Anger over Carmarthenshire Council TV station plan
PLANS by Carmarthenshire Council to launch a new TV station have been rubbished as a waste of taxpayers' money.
There are also fears the station — Carmarthenshire TV — would be hijacked as a council "propaganda machine."
County councillors who discussed the plans at their latest meeting heard the internet-based channel would cost £30,000 a year to run.
The move comes as the authority prepares to shave £6 million off its budget.
Councillor Huw Lewis said: "This is something that concerns me greatly.
"We are in a recession and vital and essential services are having to suffer cuts.
"We have to invest our money in people and not in technology. What we don't need at all is a computer programme which is simply a propaganda tool."
The council heard the bilingual scheme was a 12 month pilot project, brought forward by the Assembly.
Plaid Cymru leader on the authority, Peter Hughes Griffiths pointed to the apparent one-sided news in the council's Community News magazine.
"There is a view about Community News in the community that it is very, very one-sided," he said.
Council leader, Meryl Gravell, said: "Carmarthenshire TV shows we are looking to the future.
Assistant chief executive Chris Burns said the TV station would cost about £30,000 a year, but much of that funding would come from the Assembly.
He said the council was planning to drop one issue of its bi-monthly Community News magazine to pay its share of the start up costs. Community News cost more than £114,000 to produce and distribute last year.
"The bulk of the money is coming from the Welsh Assembly," he said.
"The project is largely about connecting with people, particularly young people. They don't read Community News and don't read newspapers in a lot of cases."
Mr Burns added that the council could always drop the station after a year if it was not successful.
10 Comments
by Bernard, Brynaman
Friday, October 23 2009, 7:19PM
“Maybe they could have a soap opera series of Upper Brynaman Regeneration. It would last years and years and years and.......................”
by Teifion, Pembroke
Wednesday, September 09 2009, 7:53AM
“Do you think "anon" posting here is a councillor ?
He certainly behaves like it towards the people who were silly enough to vote for him :(”
by Teifion, Pembroke
Wednesday, September 09 2009, 7:50AM
“why not just save some money, get rid of "pretend" green, diversity and other jobs and actually shock us by asking us for LESS money next year”
by Fiona, Gwendreath valley
Tuesday, September 08 2009, 4:04PM
“Great to hear of Carmartrhenshire on the front foot for a change. Id also like to hear what TURK thinks of having more Welsh in the rugby team "must be up in arms " .”
by Turk, Carms
Tuesday, September 08 2009, 1:18PM
“if it goes ahead ( hope Not ) it will start bilingual ,THEN the Plaid nats will want it in Welsh Only. Like the schools welsh Medium only , welsh signs Only”
by Anon, Carms
Monday, September 07 2009, 4:04PM
“This is Rubbish. In the appropriate arena some of us will display common sense.”
by Robert Lloyd, Llanelli
Monday, September 07 2009, 2:48PM
“This matter was debated by the council¿s executive board on July 24. It is sad that news from such meetings only seems to leak out with the passage of time.
There are some key questions for the authority here:
Why was the Carmarthenshire TV debate held in secret ¿ press and public excluded?
If there is a plan to spend money on a Carmarthenshire TV project, then can we be assured the project will be opened up to a transparent tender process. After all, a transparent tender process may yield dividends for the authority.
Is it correct that the favoured company for this project is the Swansea-based Telesgop?
Does this fit in with the council¿s stated aims of helping generate ¿local¿ jobs for Carmarthenshire?
Just for info, the relevant minute from the council¿s executive board meeting in July is as follows ¿
No22 CARMARTHENSHIRE TV
Following the application of the public interest test it was RESOLVED, pursuant to the Act referred to in Minute Number 20 above, to consider this matter in private, with the public excluded from the meeting as it would involve the disclosure of exempt information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the Authority holding that information) (Paragraph 14 of Part 4 of Schedule 12A to the Act).
The public interest test in this matter related to the fact that the report contained details of the terms and conditions of a contract that the Council would enter into, if it decided to proceed with the proposal. Disclosure of this information at this time would be likely to prejudice the Council's negotiating position and therefore the public interest in release of this information was outweighed by the public interest in maintaining confidentiality. Therefore the public interest in disclosure was outweighed by the public interest in maintaining confidentiality.
The Executive Board considered a report on proposals to develop a bilingual county internet TV channel in Wales. If approved, it would be a one year pilot project as a service for the county as a whole and not just for the County Council and would be run as part of the Local Service Board project.
A question was asked as to whether funding was available for the pilot period and beyond? The Assistant Chief Executive (Customer Focus and Policy), replied that some funding would be available from the WAG and LSB partners, with the remaining amount being funded from within existing Council resources for 2009/10. He stated that if the Board approved the proposals, this did not entail any commitment on its part beyond the initial 12 month pilot period.
It was suggested that a video demonstration could be presented to the Town and Community Councils¿ conference as they might wish to contribute to the funding costs if the project continued after the pilot period.
UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED:
22.1 that Carmarthenshire TV be developed in partnership with a local company for a pilot period of 12 months.
22.2 that it be agreed to explore and develop Carmarthenshire TV as a county wide venture as a ¿citizen engagement¿ project on behalf of the LSB (local service board).
22.3 that the Authority work with colleges and youth services to create and develop an interest in the proposal.
22.4 that the interest and the results of the publicity gained to the council and the county via this form of communication be continually monitored.”
by David Hurford, Llanelli
Monday, September 07 2009, 1:06PM
“Please tell me that this will be run by local people based in the county and the result of a fare tendering process.”
by Brian, Neath Port Talbot
Monday, September 07 2009, 12:48PM
“Wouldn't it be much less expensive if they simply uploaded any video, newsletters etc to their website or even to youtube and then drop of a few paper copies to the retirement homes. The videos could be part of a local school project - that way the under utilised equipment need not be purchased - saving the local taxpayer thousands - they could even make two recordings - welsh and english. If a student in Swansea can make a feature length film on his mobile phone - a council with all of its existing resources could do the same much easier”
by caebrwyn, hafod bridge, llanwrda
Monday, September 07 2009, 12:36PM
“This was not 'brought forward' by the Welsh Assembly and the bulk of the money will be paid by us. For some reason the public were excluded from the decsion to award the contract to Cwmni Telesgop at the council meeting. Of course it will be one sided, tin pot juntas do not like criticism.
I just hope it has an 'unmoderated comments' section!”