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Highfield questions BBC ‘expansionism’ over local TV

The chief executive of Johnston Press has questioned plans by the BBC to run the infrastructure for the government’s planned network of local TV stations.

Culture secretary Jeremy Hunt wants to set up around 60 local stations around the UK, although the response from the local press industry has been mixed.

Now the BBC has confirmed it is considering applying for the licence to run the multiplex company that will build and manage the spectrum for the new network.

But JP boss Ashley Highfield, pictured, has questioned whether the corporation’s involvement in the project is appropriate.

He wrote on his Twitter feed @ashleyhi: “More inappropriate BBC expansionism?” ‘BBC mulling bid for company which will be established to build and manage local TV stations in the UK’

The Tweet was a reference to a story in Broadcast magazine which revealed that the BBC was considering bidding for the licence.

The infrastructure costs of creating the broadcast capacity for local TV services are being paid for with £25m of licence fee money that the government is ‘top slicing’ from the BBC.

A BBC spokeswoman said: “To support the government’s local TV objectives, the BBC is considering making an application to Ofcom for the local TV multiplex licence, for which £25m of licence fee money has been allocated.”

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  • July 12, 2012 at 11:13 am
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    Ashley needs to get his own crumbling JP empire in order before rounding on the Beeb. Morale is at an all-time low in the JP sweatshop…

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  • July 12, 2012 at 11:47 am
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    Morale might be at a low where ‘Hack’ed off’ works, but it’s wrong to suggest it’s the case across all of JP. For proof, see the results of the recent JP-wide staff survey.

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  • July 12, 2012 at 2:47 pm
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    presumably the Beeb intends to follow the JP model of highly-paid executives, minimal staffing and unecessary centralisation.

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  • July 12, 2012 at 4:19 pm
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    Where’s these bits of JP where people are happy then? We’ve not seen the staff survey results yet.

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