Ok, so I am really going to town with this blogging malarky tonight. In fact, I am simultaneously watching Skins on Channel 4 while writing this blog and looking at other local internet TV stations. How's that for choice!
I came across this site, dire is not the word. An example of how local internet TV is just an advertising tool mainly. Even the links don't work! Enjoy.
http://www.emtv.tv/
Thursday, 13 March 2008
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/grandmother-89-seeks-power-via-internet-793163.html
Check out the link above. I wanted to be inspired by this old lady taking the world by storm with her blog, but alas, the world of the blog still eludes me.
Check out the link above. I wanted to be inspired by this old lady taking the world by storm with her blog, but alas, the world of the blog still eludes me.
My Views
Well after looking at this topic I think that Internet Television is certainly the way to go. In an ever increasing industry where more and more radio stations are being created it is only sense that they will have to look to a larger market to survive.
Here in Cornwall the advertising that a business can gain is only limited due to not having any real major shops or industry. That said Internet Television opens you up to a global community and therefore the advertising/sponsorship a business can expect is much greater.
In man power terms I can see younger people doing very well out of the expansion of this industry. Universities/Colleges will qualify people to be multi tasked and the jobs will go to those who can put their hands to almost anything.
I think the future could be bright for Internet Television.
Here in Cornwall the advertising that a business can gain is only limited due to not having any real major shops or industry. That said Internet Television opens you up to a global community and therefore the advertising/sponsorship a business can expect is much greater.
In man power terms I can see younger people doing very well out of the expansion of this industry. Universities/Colleges will qualify people to be multi tasked and the jobs will go to those who can put their hands to almost anything.
I think the future could be bright for Internet Television.
Tuesday, 11 March 2008
WHERE I STAND...
This blog has enabled me to actively engage in the future of internet TV, but while I can feel the concept knocking at the door I’m uncertain as to when and how it will happen.
In carrying out our own surveys, interviewing those who know the business inside out, sampling the various internet channels available and talking to pioneers of the idea, I still stand divided on how it’s going to work and who is going to make it work and my main reservations do indeed lie with ethics and regulations.
Firstly there are no universal regulations for any forms of media to adhere to on the internet, and this calls into questions the ethics of the stories being written, even if written in good faith. In the press, television and radio worlds, words are heavily governed by laws protecting those being written about, and yet at the moment the internet remains an untamed wilderness where any form of content can survive.
Secondly I’m unsure whether I like the idea of internet TV. It’s a soul-less form of technology and is creating an even more fickle audience than ever before. There seems to be little or no loyalty to the majority of internet content. People follow what’s in vogue (YouTube), or simply move away if they don’t like what’s being published or think that someone else is managing their content better or at a much quicker pace.
I would also hate to lose the heritage of the local paper, but that’s more of a selfish reason, rather than an objective one. It’s where I had my first real taste of paid journalism - and I’m sure thousands of other journalists would agree with me on this. (Look at my earlier blog entitled West Midlands Pilot for the context of this comment).
Internet TV was such a huge topic to delve in to, and I’m still moving back and forth between supporting the idea and shying away. There are pros and cons in both corners. More jobs for broadcasters would be great, and I’m sure as the audience I would also like to have optimum choice for my viewing, but at the same time, do I want to watch things on the internet? And would I really be satisfied with putting all my faith in an unregulated internet site?
Ultimately despite the pros, cons and angst that previous pilots have caused within the press world, local internet TV is on its way. There will be a media corporation who break down these barriers and create a service which is supported by a large fan basis and respected by them too.
When this is going to happen I remain unsure about, but only then will we really be able to discuss where local internet TV can take the future of media, whether you’re behind the screen, on it or a blurring of the two.
In carrying out our own surveys, interviewing those who know the business inside out, sampling the various internet channels available and talking to pioneers of the idea, I still stand divided on how it’s going to work and who is going to make it work and my main reservations do indeed lie with ethics and regulations.
Firstly there are no universal regulations for any forms of media to adhere to on the internet, and this calls into questions the ethics of the stories being written, even if written in good faith. In the press, television and radio worlds, words are heavily governed by laws protecting those being written about, and yet at the moment the internet remains an untamed wilderness where any form of content can survive.
Secondly I’m unsure whether I like the idea of internet TV. It’s a soul-less form of technology and is creating an even more fickle audience than ever before. There seems to be little or no loyalty to the majority of internet content. People follow what’s in vogue (YouTube), or simply move away if they don’t like what’s being published or think that someone else is managing their content better or at a much quicker pace.
