I still don't get why they keep referencing US and especially New York, does Mr Hunt realise the broadcast area these stations go out does not only include New York City but wide areas of New York State, New England and New Jersey?
They only work in smaller broadcast regions due to the multiple networks that are available to them.
Yes ever since he first mentioned this idea he's brought up the situation in the US and he still misunderstands how it works.
Personally I'm a bit more positive about local TV than most, I'm a bit sceptical that they'll work but if done right some could... and actually I'd really like to be involved in one when they launch
While I don't know how successful it will be, I'm a little excited about the prospects of an Edinburgh station. But of course, I'm a TV Forumer, so of course I'm excited.
But to hear Mr Hunt (shurely shome mishpelling?) talk about the "failure" of the regional ITV setup of the 50s is preposterous.
For decades it was a "licence to print money", it was an instant hit with millions of viewers across the land and delivered creative industries in each licence area.
That things eventually changed with the advent of multi-channel telly, and the culture of corporate takeovers is neither here nor there. ITV regions were never a failure - on the contrary, they were a massive success.
He suggested he had "learned lessons" from this failure, but couldn't specify what the failings were, or indeed, what he learned.
He did say that he has "found some spectrum" to offer - but surely this is a by-product - indeed, the leftovers - of the great spectrum sell-off.
It's the equivalent of taking eyeballs, earholes and ar$seholes from animals and making hot dogs.
Not something you want to blow your trumpet about.
He did say that he has "found some spectrum" to offer - but surely this is a by-product - indeed, the leftovers - of the great spectrum sell-off.
Not really, the frequencies being sold off are a chunk at the top end of the TV band which won't be used by any TV.
There were odd gaps for low-powered stations even in the analogue days. As digital transmissions can be closer together without interfering there are presumably more gaps even with that missing bit of bandwidth
He did say that he has "found some spectrum" to offer - but surely this is a by-product - indeed, the leftovers - of the great spectrum sell-off.
Not really, the frequencies being sold off are a chunk at the top end of the TV band which won't be used by any TV.
There were odd gaps for low-powered stations even in the analogue days. As digital transmissions can be closer together without interfering there are presumably more gaps even with that missing bit of bandwidth
There's an awful lot of the same frequencies being reused in geographically adjacent areas, something not possible with analogue. Some transmitters will (or rather could) have two of three services directed at different towns, but using the same frequency.
For instance Winter Hill having two separate stations for Manchester and Liverpool both using UHF Ch 56, and Hannington with separate services for Reading and Basingstoke using Ch 51.
But to hear Mr Hunt (shurely shome mishpelling?) talk about the "failure" of the regional ITV setup of the 50s is preposterous.
Indeed. It "failed" ultimately because of a lack of political will, and governments of all colours in the pockets of Murdoch and co.
The regional setup is, IMO, *still* the preferred model for a country like the UK. It's the system that is still successful across the continent, where regional broadcasters were and are protected (and were/are state-controlled in many cases). The reason that local television has all but died in this country is people like Jeremy Hunt.
If ITV had had a certain amount of ring-fenced money from the state, in return for greater levels of regulation retained after 1993, I am sure that we wouldn't be in the position of having to create a new network from scratch.
The "benefit" we have from the lack of protection is a very powerful and wealthy multichannel environment. But even here, was the price really worth paying?
Sponsored news? Sorry but that doesn't sound the brightest idea to me. Conflicts of interest and all that...
I want to be really excited about the 'local TV' project but I just get the feeling it's not being set up right... Then again I'm not surprised, the Broadcasting policy in this country has been becoming more and more messed up for over 20 years. I think all of our PSB's need looking into BIG time in the next Broadcasting Act...but I doubt much will change really.
While I don't know how successful it will be, I'm a little excited about the prospects of an Edinburgh station. But of course, I'm a TV Forumer, so of course I'm excited.
But to hear Mr Hunt (shurely shome mishpelling?) talk about the "failure" of the regional ITV setup of the 50s is preposterous.
For decades it was a "licence to print money", it was an instant hit with millions of viewers across the land and delivered creative industries in each licence area.
That things eventually changed with the advent of multi-channel telly, and the culture of corporate takeovers is neither here nor there. ITV regions were never a failure - on the contrary, they were a massive success.
He suggested he had "learned lessons" from this failure, but couldn't specify what the failings were, or indeed, what he learned.
Exactly - the only failure in terms of ITV was the regulation of it and the ITC/OFCOM and ITV believing this myth that for some reason once we all had digital TV regional television would not be relevent and not be desired. This never made any sense at all, and indeed most days the BBC gets it's highest ratings other than EastEnders from the regional news.
It only really began going wrong when ITV became less and less regional with companies buying each other out. Now we can't say whether without the mergers and takeovers these companies would have survived, but we can say that STV and UTV generally outperform the rest of the network despite retaining their independence.
The only tweak to the ITV system that might be beneficial is to switch it to an affiliate system, so ITV Plc run the "network" (in England at least) and the regions take responsibility for their own output at specified times within the network. And indeed I'm sure half these American channels Mr Hunt refers too are probably affiliates of the networks, not local channels in their own right.
Conflicts of interest and all that...
Then again I'm not surprised, the Broadcasting policy in this country has been becoming more and more messed up for over 20 years. I think all of our PSB's need looking into BIG time in the next Broadcasting Act...but I doubt much will change really.