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Local TV - Brekkie - 07-11-2021
I don't think OFCOM have ever rejected a request from a local TV provider to reduce their commitment. In terms of serving the viewer it would have been better to let them go bust trying rather than carry on this charade.
Here is the That's TV Solent bid from 2012 - 51 hours of original programming a week, 50% of primetime being live. Ambitious, yes, Realistic, no. But to go from that being the pledge upon launch to just a 10 minute news bulletin a day within a decade highlights what a farce it is. Even just looping that bulletin for an hour, or repeating it a couple more times in the evening, would at least keep up the pretence it is a local service.
Local TV - commseng - 07-11-2021
Emily Moore post_id=52342 time= user_id=1738 Wrote:Is there the same restriction that they would need to operate within the Nation that they serve?commseng post_id=52217 time= user_id=1125 Wrote:I see that OFCOM have agreed that That's TV can operate from just 5 studio bases -
Glasgow, Manchester, Norwich, Reading and Swansea.
https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0026/227429/Studio-location-Ofcom-consent-letter-1-November-2021-Thats-TV.pdf
That's TV's request makes a lot of sense - technology has moved on, and studios in each local area are an expensive luxury for a small business when remote contributions are possible. However, I'm surprised that Ofcom believe the story about "saving money on studios to spend on local journalists" when it comes from Dan Cass, an individual who doesn't exactly have a track record of investing in local journalism on his licences.
In six months, he'll pick one site and say it can all be done from there, and another request will go to Ofcom. The amount of local news and content on the That's channels will not improve.
If so I would expect Glasgow and Swansea will need to remain, while the English ones will combine next if I was to be cynical.
While the technology has certainly moved on, it hardly shouts "Local" which I thought was the whole point of these stations.
Local TV - commseng - 07-11-2021
Brekkie post_id=52351 time= user_id=976 Wrote:I don't think OFCOM have ever rejected a request from a local TV provider to reduce their commitment. In terms of serving the viewer it would have been better to let them go bust trying rather than carry on this charade.That's the problem, it was never realistic, looking at the BARB figure for the That's TV network, they are getting an audience share of 0.08%, the same as Forces TV. London Live is getting 0.05%. While you can certainly point out that they do not have full UK coverage, the population covered by both That's TV and London Live must be higher than those working for the UK Military.
Here is the That's TV Solent bid from 2012 - 51 hours of original programming a week, 50% of primetime being live. Ambitious, yes, Realistic, no. But to go from that being the pledge upon launch to just a 10 minute news bulletin a day within a decade highlights what a farce it is. Even just looping that bulletin for an hour, or repeating it a couple more times in the evening, would at least keep up the pretence it is a local service.
If ITV cannot make the figures work to provide regional programming, other than news, and in radio Global and Bauer have the same issues, then local TV can never work.
Local TV - Ash101 - 07-11-2021
Brekkie post_id=52351 time= user_id=976 Wrote:I don't think OFCOM have ever rejected a request from a local TV provider to reduce their commitment. In terms of serving the viewer it would have been better to let them go bust trying rather than carry on this charade.
Here is the That's TV Solent bid from 2012 - 51 hours of original programming a week, 50% of primetime being live. Ambitious, yes, Realistic, no. But to go from that being the pledge upon launch to just a 10 minute news bulletin a day within a decade highlights what a farce it is. Even just looping that bulletin for an hour, or repeating it a couple more times in the evening, would at least keep up the pretence it is a local service.
That’s a fascinating read, with hindsight! Did they ever have actual plans to launch any of those programmes or were they just saying it to look good and win the licence?
If memory serves, they didn’t even have the 3 different hubs and I think the whole channel was done out of Highbury College in Portsmouth. I certainly don’t think the weekend programme with Ester Rantzen ever materialised.
But yes, That’s TV is a total waste of time & it’s such a shame we never even saw some “glory days” of these services and they basically launched below-par and have just got worse. At this point, is the ‘local news’ part even worth it?