I would also hate to lose the heritage of the local paper, but that’s more of a selfish reason, rather than an objective one. It’s where I had my first real taste of paid journalism - and I’m sure thousands of other journalists would agree with me on this. (Look at my earlier blog entitled West Midlands Pilot for the context of this comment).
Internet TV was such a huge topic to delve in to, and I’m still moving back and forth between supporting the idea and shying away. There are pros and cons in both corners. More jobs for broadcasters would be great, and I’m sure as the audience I would also like to have optimum choice for my viewing, but at the same time, do I want to watch things on the internet? And would I really be satisfied with putting all my faith in an unregulated internet site?
Ultimately despite the pros, cons and angst that previous pilots have caused within the press world, local internet TV is on its way. There will be a media corporation who break down these barriers and create a service which is supported by a large fan basis and respected by them too.
When this is going to happen I remain unsure about, but only then will we really be able to discuss where local internet TV can take the future of media, whether you’re behind the screen, on it or a blurring of the two.
OUR STATISTICS
Here are the results of the survey we carried out about local internet TV in January 2008. We asked 100 people of varying ages and of both genders the questions below.
Unfortunatly we were unable to publish the graphs we created from the data due to technological difficulties.
What news programmes do people watch?
BBC National 28%
BBC Local 19%
ITV 13%
ITV Local 10%
Channel 4 News 12%
Channel 5 News 2%
Sky News 13%
Other 3%
Which radio programmes do people watch?
BBC National 42%
BBC Local 34%
Local Commercial 24%
Do you watch TV on the Internet?
Yes more than once a week 18%
Yes, less than once a week 14%
Rarely 24%
Never 44%
If not, why not?
The main programme provides enough information 43%
The internet is too slow 17%
Poor quality / poorer content than the TV 18%
I'm bad with technology 22%
Are you interested in watching news content on the internet? 18 and under 18-29 29-39 40-49 50-59 60+ Overall
Yes 25% 27% 14% 25% 10% 0% 18%
No 13% 40% 29% 0% 20% 67% 30%
Maybe in the future 50% 33% 29% 75% 60% 33% 44%
Not sure 13% 0% 28% 0% 10% 0% 8%
Unfortunatly we were unable to publish the graphs we created from the data due to technological difficulties.
What news programmes do people watch?
BBC National 28%
BBC Local 19%
ITV 13%
ITV Local 10%
Channel 4 News 12%
Channel 5 News 2%
Sky News 13%
Other 3%
Which radio programmes do people watch?
BBC National 42%
BBC Local 34%
Local Commercial 24%
Do you watch TV on the Internet?
Yes more than once a week 18%
Yes, less than once a week 14%
Rarely 24%
Never 44%
If not, why not?
The main programme provides enough information 43%
The internet is too slow 17%
Poor quality / poorer content than the TV 18%
I'm bad with technology 22%
Are you interested in watching news content on the internet? 18 and under 18-29 29-39 40-49 50-59 60+ Overall
Yes 25% 27% 14% 25% 10% 0% 18%
No 13% 40% 29% 0% 20% 67% 30%
Maybe in the future 50% 33% 29% 75% 60% 33% 44%
Not sure 13% 0% 28% 0% 10% 0% 8%
WEST MIDLANDS PILOT: THE SEQUEL
Despite opposition from the local newspaper industry over local BBC internet news services, the uniquely funded corporation has fought back with a new idea; but the press world is not happy about it.
On the 28th January 2008 Press Gazette published a story entitled “Regional newspapers’ fury at BBC local web plan” about the BBC’s latest ambition to prodce a network of 60 ultra-local websites.
The proposed service will use text, audio and video news which could be navigated using a map and symbols for weather, travel, sport and others.
But it’s come against immediate opposition. Ian Davies of Archant publications saying the BBC is proposing things which the US and UK regional press have been building into their websites over the last couple of years.
He says: “This is not competition. This is BBC, full-bodied, unfair, damaging to existing emerging services, competition. It seems that attempted demolition is the sincerest form of flattery.”
It is still yet to be approved by the BBC Trust and to under-go public consultations (a bit like the survey we carried out in Falmouth for our presentation!) before anything happens.
CHECK OUT THE FULL ARTICLE AT:
http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=1&storycode=40081&c=1
On the 28th January 2008 Press Gazette published a story entitled “Regional newspapers’ fury at BBC local web plan” about the BBC’s latest ambition to prodce a network of 60 ultra-local websites.
The proposed service will use text, audio and video news which could be navigated using a map and symbols for weather, travel, sport and others.
