Johnston Press chief executive John Fry has said he is ‘uncomfortable’ about the idea of a long-term public subsidy to allow local TV services to be run.
Speaking at a Westminster Media Forum on the future of local media in the UK, he said he was against subsidies, which were ‘out of tune with the music of the times’.
Last week, Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt unveiled plans for a national TV channel which would host up to 60 local TV stations and is expected to be partly funded by the BBC.
Mr Fry said Johnston Press may be interested in getting involved as a partner in local TV, but called for “clarity” about the withdrawal of subsidies.
Mr Fry said: “The newspaper business has always fiercely independent and hates being beholden to anybody. This enables us to maintain our impartiality and prevent bias.
“The TV business, while being obliged through regulation to be impartial, always appears to have an eye on Government and regulators.
“I can see the argument that subsidy might be used to get a project off the ground, but we should have clarity on when it is to be withdrawn.
“Subsidy is out of tune with the music of the times, creates potentially dangerous distortions and…. well it makes me uncomfortable.”
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The newspaper business has always been fiercely independent… Hmm, while working for Johnston Press I’ve never seen potentially ‘controversial’ stories pulled to please big-hitting local advertisers.
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Anyone who sees the junk on regional news (usually centred on one county near the office) knows there is no future for more of this cat up the tree stuff. It is just TOO parochial.
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I think Elvis will find its the newspapers people like him work for who cover the cats up trees story!!
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This local TV lark was tried before and fell flat on its face because no one wanted to advertise on a station no one watched. I started out as a reporter at one such station which survived for about three or four years in the late 1990s. The wages were appalling, the conditions were third world and the attitude of senior staff was pre-historic. They exploited youthful enthusiasm and dangled the carrot of fame in front of vulnerable youngsters all the while reminding them there were thousands of other hopefuls waiting to take their place. Strangely enough, everyone seemed to love it, and many went on to enjoy good careers in the press and TV, but it wasn’t thanks to the people running the show.
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