBC region is their default, so they get the correct news at minimal cost.
I'd like ITV to provide something similar on ITV Hub, where currently it's not easy to watch a whole ITV regional bulletin unless you live in a couple of regions that upload their bulletins to the news website.
IS
It's not only possible, but county based TV was tried out about 15 years ago:
That was a pilot and it would have been rolled out across the country but I seem to remember the reason it wasn't was to do with anti-competition concerns, local papers weren't happy. Something that later reduced the BBCs local website offering even further.
Thing is though that even counties are arbitrary, people's idea of what is local and what areas they are interested in varies. Being able to customise news is the only way to please everyone, I've not seen anywhere that will let me have a selection of stories from, say 20 miles round my house, 10 miles round my parents etc
I'm sure every county would love to have a dedicated BBC bulletin and I believe its possible but until or unless digital terrestrial television ends and everyone starts watching though satellite or streaming it won't happen.
It's not only possible, but county based TV was tried out about 15 years ago:
That was a pilot and it would have been rolled out across the country but I seem to remember the reason it wasn't was to do with anti-competition concerns, local papers weren't happy. Something that later reduced the BBCs local website offering even further.
Thing is though that even counties are arbitrary, people's idea of what is local and what areas they are interested in varies. Being able to customise news is the only way to please everyone, I've not seen anywhere that will let me have a selection of stories from, say 20 miles round my house, 10 miles round my parents etc
IS
When the 2001 titles launched they had 'Southark' on them
I’m not sure it’s not an urban myth, but I’d heard that Look North had SCUNTHORPE on their titles and, because the letters in each place name animated by scrolling through and it momentarily therefore started with the C (work the rest out for yourselves). Eventually someone changed it...
This one?
That bit of the word causes a few issues:
I remember when the 2008 BBC London titles launched they had town names like Watford, Slough and Luton
When the 2001 titles launched they had 'Southark' on them
I’m not sure it’s not an urban myth, but I’d heard that Look North had SCUNTHORPE on their titles and, because the letters in each place name animated by scrolling through and it momentarily therefore started with the C (work the rest out for yourselves). Eventually someone changed it...
This one?
That bit of the word causes a few issues:
Last edited by Inspector Sands on 18 August 2020 6:43am
RW
Doesn't this do exactly that? https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/localnews - allows you to choose from a radius of 5 miles up to 30 miles.
It's extremely poor these days - I've just looked at the BBC News page for my area https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/england/surrey , and only one of the featured stories is actually a local story - the rest are all national.
Robert Williams
Founding member
Thing is though that even counties are arbitrary, people's idea of what is local and what areas they are interested in varies. Being able to customise news is the only way to please everyone, I've not seen anywhere that will let me have a selection of stories from, say 20 miles round my house, 10 miles round my parents etc
Doesn't this do exactly that? https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/localnews - allows you to choose from a radius of 5 miles up to 30 miles.
That was a pilot and it would have been rolled out across the country but I seem to remember the reason it wasn't was to do with anti-competition concerns, local papers weren't happy. Something that later reduced the BBCs local website offering even further.
It's extremely poor these days - I've just looked at the BBC News page for my area https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/england/surrey , and only one of the featured stories is actually a local story - the rest are all national.
Last edited by Robert Williams on 18 August 2020 7:35am
IS
Doesn't this do exactly that? https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/localnews - allows you to choose from a radius of 5 miles up to 30 miles.
Yes, good point, I'd forgotten about that feature. Though the first result (there's not many other stories, I must live in a quiet area!) is a regional 'live blog' which has a much wider catchment area. It's not the BBCs fault it's site had been reduced down to that, but it's not 'local'.
As I say people's area of interest varies, and it's not necessarily a radius, there's a way to go to fully customise local news... and I'm not sure the public interest is really there
Thing is though that even counties are arbitrary, people's idea of what is local and what areas they are interested in varies. Being able to customise news is the only way to please everyone, I've not seen anywhere that will let me have a selection of stories from, say 20 miles round my house, 10 miles round my parents etc
Doesn't this do exactly that? https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/localnews - allows you to choose from a radius of 5 miles up to 30 miles.