But it’s come against immediate opposition. Ian Davies of Archant publications saying the BBC is proposing things which the US and UK regional press have been building into their websites over the last couple of years.
He says: “This is not competition. This is BBC, full-bodied, unfair, damaging to existing emerging services, competition. It seems that attempted demolition is the sincerest form of flattery.”
It is still yet to be approved by the BBC Trust and to under-go public consultations (a bit like the survey we carried out in Falmouth for our presentation!) before anything happens.
CHECK OUT THE FULL ARTICLE AT:
http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=1&storycode=40081&c=1
THE WEST MIDLANDS PILOT
In 2005 the BBC piloted the idea of local internet TV with the ‘West Midlands Pilot’.
The then Director-General Mark Thompson provided 5 regions with a news service which was specifically designed to serve individual cities and counties including Staffordshire and Warwickshire.
The initial idea was to make the service and information or reports as local as local radio was and work as a rolling interactive service.
There was also 10 minute chunks of information regularly available for viewers to download on demand from the internet, broadband TV or even on their mobile phones.
In his plans, DG Thompson said: “"We will also aim to use our viewers' own contributions in new ways, and one producer in each area will work exclusively on developing networks of local contributors and community correspondents."
It was hoped they could utilise the new breed of video journalists who could get into the community and work alongside the producers to create better partnerships and a more community-friendly television service.
But this pilot flopped and was pulled.
Although it sounded like a good idea on its own, once put out into the media world it came up against immediate opposition, especially from the local newspaper industry.
They felt the BBC would be encroaching on their territory, which was and still is getting smaller. It just about still exists because people do want to know what’s happening in their towns and villages and the local rag has always been the source of that information.
The papers are often run by families or written by journalists brought up in the town or who have some connection with it, and I think people were scared that the lifeless internet and intruding television cameras would steal away one of the final parts of quintessential English life.
Even though I’ve opted to go into broadcast journalism as a career I still love the local paper. The stories are not award winning and some of the pictures used are dubious, but at the same time that’s what local papers are about. Smooth corporations going in and running a slick operation wouldn’t mirror or truly represent what the local community is about.
Despite the progress in technology I think many journalists have a similar hankering for the preservation of the local paper and would prefer to maintain the local rag rather than hand over the audience to a flashy internet TV service.
After all, for most broadcasters, it’s where they began their career. The dank office at the Tavistock Times Gazette was where my aspirations began to be cultivated and I wouldn’t want other journalist-hopefuls to be denied that opportunity.
I guess I’m saying here that journalists do have ethics. Internet TV could provide a great source of jobs and opportunity, but I and I’m sure many others wouldn’t want that to cost the local rag.
The then Director-General Mark Thompson provided 5 regions with a news service which was specifically designed to serve individual cities and counties including Staffordshire and Warwickshire.
The initial idea was to make the service and information or reports as local as local radio was and work as a rolling interactive service.
There was also 10 minute chunks of information regularly available for viewers to download on demand from the internet, broadband TV or even on their mobile phones.
In his plans, DG Thompson said: “"We will also aim to use our viewers' own contributions in new ways, and one producer in each area will work exclusively on developing networks of local contributors and community correspondents."
It was hoped they could utilise the new breed of video journalists who could get into the community and work alongside the producers to create better partnerships and a more community-friendly television service.
But this pilot flopped and was pulled.
Although it sounded like a good idea on its own, once put out into the media world it came up against immediate opposition, especially from the local newspaper industry.
They felt the BBC would be encroaching on their territory, which was and still is getting smaller. It just about still exists because people do want to know what’s happening in their towns and villages and the local rag has always been the source of that information.
The papers are often run by families or written by journalists brought up in the town or who have some connection with it, and I think people were scared that the lifeless internet and intruding television cameras would steal away one of the final parts of quintessential English life.
Even though I’ve opted to go into broadcast journalism as a career I still love the local paper. The stories are not award winning and some of the pictures used are dubious, but at the same time that’s what local papers are about. Smooth corporations going in and running a slick operation wouldn’t mirror or truly represent what the local community is about.
Despite the progress in technology I think many journalists have a similar hankering for the preservation of the local paper and would prefer to maintain the local rag rather than hand over the audience to a flashy internet TV service.
After all, for most broadcasters, it’s where they began their career. The dank office at the Tavistock Times Gazette was where my aspirations began to be cultivated and I wouldn’t want other journalist-hopefuls to be denied that opportunity.
I guess I’m saying here that journalists do have ethics. Internet TV could provide a great source of jobs and opportunity, but I and I’m sure many others wouldn’t want that to cost the local rag.
