The station was launched on September 21 2007 so is still a new idea.
The station aims to provide programmes under a series of channels which showcase the county's tourist attractions, through to how to find a residential home for an elderly relative parent.
The site states that: “At the heart of Kent TV lies its ambition to be a community channel, so individuals and local community groups can upload their own content onto Kent TV to highlight local issues.”
But the question of internet regulation remains a large concern.
Thursday, 31 January 2008
KENT TV - It's all about Kent
Kent TV (www.KentTV.com) is a 24 hour internet channel covering every aspect of news around Kent.
Launched by the City Council it provides short videos on local issues including the arts, education, and local government.
As far as it goes as a concept, it is probably the closest we have come to broadcasting local news on the internet. It reaches its target audience of those who have an association with Kent, and easy navigation around the sight means people can select the information they want, making individual news-gathering direct and easy.
If the aim of internet news is to instigate a sense of community, then Kent TV seems to achieve this, as every aspect of Kent life appears to be covered on the site.
However, the general concept of a news service is to provide objective information - can an internet channel maintained by a council be considered completely neutral? It is likely and understandable that Kent City Council leans on the service to promote their achievements rather than including articles which shows their management in any poor light.
The sight does employ a Board of Govenors to ensure impartiality, regularity and good value to the consumers but it’s interest will always default back to the City Council and what they are trying to achieve.
Ultimately, while Kent TV seems well regulated there is the concern that the channel lacks diversity and will always have a political leaning. This risks causing the information and freedom of the channel to become stilted, and highlights the importance of regulation and the difficulty in maintaining that across the internet.
Another factor to consider is how the service will attract its audience and the viability of it. Kent TV has a huge amount of content, and with that comes dedicated workers with the majority seeking payment. Although other sources can be pooled to gain content, local internet news would have to be interesting and exciting enough to draw people away from their televisions and radios to ensure that the expansion was cost effective.
Launched by the City Council it provides short videos on local issues including the arts, education, and local government.
As far as it goes as a concept, it is probably the closest we have come to broadcasting local news on the internet. It reaches its target audience of those who have an association with Kent, and easy navigation around the sight means people can select the information they want, making individual news-gathering direct and easy.
If the aim of internet news is to instigate a sense of community, then Kent TV seems to achieve this, as every aspect of Kent life appears to be covered on the site.
However, the general concept of a news service is to provide objective information - can an internet channel maintained by a council be considered completely neutral? It is likely and understandable that Kent City Council leans on the service to promote their achievements rather than including articles which shows their management in any poor light.
The sight does employ a Board of Govenors to ensure impartiality, regularity and good value to the consumers but it’s interest will always default back to the City Council and what they are trying to achieve.
Ultimately, while Kent TV seems well regulated there is the concern that the channel lacks diversity and will always have a political leaning. This risks causing the information and freedom of the channel to become stilted, and highlights the importance of regulation and the difficulty in maintaining that across the internet.
Another factor to consider is how the service will attract its audience and the viability of it. Kent TV has a huge amount of content, and with that comes dedicated workers with the majority seeking payment. Although other sources can be pooled to gain content, local internet news would have to be interesting and exciting enough to draw people away from their televisions and radios to ensure that the expansion was cost effective.
LOCAL INTERNET TV = CONTENT + COST / VIABILITY?
Monday, 28 January 2008
Atlantic FM Website
Well as we all know Cornwall tends to take a while to get to grips with electronic advances, I have been down here (oppose to up-country Kat before you ask) all my life and getting post on time has sometimes seemed a major step forward. It is therefore refreshing to see that local radio stations are now embracing the internet.
Atlatic FM is Cornwall's newest radio station having launched in July 2006 and is the countys second commercial radio station, the other being Pirate FM. Currently the station has a 3.9% market reach in terms of listeners within the county, a fair way behind both Pirate FM who are on 14% of the market and Radio Cornwall who sit on 36%.
The problem that any business faces in Cornwall is how to become part of the Cornish way of life. It takes many years to do it and many business do not have the finances to float themselves while they establish themselves. I think Atlantic FM have done their homework and their internet service is proof of this.
Although they have not gone into producing internet television they do provide an entertaining set of podcasts including the Atlantic Report and the Pirates Podcast. The Atlantic Report covers the last 7 days news and would appeal to the Cornish ex-pats who subscribe to the West Briton in their thousands each week just to keep up to date with what is happening in Cornwall.
Due to the poor job market many people leave Cornwall to earn a living, but people from the Duchy are normally proud of their heritage and like to keep in touch. With a weekly news podcast these people can keep up to date with news from this end of the country and also save on the subscription costs that would be needed in recieving the West Briton or The Packet.
What I am really trying to get at is why compete for a small market audience in a county of 500,000 when you can gain thousands of listners from outside the region, ones who are not heavily attatched to one particular organisation.
