Long live local media?
With the recent news that over 100 jobs are at risk as Global axes local breakfast and drive time shows from its programming schedules on Heart, Capital and Smooth radio stations across the country, and Bauer Media acquiring a raft of regional stations from both Celador Radio and Lincs FM Group earlier this month, the local focused media landscape looks set to take another huge knock.
Regional press has been fighting to keep its place in the race for some time with the all too regular announcements of weekly titles closing, publisher administrations and circulation figures down to record low levels.
Unfortunately, local TV also seems to have failed to make its viable mark in a competitive commercial market with Ofcom ruling out any further licenses and existing stations folding or on the brink of collapse.
Despite all the emotion and apparent logical argument around local news provision, there is the bigger argument it appears when it comes to what makes financial sense. What seems ‘a nice to have’ local service quickly loses its place at the table when the financials don’t stack up and streamlining services from within the M25 is the ‘competitive’ thing to do.
It paints a bleak picture for a time when more than ever the London centric view of the world is being challenged.
With government pressure, both the BBC and Channel 4 have moved operations to northern cities, much to the delight of those who work in the media and creative industries in these city regions. The impact this has on not only current local employment and economic market but what it does to encourage and inspire younger generations in these cities, is huge.
The sharing of local news, achievements, events, issues and discussion is an essential part of our communities. Channel 4’s Chief of Staff, Lynette Huntley recently told a conference held in Leeds: “We need to make sure we are telling the stories of people up and down the country and making sure that people who want to work in our industry do not have to live in London to do it.”
The recent amendments by Ofcom on radio regulations which has enabled the programme changes by Global, does state the radio stations have to produce an ‘enhanced local news service’ which involves hourly news bulletins including at least one ‘fully formed local news story’, this doesn’t specify how this is curated or presented. Therefore, journalists hundreds of miles away will likely be compiling and presenting the story.
So where can you share your local news? One big channel is online. Sharing via social platforms, websites or podcasts offers an accessible, instant, low cost and targeted route to market. But not everyone is on social media 24/7. Not everyone wants to consume their news through their iphone or tablet.
On a positive note there is some quality locally produced, independent magazines sharing business and community news such at Topic UK and locally focused websites such as Business Insider or Leeds Live. Community radio stations such as BCB FM continue to provide a local voice alongside the dedicated regional news programmes produced by ITV and BBC.
I heard recently an interview with Ricky Gervis on his new Netflix series, After Life, whose main character runs a local paper. Ricky said in a passing comment ‘no one wants to read it, they just want to be in it’. And therein lies the problem. The only way local media can survive is by the community not only providing the content but buying into it too by either purchasing or advertising. Like any business it needs to attract paying customers to thrive. If we want our media to support the local community, the local community needs to support the local media.
Main image by 3910743 on Pixabay