Standing up for local news

9.39.00am GMT Tue 2nd Mar 2010

The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) and BECTU have written to parliamentary candidates asking for support for local and regional news broadcasting ITV.

Figures show that public support for local news programming on C3 is high.

In the industry regulator Ofcom's last major Public Service Broadcasting Review, 84% of people questioned 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'

The unions point out that plurality of news provision - particularly at local level - is essential to a healthy democracy.

However over the last few years ITV has made serious cutbacks to their local and regional news programmes. BECTU and the NUJ, 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 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.

In these areas staff currently employed by ITV or STV in Scotland, must be transferred across to the successful bidder.

However, in the regions not covered by these trials there is a danger that ITV will look to further cut its spending in the year ahead, as the value of its regional analogue licences falls.

While the joint unions accept that the worth of the licences to ITV and STV is declining, they 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.

They argue that this money should come from harnessing the value of digital assets such as spectrum, or via some form of levy. More information can be found in their paper 'Mind the Funding Gap', an IPPR report which can be downloaded from the unions' websites http://www.bectu.org.uk/news/230 or

http://www.nuj.org.uk/innerPagenuj.html?docid=1212@string=mind%20the%20funding%20gap

The unions are afraid that, even if the '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.

The urgency of the situation means additional funding may be needed to keep the existing service running to an acceptable standard across ITV without any further cuts and until the new model is rolled out.

They've asked me to pledge support for regional news by signing up to the following statement:

I believe that my local news programme on ITV and STV in Scotland 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.

After some consideration I've signed up to the pledge, though taking out the words relating to Scotland.

You can see a public log of responses by following the links at either www.nuj.org.uk or www.bectu.org.uk

Here's the Lib Dem party line:

"The Liberal Democrats recognise the enormous importance of regional and local news. We believe that if current funding models fail, an alternative source of support should be found.

We believe that Independently Funded News Consortiums are an interesting idea, and the current pilots will contain some important lessons in delivering regional news services in future. The underspend from the digital switchover help scheme, which is being used to pay for the pilots, is a finite sum, but BECTU and the NUJ have already offered some solid long term funding suggestions to support a wider rollout. Once we have determined the success of the IFNC pilots and the amount of funding that might be needed to provide wider support for regional news, we will be in a good position to explore these other funding options more fully.

BECTU and the NUJ have rightly campaigned against "top slicing" the BBC licence fee to pay for regional news. Diverting licence fee money away from the BBC sets a dangerous precedent and threatens its independence. The Liberal Democrats share their opposition to this government suggested measure."