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  Forum for former BBC staff › › News and Comment › The future of BBC on-line?
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The future of BBC on-line? (Read 4963 times)
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The future of BBC on-line?
Jan 21st, 2010, 4:47pm  
Shadow culture secretary says Tories will look to city-based franchises covering radio, press and websites if they are elected


The shadow culture secretary, Jeremy Hunt, has told media companies bidding for government money to run replacement ITV regional news pilots they will face legal action if the Conservatives win the next general election.

Hunt, speaking at the Oxford Media Convention today, said that the Tories wanted an all-encompassing regional news solution to empower local radio, newspapers and websites with city-based franchises.

"Let me be clear, we do not support these provisions in the Digital Economy Bill and we do not support the pilot [regional news] schemes," he added.

"The contracts are not due to be signed until May [and] anyone looking to sign one should understand that we'll do all we can to legally unpick them if David Cameron enters Number 10. And if they haven't been signed, we won't be doing so," Hunt said.

He reiterated the Conservative party's view that using a portion of the BBC's licence fee to "prop up regional news simply casts a failed regional TV model in aspic".

Earlier this month the department for culture, media and sport announced the eight successful consortiums to bid to run pilots for regional news in Scotland, Wales and England.

Hunt also once again attacked media regulator Ofcom, arguing that it needs to have its powers clipped and that the DCMS "lacks firepower and capability".

"I have nothing against Ofcom, which has some extremely bright people working for it, but everything against the way the balance of power has shifted its way because we have a government afraid to take responsibility for broadcasting policy," he said.

"Ofcom is empowered by statute and has been able to interpret those statutory powers to step in to a vacuum created by the arrival and departure of four culture secretaries in as many years and a department that lacks firepower and capability."

He pointed out that Ofcom is mentioned 159 times in the 59-page Digital Economy Bill.

Hunt also argued that pushing the BBC and Channel 4 to take a lead in developing online content was "fundamentally flawed" because it threatened to stifle the commercial sector.

"You are sending a strong signal to anyone with a good idea for a product or service online – don't bother," he said.

"Why develop a website for motoring enthusiasts? You won't stand a chance against the Top Gear site. With the massive leverage offered by access to TV audiences you risk crowding out investment by anyone in the private sector."

The BBC director general, Mark Thompson, has already said that there will be cuts to the "current scope" of the corporation's burgeoning online presence.

Hunt said that products such as the BBC iPlayer which are related to broadcasting are acceptable, but online-only services "will be the biggest possible deterrent to private sector investment in innovation in the online space".

"The possibility of a British Google is killed stone dead," he added.

By:- Mark Sweney

Source:-
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/jan/21/hunt-itv-news-replacement-pilots
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Re: The future of BBC on-line?
Reply #1 - Jan 21st, 2010, 6:31pm  
This site could be - and should be, given its readership - a very lively forum on matters relating to broadcasting. I have to admire the "Administrator" for his persistence at stimulating debate.. In the past I was quite upset when one reader gave me a very unwarranted dose of sarcasm in response to my contribution. I intend to have a thicker skin in future. But here is an article which really ought to have fingers on keyboards.  As a former regional newspaper journalist who then served in local and national radio for over two decades I was more than a little concerned when I saw how the BBC had assumed that on-line journalism was part of its broadcasting charter.  In local radio, working very closely with weekly and regional daily newspaper  staff meant we kept each other on our toes and there was healthy competition for everything except the advertising.   But it became obvious that newspapers were in for a hard time if the public could get so much local and regional information  - not from their local radio station but on-line, free of charge.   Then much the same thing began to happen to the national news coverage.   The result was a massive monopolisation of the regional and local press and a big increase in the price of the broadsheets with thousands of jobs being lost in print journalism. The BBC appears to have no conscience on this just as it has no conscience over the loss of great regional news programmes like Calendar and Meridian Tonight.  But when you look at the quality of much of the BBC online journalism it is little short of appalling. This week, alone, there have been some quite breathtaking examples of redtop journalism, especially on the BBC Magazine pages.  I am a frequent writer of complaints and feel sure the reason is that the Beeb is doing it on the cheap - both in cash terms and in levels of training and quality control. I have never received any reassurance to the contrary.    It is a short sighted and arrogant approach and very much in line with the current DG's style of operation.  It is hardly surprising that "thousands" of staff talk of low morale, disgust at mega salaries and an over burdening with bureaucracy.   Let's hear that phrase "It's Your BBC" being put to work. We former BBC staff should not stand idly by and see our work being destroyed....and lets's begin by insisting on the BBC restricting its on-line journalism to supporting broadcast programmes and instead re-funding the massively deconstructed local radio and regional news services.  Giving back local radio stations their individual identity would be a significant step.
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Re: The future of BBC on-line?
Reply #2 - Jan 22nd, 2010, 12:03pm  
Further to the above, may I suggest you read this blog available on this link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/douglasfraser/
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Re: The future of BBC on-line?
Reply #3 - Feb 26th, 2010, 10:25pm  
OK, this is becoming a bit of a one-sided conversation....but, hey, tonight's news that two radio stations and "non-programme connected" websites are to go seems to prove my point. Auntie has taken too much upon itself at the cost of quality and consistency. How long before thc cuts run much, much deeper?  Get behibnd this and tell Mark Thompson that he is to the Beeb what Gordon Brown is to the country. Time to Go!!!
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