Council pulls plug on online broadcaster Kent TV
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Click 'play' for the
history of Kent TV. Hit 'pause' to stop the text scrolling.
by political editor Paul Francis
Kent County Council is to scrap its internet TV channel Kent
TV.
The project, which has cost the taxpayer in the region of
£1.8million since it began broadcasting two and half years ago, is
to end next month.
The decision comes after much speculation over its future, even
though a tender process had begun for a new four-year
contract.
But the council has today announced it will not be continuing
with the project which has been run by Ten Alps, a company founded
by Sir Bob Geldof. It employed 10 people.
In a statement, Kent County Council leader Cllr Paul Carter
said: "Kent TV has proved itself to be a brave and bold innovation
and we have learned a great deal from it. It has provided a source
of practical, useful information for residents."
But he added: "We are living in different and difficult economic
times compared with when the pilot was launched in September 2007.
In difficult times our spending has to be prioritised. We have
therefore decided that Kent TV will not continue when the pilot
period ends in March 2010."
Why Kent TV came to an end: read Paul's
blog>>>
Liberal Democrat KCC opposition leader Cllr Trudy Dean said:
"This is the right decision but it is unofrtunate that it has taken
since last September to reach it and as a result the council wasted
another £400,000 extending the contract.
"Community TV has to come from the
community and Kent TV never did that. It was a top-down and the
viewing figures were just not good enough to attract the revenue
and sponsorship that was needed."
It was right for the authority to
try and get its message across but it should focus on other
outlets, such as YouTube, she added.
Labour spokesman Cllr Les Christie:
"At long last, KCC has realised what we have said all along, namely
that Kent TV was not value for money and the money should have been
invested in frontline services for the young and elderly.
"The council has wasted taxpayers'
money on something that very few people watched."
Tuesday, February 09 2010
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