Category:
Northern Ireland; 大象传媒
Date: 29.06.2004
Printable version
The biggest
shift of investment out of London and into the Nations and Regions in
the 大象传媒's history was announced today by the 大象传媒's new Chairman Michael
Grade and Director-General Mark Thompson.
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At its heart is a clear commitment to continue the
devolution of the 大象传媒 to the nations, regions and communities of the
UK.
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As its title Building Public Value suggests, the document
sets out a vision for the 大象传媒 of the future founded on the creation
of "public value" and based on the principles of universality,
fairness and accountability.
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It calls for "a 大象传媒 which reflects the whole UK
in its output and which significantly shifts its broadcasting, production
and other operations out of London and into the rest of the country."
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There are three specific new commitments to the Nations
and Regions of the UK:
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Firstly, the 大象传媒 pledges to increase its total expenditure in the Nations
and Regions to more than 拢1 billion during the next ten year Charter
period (ie 2007 to 2016) 聳 an increase of around 35% of the present
total
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Secondly, the 大象传媒 pledges to increase the number of
its public service staff based outside London from the present figure
of 42% to at least 50% over the same ten year period
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Thirdly, it pledges to devolve around a fifth of all
大象传媒 network programme commissioning out of London 聳 a total of
around 拢400 million in today's terms 聳 in a radical shift
from the present situation, where virtually no network commissioning
happens outside London.
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Central to these pledges is a strategy to increase the
localness of 大象传媒 services across the whole UK and the proportion of
network programmes made in different parts of the UK.
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Included are outline plans to:
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Develop and expand local services within Scotland,
Wales and Northern Ireland on television, radio and online to meet the
growing demands for more local news and information in each Nation
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Create a highly local digital television news
service - making TV news as local as radio by offering up to 60 areas
across the UK new services of local news and information 聳 throughout
the day and on demand
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Offer all 大象传媒 local radio services on digital
platforms, and developing the 大象传媒 Where I Live websites to enhance their
distinctiveness and so that they become truly local
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Extend the network of 大象传媒 Open Centres and 大象传媒
Buses where partnerships allow and audience need is greatest, to help
people learn basic computer skills and take part in our programmes.
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Seeking to stimulate the creativity of audiences,
by creating more opportunities for them to contribute to local 大象传媒 projects
like Voices, Video Nation and Digital Storytelling
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Reinforce the 大象传媒's commitment to the UK's indigenous
languages, including Welsh, Gaelic and Irish, and help future generations
to learn them by providing learning resources across all media platforms
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Increase the 大象传媒's spending on network programme-making
outside London from its production centres in the three Nations, its
three main regional production centres in England, and from the independent
sector outside London
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Explore the potential for moving professional
and support staff out of London as part of a continuing drive to reduce
大象传媒 overheads.
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The 大象传媒's new Director-General, Mark Thompson, said
today: "The 大象传媒 is still far too London-based and this is simply
not acceptable for a modern public service broadcaster that draws its
income from all parts of the UK.
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"The 大象传媒 should reflect the
whole UK. One of the best ways of ensuring that it does is to base it
across the whole UK, close to audiences and talent in all the nations
and regions.
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"Over the period of the next Charter, there will
be a significant shift of money, commissioning power, production and
people out of London and into the rest of the UK.
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"Licence payers everywhere
will benefit from a 大象传媒 that is far more active in the area where they
live and creates more programmes and services that are directly relevant
to their lives and interests."
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Welcoming the promise of further investment by the 大象传媒
in Northern Ireland, Anna Carragher, Controller of 大象传媒 Northern Ireland,
said: "This is a vision of a 大象传媒 determined to expand its local
services in all parts of the UK and increase the value it brings into
people's lives everywhere.
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"It also gives us a platform to build on 大象传媒 Northern
Ireland's great success in delivering high quality network programmes
to the whole of the UK.
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"These are challenges we will address with energy
and imagination."
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Notes to Editors
The 大象传媒's combined current expenditure on local and regional programming
across the UK, and on network production outside the M25, is approximately
拢750 million. A 35% increase will take this figure above 拢1
billion.
42% of the 大象传媒's public service staff - ie, excluding staff who work
for the 大象传媒's commercial subsidiaries or the World Service - currently
work outside the M25. Based on these current staffing levels, a shift
of around 1,700 from London to the rest of the country will be required
to reach the new target of 50%.
