Channel TV opts to ‘watch and wait’
Saturday 26th September 2009, 2:29PM BST.
CHANNEL TELEVISION is closely monitoring a situation that could threaten its future news service.
Watchdog Ofcom has warned that the cost of licences that allow ITV to broadcast regional news in the UK will outweigh the benefits by 2012.
This is because of the many digital TV channels that can broadcast news without the need for licences.
CTV managing director Karen Rankine (pictured) said it was very much a ‘watch and wait’ game at the moment as there were so many different agencies involved in the issue.
‘Channel Television, in common with all other ITV licensees, has been following the debate closely and is considering the impact of the decline in traditional advertising revenues for the channel as a whole,’ she said.
‘We are not immune from the issues facing the industry and have been in discussion with Ofcom and the Government on this issue.
‘We are currently waiting for the UK Government to announce their conclusions on future funding provision and at that stage we hope it will be clearer how this may affect Channel Television.’
Ofcom has warned that new funding will be required if regional news is to be maintained on ITV.
Ms Rankine said the future funding of regional news right across the UK had been under the spotlight for the past 18 months.
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Given the ‘local’ nature of our ‘national’ issues here in the Channel Islands surely the Channel TV News is in many ways of more importance to us than the majority of the topics broadcast by the BBC, ITN or Sky News?
If this is indeed the case then maybe some form of subsidy from the 2 States is called for? The same may well be true of the local press and radio. Without these organs our democracy is devalued considerably.
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Why are we still paying the UK a tax, in the form of the BBC licence fee? £146 pa for every TV using home/business throughout the Channel Islands adds up to a tidy sum. It could be replaced with a much smaller fee to be used solely in the channel islands for local reporting. Where is the value to us of the BBC? We cannot even access some of its services.
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Paul I agree why are we paying a UK tax,have are
states agreed to us paying it,an island wide vote on the tax would be a good way to judge peoples feelings on the issue.
BBC employers have been knocking on locals doors demanding money for such tax. FACT.
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Paul, do you not use any of the BBC’s services, such as their website or their radio stations? Compared to the drivel I got from my £40+ a month for Sky, I find approx £12 a month for the BBC’s services to be good value.
I can’t quite see how people continue to call this a tax. You either use their services (and then you pay for them) or you don’t.
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I’d say the BBC’s Spotlight Channel Islands service at 18.30 is as good as Channel Report at 1800. Sure, the CTV prog goes on for half an hour but after the first 10 mins of ‘real’ news it’s usually fluff and nonsense for the final 15 or 20 minutes of the programme.
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The UK itself has classified the licence fee as a tax and no Greg I do not use any BBC services. I find the radio service very one dimensional and why would I use their website with the myriad of other news sites. If you like the BBC programmes fine thats your choice but the rest of us have no choice as we have to pay their tax which funds jobs and services in the UK. Thats not right.
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Paul, whilst it may be classified as a tax it is clearly used to fund the BBC. If you genuinely never ever watch a BBC channel, or listen to a BBC radio station or use their website, then I would feel aggrieved at paying just over £12 a month.
However I feel that you are very much in the minority. I personally don’t know anyone who never ever uses a BBC service.
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Greg
I would argue that I am not in the minority as I know only a few people who listen occasionally and certainly none under 40. My point is we are forced to pay a UK tax, if you use their service fine, but in this day and age it should be user pays. Every other broadcaster has to operate as a commercial unit with its survival based on its users. £146 pa wether you like it or not is not justified in the 21st century.
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Greg, you have the choice to not pay Sky £40+ a month but if you choose not to pay the BBC you can face criminal prosecution. If we have to pay a licence fee it should indeed be a local charge and not payable to the BBC.
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