Questions about Carmarthenshire TV
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."
See full story from the South Wales Evening Post -
http://www.thisissouthwales.co.uk/carmarthenshirenews/Anger-Carmarthenshire-Council-TV-station-plan/article-1315182-detail/article.html
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 benefits 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 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.
There are also fears the station — Carmarthenshire TV — would be hijacked as a council "propaganda machine."
See full story from the South Wales Evening Post -
http://www.thisissouthwales.co.uk/carmarthenshirenews/Anger-Carmarthenshire-Council-TV-station-plan/article-1315182-detail/article.html
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 benefits 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 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.
Comments
I also questioned the secrecy concerning the tendering process and decision. The matter had already been discussed at the Carmarthenshire Local Service Board meeting in April with a presentation by Cwmni Telesgop.