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Culture Secretary unveils plans for new national TV channel

Jeremy Hunt plans national Freeview channel with local content (January 2011)

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NW
nwtv2003
Brekkie posted:
Seriously though the man has got no idea - he's basically merging the best example of local (S4C) where there is actually a need and purpose for it with the BBC as it's not commercially viable, yet wants to persist with plans like this.


I disagree, it's been long overdue for S4C to be merged into the likes of the BBC and cut the amount of red tape invovled with it. Don't get me wrong I'd be very angry if say S4C was a profitable service, a great example of PSB and delievered sastisfaction all round then I'd understand why people are p*ssed off about it. Don't get me wrong I do believe that S4C should exist, but when you're spending £100M of taxpayers money on a television channel that often records zero rating really needs looking at, and I think Mr Hunt has taken a step in the right direction here. Remember no other non-English language within the UK gets a television station with a high amount of funding, S4C is here to stay it's not being taken away. It's most popular programmes are BBC programmes (that are safe) and Sports, everybody is having to cut back at the moment and S4C is no sacred cow. S4C is a great example of PSB, but it needs to be more cost effective to the tax payers, the viewers.

As for Channel 6, I'm not sure what to say about it to be honest, if cross-media ownership rules are relaxed, so the stations can be ran by Local media groups and are well funded then the channel has a semi chance of succeeding. But ITV still can't make money from it, and even if we have a situation in a few years time where the only Regional TV is BBC and Ch6 then the BBC will win hands down, no matter how local Ch6 could be. Anyone who watched Channel M when it was still on air, showed that Local TV can be done relatively successfully but the station suffered from too much padding and filler in their News programmes.
TR
trivialmatters
This was summed up brilliantly by David Mitchell on 10 O'Clock live.

Quote:
It seems Jeremy Hunt - even as his cabinet colleagues hike tuition fees, take a circular saw to public spending and lure the NHS in a dark alley for a fast hard comprehensive reforming - has come up with a delicious spoonful of sugar to help the bulldozer load of excrement go down. He has launched a new channel dedicated to the provision of local news.

Well, happy days are here again! Hunt has analysed the media landscape and come to the conclusion that the one sort of television that the British public love above all others, better than quality drama and international sport, the thing they'll make an appointment to view - if only the self serving, ratings indifferent liberal media elite would let them - is local news.

There's not enough local news, he thinks. Local news is always a brilliant programme and it's hardly ever on. "What's on TV?" people ask, "I expect it's something **** like The Simpsons or The X Factor or Doctor Who. Why oh why couldn't it be local news?"

"Tell you what I'm doing this weekend. I'm gonna get the pizzas in and settle down to a North West Tonight marathon."

Hunt said "it is easy to be patronising about hyper local services". Yes, that's what gave me the idea
for this item. "People in Barnham don't want to watch what's going on in Southampton. People in Chelmsford aren't interested in what's happening in Watford."

Yeah - and in 1945, British people were expected to give a **** about what was happening in Auschwitz! That's MILES away! How boring for them. You're right Jeremy Hunt, people only care about things happening right next to them. In fact, we don't need TVs, we can just use windows. Sit by the window watching the local news unfold, 24/7 in high definition and 3D.

Instead of a remote control, you can just have a gun. If you get bored by what's on, simply fire the gun at the window and you can be sure that whatever you're watching will change.

Hunt's announcement is a meaningless, content-free, upbeat message - like a local news bulletin. Nothing will come of it, and it would be **** if it did.


I've made a few tweaks to make it read better as a transcript.

Pete posted:
you really are a very angry perosn aren't you?
Is it the guilt from all the shoplifting finally catching up with you?


Don't be silly. I didn't mean to come across as angry. I didn't WRITE IN CAPS or anything.
RI
Rijowhi
Taken from my Guardian post...with a few changes after a bit more thought

With both the BBC and ITV facing tightening their belts when it comes to news, maybe they should both cut their regional news services to pan regional (or government regions plus London) programmes (as ITV already have done). The regional news should then be cut to around 44 minutes a day on each channel (two 7 minutes programmes in the morning on the channel's respective Breakfast programmes and a half hour early evening round up). Using less presenters on these programmes would help with costs too (for example do you really need separate Weather and Sports presenters?). These programmes need to concentrate more on their quality output and being real news in my opinion. Both BBC and ITV could still produce at least 1 hour a week of non-news regional programming.

After the early evening regional News programmes have finished, there could be a screen 'advertising' the local TV service (Channel 6 if you like). I feel the local service should start around 7pm and finish around midnight. I feel that this programming should be a mix of Local and National programming as previously stated by Mr Hunt. If the BBC and ITV were to scrap their late regional News programmes, the new local TV channel could thrive...maybe.

* Otherwise get ITV to pull it's finger out and produce decent regional programming...children's, Art, religious etc programming too.
Last edited by Rijowhi on 4 February 2011 12:11am

9 days later

RE
remlap
Richard Horwood's Channel 6 will bid to run national TV network proposed by culture secretary Jeremy Hunt

Where are these local stations coming from all run by "Channel 6"?
JJ
jjne
Much as I like David Mitchell, I did not agree with him on the 10 O'Clock show.