THE PRESENTATION
Overall the presentation went well, and everyone's hard work was evident.
Much of the presentation was focused upon Cornwall and how internet TV would effect this part of the country if broadcasters ventured into it.
We managed to interview several of the key newseditors in the South West on this topic and conducted our own local survey to learn what people really wanted.
While we thought this was interesting and relevent, it came under criticism from some of the audience, who felt we should conduct a wider survey across the country.
While this was a reasonabl comment to make, and something we may have considered on a longer project, think focusing entirely on Cornwall was a good idea to assess the possibility of internet TV.
As Tim Hubbard (BBC Radio Cornwall) noted in his interview, Cornwall would be one of the best places for internet TV to take off as tourism and second-home owners would be interested in learning about the county as well as there being lots of potential revenue.
The localising of our presentation through Cornwall, the comparison with Kent TV, and our in-depth look at local radio, I felt made the presentation realistic and demonstrated our interest in really researching whether internet TV would actually work or be used by the people.
However, I can also see that this presentation was that, a presentation, and not a sales pitch, and so our continual focus on the region may have been more tiresome than necessary.
Overall though I think we considered many of the angles that broadcasters must be angonising over when considering whether to invest time and money into internet TV.
Much of the presentation was focused upon Cornwall and how internet TV would effect this part of the country if broadcasters ventured into it.
We managed to interview several of the key newseditors in the South West on this topic and conducted our own local survey to learn what people really wanted.
While we thought this was interesting and relevent, it came under criticism from some of the audience, who felt we should conduct a wider survey across the country.
While this was a reasonabl comment to make, and something we may have considered on a longer project, think focusing entirely on Cornwall was a good idea to assess the possibility of internet TV.
As Tim Hubbard (BBC Radio Cornwall) noted in his interview, Cornwall would be one of the best places for internet TV to take off as tourism and second-home owners would be interested in learning about the county as well as there being lots of potential revenue.
The localising of our presentation through Cornwall, the comparison with Kent TV, and our in-depth look at local radio, I felt made the presentation realistic and demonstrated our interest in really researching whether internet TV would actually work or be used by the people.
However, I can also see that this presentation was that, a presentation, and not a sales pitch, and so our continual focus on the region may have been more tiresome than necessary.
Overall though I think we considered many of the angles that broadcasters must be angonising over when considering whether to invest time and money into internet TV.
Monday, 10 March 2008
H2O TV aims to ride the waves
I came across H20 TV the other day and it is a great concept. H20 Claims to be the first Internet Television channel to be dedicated to water based content only. The company is based in Devon and they have alredy pulled off a major coup by gaining exclusive rights to footage of the Sony Free Diving World Championships.
In their manifesto they aim to cover a number of issues involving water including science, education, sport, business and leisure. Some programmes which are airing right now include a programe based on Mick Dawson's bid to row across the atlantic and a programme on diving to find remains of dinasours.
There are over one million qualified surfers in the UK and the site is hoping to pull in some of these people to help boost their viewing figures.
This site is well worth a look.
In their manifesto they aim to cover a number of issues involving water including science, education, sport, business and leisure. Some programmes which are airing right now include a programe based on Mick Dawson's bid to row across the atlantic and a programme on diving to find remains of dinasours.
There are over one million qualified surfers in the UK and the site is hoping to pull in some of these people to help boost their viewing figures.
This site is well worth a look.
Sunday, 9 March 2008
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/organgrinder/2007/08/wholl_win_the_web_what_the_int.html
I was looking at Guardian website and found this article from last Summer. It raises a couple of interesting questions with regard to newspapers and internet tv. Namely that there will come a day when accessing a newspaper will be something internet driven and the actual paper won't be needed. I remember when I worked at The Financial Times five years ago and they were saying the same thing then. It hasn't happened. People still buy newspapers. People like to have a physical paper, to flick the pages over and have a coffee while doing the crossword. Note the comment about locally generated news being the first thing to "radically transform". Now that is something that we already see happening.
Take a look.
I was looking at Guardian website and found this article from last Summer. It raises a couple of interesting questions with regard to newspapers and internet tv. Namely that there will come a day when accessing a newspaper will be something internet driven and the actual paper won't be needed. I remember when I worked at The Financial Times five years ago and they were saying the same thing then. It hasn't happened. People still buy newspapers. People like to have a physical paper, to flick the pages over and have a coffee while doing the crossword. Note the comment about locally generated news being the first thing to "radically transform". Now that is something that we already see happening.
Take a look.
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