Yes, good point, I'd forgotten about that feature. Though the first result (there's not many other stories, I must live in a quiet area!) is a regional 'live blog' which has a much wider catchment area. It's not the BBCs fault it's site had been reduced down to that, but it's not 'local'.
As I say people's area of interest varies, and it's not necessarily a radius, there's a way to go to fully customise local news... and I'm not sure the public interest is really there
MA
Doesn't this do exactly that? https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/localnews - allows you to choose from a radius of 5 miles up to 30 miles.
Yes, good point, I'd forgotten about that feature. Though the first result (there's not many other stories, I must live in a quiet area!) is a regional 'live blog' which has a much wider catchment area. It's not the BBCs fault it's site had been reduced down to that, but it's not 'local'.
As I say people's area of interest varies, and it's not necessarily a radius, there's a way to go to fully customise local news... and I'm not sure the public interest is really there
They should do what the property search website Rightmove [1] does, draw your own 'area of interest' !
[1] Other property search websites are available
Thing is though that even counties are arbitrary, people's idea of what is local and what areas they are interested in varies. Being able to customise news is the only way to please everyone, I've not seen anywhere that will let me have a selection of stories from, say 20 miles round my house, 10 miles round my parents etc
Doesn't this do exactly that? https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/localnews - allows you to choose from a radius of 5 miles up to 30 miles.
Yes, good point, I'd forgotten about that feature. Though the first result (there's not many other stories, I must live in a quiet area!) is a regional 'live blog' which has a much wider catchment area. It's not the BBCs fault it's site had been reduced down to that, but it's not 'local'.
As I say people's area of interest varies, and it's not necessarily a radius, there's a way to go to fully customise local news... and I'm not sure the public interest is really there
They should do what the property search website Rightmove [1] does, draw your own 'area of interest' !
[1] Other property search websites are available
BR
Surely satellite is just as much, if not more so, of an obstacle as DTT due to the need to simulcast.
I do think the UK is more interconnected than many countries thanks to its relatively small footprint which makes the regional model more viable than "local". Now if the BBC wanted too, and had the funds and approval, they could trial a service similar to that of 15 years ago as on demand iPlayer bulletins - something which would no doubt be more useful to most viewers than the supposedly local TV network. That would need viewers to make an active choice to watch though rather than a passive choice, which probably makes the idea little more than a novelty.
I'm sure every county would love to have a dedicated BBC bulletin and I believe its possible but until or unless digital terrestrial television ends and everyone starts watching though satellite or streaming it won't happen.
Surely satellite is just as much, if not more so, of an obstacle as DTT due to the need to simulcast.
I do think the UK is more interconnected than many countries thanks to its relatively small footprint which makes the regional model more viable than "local". Now if the BBC wanted too, and had the funds and approval, they could trial a service similar to that of 15 years ago as on demand iPlayer bulletins - something which would no doubt be more useful to most viewers than the supposedly local TV network. That would need viewers to make an active choice to watch though rather than a passive choice, which probably makes the idea little more than a novelty.
TE
Surely satellite is just as much, if not more so, of an obstacle as DTT due to the need to simulcast.
I do think the UK is more interconnected than many countries thanks to its relatively small footprint which makes the regional model more viable than "local". Now if the BBC wanted too, and had the funds and approval, they could trial a service similar to that of 15 years ago as on demand iPlayer bulletins - something which would no doubt be more useful to most viewers than the supposedly local TV network. That would need viewers to make an active choice to watch though rather than a passive choice, which probably makes the idea little more than a novelty.
The BBC W Midlands Local TV experiment was basically a test of many things -
Editorially getting News bulletins & Reports and General interest pieces including some UGC and PA content https://www.journalism.co.uk/news/press-association-to-pad-out-bbc-s-local-tv-trial/s2/a51688/
onto the websiste
and also as in 2006 Broadband was not anything like it is now - and of course no Iplayer...
to put a Bulletin / item 10 min block (times 6) on a TV Channel on DSAT
- which with some cunningness you could set the PVR to Over record with the latest Bulletin for your area.
