Subject: New Report - "Local and Community Television in the United Kingdom: A New Beginning?"
Importance: High
** Please Forward **
The policy report 'Local and Community Television in the United Kingdom: A
New Beginning?' is now available. To obtain a copy, please email the author
Chris Hewson ([log in to unmask])
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LOCAL AND COMMUNITY TELEVISION IN THE UNITED KINGDOM:
A NEW BEGINNING?
REPORT SUMMARY
Can Local And Community Television be revitalized within a digital
environment? The BBC Charter Review, and the Ofcom Review of Public Service
Television Broadcasting once again approach the issue of local media
tentatively. Nonetheless, the Department for Culture Media and Sport are
currently timetabling a 'Local Digital Television Order' consultation, which
will consider the allocation of local digital frequencies. Now is the time
where significant questions must be asked concerning the ability of Local
And Community Television (LCTV) to complement, as well as challenge, current
Public Service Broadcasting (PSB) values. An additional opportunity also
arises to reconsider the role of Community Media in the promotion and
enhancement of citizenship - a vision of 'media literacy' distinct from the
notion of television viewers as mere 'consumers' of broadcast content.
The forthcoming PSB settlement must be geared towards the development of a
diverse and plural broadcasting landscape, considering how LCTV might 'add
value' to this arrangement. Ofcom's Public Service Publisher (PSP) proposals
are noteworthy, particularly in the light of ITV's shedding of regional
programming commitments, and the BBC's development of local news services
alongside an array of other 'community participation' projects. It is argued
that PSB providers increasingly target their outputs towards particular
communities of interest, however this report suggests that Community Media
practitioners should develop a vision of communities of practice, an outlook
which focuses upon the localised and cross-cutting social networks of which
all citizens are members. A distinction between Community Media, based
around 'place', and Alternative Media, based around 'difference', is also
noted. The crux being that Community Media projects should not simply focus
upon alternative or radical content, as this can impair attempts to engage
with local citizens, via an acknowledgment of local concerns and
enthusiasms.
A new vision of pluralism within Community Media is vital, and it should not
be assumed that this will inevitably emerge from an emphasis upon diversity.
New models of content plurality are necessary in order to counter
commercially orientated ideals, which promote 'audience choice' alone. A
converged perspective for LCTV must stress: local participatory activities
across different media forms; the adoption of mixed funding models; and an
engagement with a wide array of local and regional organisations.
Additionally the Community Media Centre (CMC) model should be reassessed: to
advance a new vision of 'Local Public Service Communication' provision; to
bring broadcast media and new communications technology together within
Community Media initiatives; and to encourage participation in, as well as
access to new media technologies.
A 'social investment' or 'social enterprise' model for LCTV might consider a
structure such as that proposed for the so-called Community Interest Company
(CIC), as well as taking on-board current developments within the Community
Radio sector, particularly regarding the potential for stations to
contribute to local regeneration, economically as well as via partnerships
with voluntary and statutory bodies. This requires the development of
'cross-platform local media strategies' - an array of local media projects
developed for a common purpose - rather than consolidated and profit-driven
'cross-media local platform strategies' - where large organisations purchase
an array of media within a particular area. Furthermore, models which unite
localisation and participation strategies must be assessed, such as civic
journalism, citizen journalism, and web-logging. In the future concepts such
as public service and digital inclusion will increasingly be considered
together, and as issues around social inclusion and media plurality are
combined, the term 'broadcasting' might even be disengaged from a view of
'public service' - with visions of 'local communication', and 'public
service communication' emerging.
The report makes several recommendations including:
- The need to develop innovative models of LCTV provision.
- An evaluation of the PSP proposal, and the generation compact agreements
between the Community Media Sector and the BBC.
- The promotion of content plurality as underpinning Community Media
provision, and the need for citizen education concerning contemporary
broadcasting developments.
- The promotion of a 'public interest' LCTV research scheme, including an
assessment of potential funding models.
- A recognition that past precedent is an imprecise guide to future
developments.
- A suggestion that the 'Local Digital Television Order' consultation should
be lengthened, alongside a wide-ranging consideration of other community
technologies which might utilise local digital frequencies.
(c) CHRIS HEWSON 2005
The report was written by Chris Hewson and commissioned by the University of
Lincoln, in conjunction with the Community Media Association and the
European Social Fund.