George Tyndale : we don't need tinpot local news on television

By George Tyndale on Jul 16, 09 12:22 PM

The Conservatives want to launch dozens of new TV stations across the nation to broadcast local news.

Why?

If existing regional TV news programmes have any useful function at all it is to demonstrate that television is totally ill-suited to localised news.

In some areas both BBC and ITV regional news is little better than a joke.

And even at this level ITV says it can no longer afford to produce and transmit the service.

Which is why the Government wants to slice £80 million a year off the cash received by the BBC from licence payers in order to keep ITV regional news on air.

Yet the Tories believe that when digital broadcasting finally goes nationwide we should create at least 80 new community channels operated on the cheap, partly run by volunteers and with the hours in between news broadcasts filled by syndicated pap.

They pose the question: "Why does Birmingham, Alabama have eight local TV stations when Birmingham in the UK - four times the size - has none?"

Well, that could be because Birmingham in the UK has no desire for eight channels of toe-curling, tinpot TV made by amateurs when it already has outstanding newspaper coverage of local issues and quite enough radio stations.

Especially when there's a grave danger that Council Tax payers will end up funding it.

Because we all know exactly what would happen if this barmpot scheme ever got off the ground.
Local do-gooders would be racing round to the council offices claiming that a local TV station is just what they need to improve community cohesion and disseminate vital community messages.

And will local councillors be able to resist the urge to fund their own TV station?

We already have hundreds of radio stations littering the airwaves which are listened to by next to nobody, and some of which already attract public money.

The idea of 80-odd Mickey Mouse TV stations springing up as well is good news for nobody.