There is much more to a local broadcaster than local news. Any attempt to produce a local "news channel" as they have in the States will fail miserably.

Take a look at what a typical ITV franchise was putting out 20 years ago on a regional basis. Award-winning documentaries. Quiz shows that would later be taken on nationally. Locally-based soaps. Music programming. Sport. Heavy-duty religious programming. Lengthy studio debates. Lifestyle programmes tailored to a local audience. Minority-interest, but essential community programmes like farming and business programmes. Arts programming, including entire series of short films financed in part by the broadcaster. Mad experimental gibberish like "Gilbert's Late" and even the occasional fully-fledged drama series. All produced by Tyne Tees in the early 1990s.

In other words, a genuinely tailored local service, and an unique and distinctive television station in its own right.

But no. The modern emphasis is on the local news , a service that was underfunded even in ITV's heyday. They really haven't got a clue in London.
ST
Standby
jjne posted:
Take a look at what a typical ITV franchise was putting out 20 years ago on a regional basis. Award-winning documentaries. Quiz shows that would later be taken on nationally. Locally-based soaps. Music programming. Sport. Heavy-duty religious programming. Lengthy studio debates. Lifestyle programmes tailored to a local audience. Minority-interest, but essential community programmes like farming and business programmes. Arts programming, including entire series of short films financed in part by the broadcaster. Mad experimental gibberish like "Gilbert's Late" and even the occasional fully-fledged drama series. All produced by Tyne Tees in the early 1990s.

In other words, a genuinely tailored local service, and an unique and distinctive television station in its own right.

But no. The modern emphasis is on the local news , a service that was underfunded even in ITV's heyday. They really haven't got a clue in London.

Great shame but times have changed, it's not going to go back to this.

I'm not sure about this Channel Six idea.

I liked what Channel M was doing but it clearly didn't work - so the self funding local model seems to not work.

This affiliate idea sounds like it's got more chance but I can't see how the core national network would ever be strong enough to support the local element. Maybe an existing broadcaster could be persuaded/forced to take part - local opts on channel 4 or five? Or maybe just concentrate on ITV - bit of regulatory relief or similar in return for beefing up local output/making it more local.
BR
Brekkie
The burden should be on ITV and rather than excusing them of the responsibility, Digital Switchover should have been used to re-enforce it and perhaps redefine, and go for this kind of affiliate model where ITV do run the national network (in England at least), with others, along with ITV, then bidding to run the regional part, which would include the responsibility for local news and a certain quota for regional programming over the year (realistically at most an hour a week is probably viable, never mind two hours a day!).


There is absolutely no chance of it happening, but my preference for a "Channel 6" under the model suggested would be for ITN to come back into the news channel business, with the the local element coming from local news. At least that way the local content is focused rather than any old random crap - even though there is little chance of it happening I suspect.
IS
Inspector Sands
Brekkie posted:
Seriously though the man has got no idea - he's basically merging the best example of local (S4C) where there is actually a need and purpose for it with the BBC as it's not commercially viable, yet wants to persist with plans like this.

Firstly the BBC-S4C thing was apparently the BBC's idea not Jeremy Hunt's

Secondly the BBC isn't merging with S4C, it's just taking over its funding
RI
Rijowhi
Brekkie posted:
The burden should be on ITV and rather than excusing them of the responsibility, Digital Switchover should have been used to re-enforce it and perhaps redefine, and go for this kind of affiliate model where ITV do run the national network (in England at least), with others, along with ITV, then bidding to run the regional part, which would include the responsibility for local news and a certain quota for regional programming over the year (realistically at most an hour a week is probably viable, never mind two hours a day!).
.


If the Contract Rights Renewal agreement is amended then hopefully ITV1 will be made to screen at least an hour a week of regional non-news programming as well as other PSB programming such as programmes for Children and Art...I don't see why not.
JO
Jonny
Rijowhite posted:
If the Contract Rights Renewal agreement is amended then hopefully ITV1 will be made to screen at least an hour a week of regional non-news programming as well as other PSB programming such as programmes for Children and Art... I don't see why not.

Because Ofcom has a nagging tendency of enquiring "how high?" whenever ITV plc says "jump"?
RI
Rijowhi
Jonny posted:
Rijowhite posted:
If the Contract Rights Renewal agreement is amended then hopefully ITV1 will be made to screen at least an hour a week of regional non-news programming as well as other PSB programming such as programmes for Children and Art... I don't see why not.

Because Ofcom has a nagging tendency of enquiring "how high?" whenever ITV plc says "jump"?


How very true...I can't and wouldn't dare argue with that. lol.

35 days later

DV
DVB Cornwall
This is confusing me, why are everyman and their dogs, cats, guinea pigs, rabbits, mice and goldfish in the business expressing interest in this scheme?

I've lost count of the expressions of interest that have been shown by established players and newcomers alike.

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