Ritchie backs Regional News Campaign
March 13, 2010 12:00 AM
Lib Dem Candidate for Westminster Stuart Ritchie has backed the campaign to save Regional News Broadcasts.
In the industry regulator Ofcom's last major Public Service Broadcasting Review 84% of people questioned as part of their research agreed that 'TV is an important source of news about my region/nation'. Meanwhile 83% agreed that 'It is important for ITV1 as well as BBC to show news programmes about my region/nation.
However over the last few years ITV and STV have made serious cutbacks to their local and regional news programmes. The two unions representing the vast majority of workers in the broadcasting industry, believe further cutbacks are likely unless action is taken.
The government is currently investigating so-called Independently Financed News Consortia (IFNCs) that could, in the future, provide regional news across the ITV/STV network. At present 'trials' of these ideas are planned for Scotland, Wales and the North East region of England (previously the Border and Tyne Tees ITV regions). These trials will run until 2013 and are likely to be paid for by a surplus in the fund of money put aside to assist with the switchover to digital television.
While the joint unions accept that the worth of the licences to ITV and STV is declining, we believe local and regional news as an alternative to the BBC is too important to be allowed to disappear from our screens, and that alternative funding should be found to support it.
We argue that this money should come from harnessing the value of digital assets such as spectrum, or via some form of levy. We believe that, even if the three 'trials' are a success, by the end of 2012 there is a danger of there being little regional news infrastructure left to hand over to another provider.
Stuart says, "I believe that my local news programme on STV plays a vital role in our democracy by ensuring that viewers in my constituency have access to quality TV news from a variety of sources.
If elected I commit to ensure that the future of local news on ITV and STV will be protected, including finding long-term funding solutions that will maintain and strengthen investment in quality programmes.
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