I am involved with the other podcast, the Pirates Podcast, and last year it was recieving over 1000 downloads a week. Currently no other radio station in Cornwall produces a podcast devoted to the countys best rugby side, why not I ask myself.
In the last two weeks the Pirates official site recieved 48,000 hits, most of them from outside the county. As the team are not an elite club they do not get any real television coverage yet there are thousands out there who would love to have a regular service keeping them up to date and free of charge.
I see Atlantic FM's future as as a bright one if they pursue every angle they can to reach the thousands living outside of the county. Pirate FM and BBC Cornwall have had a huge head start so why spend huge amounts of money trying to take their listners when you can simply create your own.
I don't feel the station will ever use internet television however, mainly due to cost. I do think that providing some transmitted coverage of local events would help them to become more unique but with Tindle backing them, mainly a newspaper organisation, I cannot see that happening.
P.S. Out of interest and I hope that somebody can answer me this but when a license is granted by Ofcom I understand it is on certain conditions, i.e how many live hours you are broadcasting and your content. If that is the case anyone employed in the future are not only going to have to be good presenters but also very IT capable.
Atlatic FM is Cornwall's newest radio station having launched in July 2006 and is the countys second commercial radio station, the other being Pirate FM. Currently the station has a 3.9% market reach in terms of listeners within the county, a fair way behind both Pirate FM who are on 14% of the market and Radio Cornwall who sit on 36%.
The problem that any business faces in Cornwall is how to become part of the Cornish way of life. It takes many years to do it and many business do not have the finances to float themselves while they establish themselves. I think Atlantic FM have done their homework and their internet service is proof of this.
Although they have not gone into producing internet television they do provide an entertaining set of podcasts including the Atlantic Report and the Pirates Podcast. The Atlantic Report covers the last 7 days news and would appeal to the Cornish ex-pats who subscribe to the West Briton in their thousands each week just to keep up to date with what is happening in Cornwall.
Due to the poor job market many people leave Cornwall to earn a living, but people from the Duchy are normally proud of their heritage and like to keep in touch. With a weekly news podcast these people can keep up to date with news from this end of the country and also save on the subscription costs that would be needed in recieving the West Briton or The Packet.
What I am really trying to get at is why compete for a small market audience in a county of 500,000 when you can gain thousands of listners from outside the region, ones who are not heavily attatched to one particular organisation.
I am involved with the other podcast, the Pirates Podcast, and last year it was recieving over 1000 downloads a week. Currently no other radio station in Cornwall produces a podcast devoted to the countys best rugby side, why not I ask myself.
In the last two weeks the Pirates official site recieved 48,000 hits, most of them from outside the county. As the team are not an elite club they do not get any real television coverage yet there are thousands out there who would love to have a regular service keeping them up to date and free of charge.
I see Atlantic FM's future as as a bright one if they pursue every angle they can to reach the thousands living outside of the county. Pirate FM and BBC Cornwall have had a huge head start so why spend huge amounts of money trying to take their listners when you can simply create your own.
I don't feel the station will ever use internet television however, mainly due to cost. I do think that providing some transmitted coverage of local events would help them to become more unique but with Tindle backing them, mainly a newspaper organisation, I cannot see that happening.
P.S. Out of interest and I hope that somebody can answer me this but when a license is granted by Ofcom I understand it is on certain conditions, i.e how many live hours you are broadcasting and your content. If that is the case anyone employed in the future are not only going to have to be good presenters but also very IT capable.
Sunday, 27 January 2008
Pimp my blog
oh god I need to get out more. I've just discovered the wonders of the customize your blog page... I'm weirdly entertained by making the blog pretty. I'm turning into a geek...please enrol me into some kind of social club NOW!! Er, hope you like the new pretty stuff on the side of the blog!!
This weekend's work
Hello lovelies,
just wanted to say I thought it went really well on Friday with the survey and the filming, esp Beth and Sue who interviewed half of Falmouth by the look of it.
I'll have to see about booking an Avid suite for us to edit our video bits and bobs together ready for the presentation. I know we haven't got much time so (and this may be insane) I thought we might as well bullet and get straight on it on Monday.
Sue is busy with the survey analysis so if either Tom or Beth want to give me a hand with the editing can you let me know by adding a comment to this post? If you're both busy I'll give it a go on my own.
Cat xx
just wanted to say I thought it went really well on Friday with the survey and the filming, esp Beth and Sue who interviewed half of Falmouth by the look of it.
I'll have to see about booking an Avid suite for us to edit our video bits and bobs together ready for the presentation. I know we haven't got much time so (and this may be insane) I thought we might as well bullet and get straight on it on Monday.
Sue is busy with the survey analysis so if either Tom or Beth want to give me a hand with the editing can you let me know by adding a comment to this post? If you're both busy I'll give it a go on my own.
Cat xx
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