Local TV - Richjj1978 - 07-11-2021
Quote:But yes, That’s TV is a total waste of time & it’s such a shame we never even saw some “glory days” of these services and they basically launched below-par and have just got worse. At this point, is the ‘local news’ part even worth it?
I think that Big Centre towards the end was quite watchable. It got over its early chaos and amateurism and had started to look like something professional and watchable rather than programmes for pres geeks.
However, by that stage any actual viewership had long since left, put off by gardening shows presented by presenters feet etc.
The time has probably passed, but local TV Birmingham is just about watchable and it's 2 man crew (1 as reporter and 1 doing camera/sound) filming on an iPad with a boom mic and a tripod (at least that's what they were using when I walked past them the other day) is probably just about sustainable
Local TV - Brekkie - 07-11-2021
Ash101 post_id=52363 time= user_id=936 Wrote:But yes, That’s TV is a total waste of time & it’s such a shame we never even saw some “glory days” of these services and they basically launched below-par and have just got worse.Ouch - but for That's TV certainly true. I don't think they came close to their pledges in the applications at the launch of most of their stations - and whilst "live TV" gives an impression of energetic, anything can happen, highly engaging TV in reality it was three people in a boring studio talking about rather boring subjects in a boring manner.
Made TV and some others, noteably Mustard TV, Notts TV and KMTV, along with STV, at least tried to make a go of it in their early days even if they just couldn't make it viable - although at least Made, or Local TV as it is now, still has a good chunk of it's schedule which is undeniably local, even if it isn't that great to watch.
What the Local TV network really needed was even just one channel to make a success of it so at least there was a model for others to follow that worked. It hasn't helped either that none of the channels, other than STV, have had the backing of an existing broadcaster in the way BFM have been able to successfully build a network of local stations in France to complement their national offering off the back of the success of BFM Paris.
Local TV - Ash101 - 07-11-2021
Brekkie post_id=52368 time= user_id=976 Wrote:Made TV and some others, noteably Mustard TV, Notts TV and KMTV, along with STV, at least tried to make a go of it in their early days even if they just couldn't make it viable - although at least Made, or Local TV as it is now, still has a good chunk of it's schedule which is undeniably local, even if it isn't that great to watch.
I see that Local TV is now on Sky, where they do appear to be showing 30 minute sections of local news from the different areas, alongside what looks like CBS shows. Meanwhile, That’s TV Gold is just the music and documentary stuff on a loop. They’re basically right at the end of Sky’s entertainment guide, just before the +1’s. So I wonder how many people know about/choose to watch either via Sky.
Local TV - Spencer - 07-11-2021
Brekkie post_id=52351 time= user_id=976 Wrote:I don't think OFCOM have ever rejected a request from a local TV provider to reduce their commitment. In terms of serving the viewer it would have been better to let them go bust trying rather than carry on this charade.
If it was the case that someone else would then come in and provide top quality, viable local TV services in their place, then yes, this might be the best thing to do. But that’s not going to happen, and Ofcom knows it.
Forcing several companies to go bust, putting people out of work, and causing screens to go blank isn’t a benefit to anyone.
Whilst they’re rubbish, the local TV channels aren’t harming anyone, so Ofcom might as well allow them to limp along for as long as people want to run them, because there’s no better feasible alternative.
Local TV - commseng - 07-11-2021
Local radio in Ipswich shows what sort of thing could happen.
Started in 1975 as Radio Orwell, added Saxon Radio in Bury St Edmunds in 1982 with some shared programming.
Bought out by Radio Broadland in 1990 to form East Anglian Radio.
Then rebranded as SGR (Suffolk Group Radio) in 1992 and all programming from Ipswich.
Bought out and in 2009 rebranded as Heart - now the local programme is from Norwich.
New local station Town 102 started from Ipswich in 2006.
Gradually the content was shared with Radio Norwich (and The Beach / North Norfolk Radio / Dream 100), and it was bought out by Celedor in 2017.
