主播大秀

David Holdsworth explains how 主播大秀 local news is working with the local news industry to link to its stories.

Last week a national newspaper editorial called for the 主播大秀 to withdraw from local life. I found this very odd. Our public service obligation is laid out in our Charter to serve regions and communities, and the audience figures show that there is a strong demand for local output. Just under 50 per cent of the adult population watch our regional news in England during an average week and our local radio services are listened to by around 7 million of you a week.

I learned my trade on newspapers in the Midlands where old printing hands called the stop press ‘the fudge’. When I was the news editor of the Worcester Evening News the very last moment you could get a story away with the fudge was at 1:40pm. When local radio came along it became the way of finding out what happened after 1:40pm. The internet changed all that and it is why licence fee payers now expect us to offer those same stories that are on local radio also online.

The way the digital world is changing traditional business practice is phenomenal. It's also changing the way people behave. For all local journalists, however we are funded, whether our original background is broadcast, print or even the internet this disruption is frightening but also exciting. You might think it feels a bit different inside the 主播大秀 - cocooned by the relative security of the licence fee and the success of traditional broadcast platforms - but I assure you it doesn't. We’re meeting 26% efficiency savings targets - we’re not insulated from external pressure as some would have you believe.

Despite a pressure on us to deliver these huge savings we’re meeting our Charter for local audiences. For about 6% of the licence fee, 主播大秀 English Regions produces around 52% of all 主播大秀 output - with daily regional TV News in 12 regions, weekly current affairs and politics shows in 11 regions, 39 local radio stations and News Online stories for the same areas. Without these services there would be a worrying democratic deficit, especially with further devolution.

It is worth being clear that local newspapers publish thousands more stories than we do and the serious structural problems they face are beyond the 主播大秀’s influence. The global decline in print sales and loss in classified income to digital advertising are where the real pressure lies. The regulations that govern the 主播大秀 actually reduce the impact we have on local newspapers, giving industry more certainty.

However, we are a strong supporter of local journalism. We believe good regional 主播大秀 reporting can benefit the local news industry and our proposals are about helping it flourish. That’s why , from 主播大秀 website Local Live streams. This follows successful pilots in West Yorkshire and the North East where local newspapers send a link to their strongest stories which then feature on the 主播大秀 News website. And we’ll make it clearer what stories originate from local papers.

During this General Election 主播大秀 English Regions is working to ensure the campaign coverage addresses what is happening on people’s doorsteps, something everyone would expect from our public service news. More of that from me on the blog next week.

David Holdsworth is Controller, English Regions

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