(Cannot remember if it worked!)
this also had intersticials acting as a Barker for the websiste and some Promo in Late afternoon for MIdlands Today.
It was all rather clever!!! Based on Local Radio stations ending Septembser 2006
Try as I might I cannot find the report on the BBC Website
The BBC Management put forward a Proposlal to the Trust in 2008
which again i cannot find
which took the ideas as Broadband only (Just six months after Iplayer was launched)
and include the LR that had not been done - Cheshire and one other
plus the various centres of Population in the Nations to have a say 60 local services.
The BBC Trust rejected it
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust/news/press_releases/2008/local_video_prov.html
I could at least find that!
The PVA - said that " wouldn't increase reach" "The poor/rural do not have broadband"
"youngsters want commercial things" 35-45s dont have time to search the web for the news"
"older people get it from TV Radio and Newspaper and want better regional Programming"
The MIA said - it would reduce Local Newspaper income
And the survey included things like "Currently two in five broadband users claim to watch video clips online
but watching video clips via mobile is very limited"
Read it here - top item ... others down the page
https://www.ofcom.org.uk/research-and-data/tv-radio-and-on-demand/tv-research/bbc-mias
It is well worth a read - I think the answers now almost 12 years on will be very different!
The report does list the 60 regional locations and does audience reaction by (Government) Regions
I don't think Mr Hunt read it al all !!!!!!
I'm sure every county would love to have a dedicated BBC bulletin and I believe its possible but until or unless digital terrestrial television ends and everyone starts watching though satellite or streaming it won't happen.
Surely satellite is just as much, if not more so, of an obstacle as DTT due to the need to simulcast.
I do think the UK is more interconnected than many countries thanks to its relatively small footprint which makes the regional model more viable than "local". Now if the BBC wanted too, and had the funds and approval, they could trial a service similar to that of 15 years ago as on demand iPlayer bulletins - something which would no doubt be more useful to most viewers than the supposedly local TV network. That would need viewers to make an active choice to watch though rather than a passive choice, which probably makes the idea little more than a novelty.
The BBC W Midlands Local TV experiment was basically a test of many things -
Editorially getting News bulletins & Reports and General interest pieces including some UGC and PA content https://www.journalism.co.uk/news/press-association-to-pad-out-bbc-s-local-tv-trial/s2/a51688/
onto the websiste
and also as in 2006 Broadband was not anything like it is now - and of course no Iplayer...
to put a Bulletin / item 10 min block (times 6) on a TV Channel on DSAT
- which with some cunningness you could set the PVR to Over record with the latest Bulletin for your area.
(Cannot remember if it worked!)
this also had intersticials acting as a Barker for the websiste and some Promo in Late afternoon for MIdlands Today.
It was all rather clever!!! Based on Local Radio stations ending Septembser 2006
Try as I might I cannot find the report on the BBC Website
The BBC Management put forward a Proposlal to the Trust in 2008
which again i cannot find
which took the ideas as Broadband only (Just six months after Iplayer was launched)
and include the LR that had not been done - Cheshire and one other
plus the various centres of Population in the Nations to have a say 60 local services.
The BBC Trust rejected it
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust/news/press_releases/2008/local_video_prov.html
I could at least find that!
The PVA - said that " wouldn't increase reach" "The poor/rural do not have broadband"
"youngsters want commercial things" 35-45s dont have time to search the web for the news"
"older people get it from TV Radio and Newspaper and want better regional Programming"
The MIA said - it would reduce Local Newspaper income
And the survey included things like "Currently two in five broadband users claim to watch video clips online
but watching video clips via mobile is very limited"
Read it here - top item ... others down the page
https://www.ofcom.org.uk/research-and-data/tv-radio-and-on-demand/tv-research/bbc-mias
It is well worth a read - I think the answers now almost 12 years on will be very different!
The report does list the 60 regional locations and does audience reaction by (Government) Regions
I don't think Mr Hunt read it al all !!!!!!