All programming then became The Breeze from Norwich, then bought by Bauer, and rebranded as GHR.
OFCOM readvertised the licence and it was for once won buy a new station - Ipswich 102, based in (or very near) Ipswich.
That lasted for 2 years before being bought out by Bauer and rebranded to GHR - although that now supplies the local East Anglian programme for GHR for compliance reasons.
So after 46 years of commercial radio, the last 30 in a state of change - is the listener better served than in 1980?
Not for local content. This is popular music radio, which compared to Television and news is cheap to make.
OFCOM don't want to repeat the Ipswich radio fun and games with every licenced local TV station I am sure!!
Local TV - Emily Moore - 07-11-2021
Brekkie post_id=52351 time= user_id=976 Wrote:I don't think OFCOM have ever rejected a request from a local TV provider to reduce their commitment. In terms of serving the viewer it would have been better to let them go bust trying rather than carry on this charade.
Here is the That's TV Solent bid from 2012 - 51 hours of original programming a week, 50% of primetime being live. Ambitious, yes, Realistic, no. But to go from that being the pledge upon launch to just a 10 minute news bulletin a day within a decade highlights what a farce it is. Even just looping that bulletin for an hour, or repeating it a couple more times in the evening, would at least keep up the pretence it is a local service.
The fact that it has "Student Magazine" featured for an hour, seven nights a week, makes it unrealistic in itself. Only in the world of Dan Cass are students a source of enough free labour to produce seven hours of original television programming per week.
Local TV - Spencer - 07-11-2021
Out of interest, does anyone know how long the local TV licenses were awarded for?
My guess is that before they’re due for renewal, Ofcom may hold a consultation as to whether to issue new licences, given how the whole concept hasn’t worked out as planned. It could be at this point that the whole local TV project is quietly laid to rest.
Local TV - Brekkie - 08-11-2021
They were initially for 12 years. More info here.
Do have to wonder for the likes of That's TV how valuable the channel 7/8 slot is compared to being at the tailend of the EPG with a national channel. I don't think any of us watch to find out really but do they carry local advertising outside of the news slots?
Local TV - AnthonyW - 08-11-2021
commseng post_id=52398 time=1636303253 user_id=1125 Wrote:Local radio in Ipswich shows what sort of thing could happen.
Started in 1975 as Radio Orwell, added Saxon Radio in Bury St Edmunds in 1982 with some shared programming.
Bought out by Radio Broadland in 1990 to form East Anglian Radio.
Then rebranded as SGR (Suffolk Group Radio) in 1992 and all programming from Ipswich.
Bought out and in 2009 rebranded as Heart - now the local programme is from Norwich.
Not any more it isn't - Norwich-based programmes on Heart are long-gone.
Local TV - London Lite - 08-11-2021
AnthonyW post_id=52460 time= user_id=1355 Wrote:commseng post_id=52398 time=1636303253 user_id=1125 Wrote:Local radio in Ipswich shows what sort of thing could happen.
Started in 1975 as Radio Orwell, added Saxon Radio in Bury St Edmunds in 1982 with some shared programming.
Bought out by Radio Broadland in 1990 to form East Anglian Radio.
Then rebranded as SGR (Suffolk Group Radio) in 1992 and all programming from Ipswich.
Bought out and in 2009 rebranded as Heart - now the local programme is from Norwich.
Not any more it isn't - Norwich-based programmes on Heart are long-gone.
Indeed, the regional Heart show comes from Milton Keynes.
Local TV - Brekkie - 08-11-2021
I do wonder if we'll ever see a time when there is the political will to see the regulator reinstate stricter local and regional requirements on commercial TV and radio.
I suspect if there was an admission the Local TV network was a failure and licences weren't needed they'd probably put the onus on the BBC to plug the so called gap, which of course is what they wanted to do in the first place with the trials of a looped hour of local news for the West Midlands, split into ten minutes sub-regional chunks. That sort of thing could easily be done through the iPlayer nowadays provided they have adequate funding to provide such a service.