Monday, May 12, 2008

Turn On, Tune In, Drop Off

Yikes! According to yesterday's excellent Kent On Sunday, your taxpayer funded Kent TV has failed to meet its visitor targets in the first eight months since its launch.

Despite enjoying a hefty £1.6m subsidy, the station only attracted just over 20,000 visitors in March, well down on its 50,000 target. And considerably down, I might add, on my latest contribution to ECR TV, which got 30,000 hits in the space of a few days - and at absolutely no cost to you! The Kent County Council channel, which is run by Sir Gob's Ten Alps production company, was also projected to make £260,000 in advertising and sponsorship in its second year, but so far has only picked up a woeful £10,000.

KCC's opposition Labour group says it is becoming increasingly concerned that 'the protestations of political even-handedness are being slowly eroded with certain prospective parliamentary candidates being given preferential billing, while the local election coverage has been cleverly unbalanced.' Which was dismissed, rather arrogantly if you ask me, by a Ten Alps spokeswoman as 'playground party politics'.

Still, you have to read the story with more than a modicum of sodium chloride, since Kent On Sunday is owned by KOS Media, which in turn produces rival yourKentTV, where a viewing figure of more than 20 is a cause for celebration and treble gin and tonics all round!

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Now there a strange one, I just sent KOS an email accusing the of bias, I await a reply with bated breath, if not a lot of hope.

Richard Eastcliff said...

Probably best not to hold your breath - unless you have David Blaine levels of lung capacity!

Anonymous said...

Perhaps the market isn't yet ready for online TV feeds. It's enough keeping up with you ECR and fellow bloggers in Thanet!

I can certainly think of better ways for KCC to splash its cash about the place though.

Nick, Whits

Peter C said...

I agree with Nick on this, having never watched either of the Kent TV online channels...

Michael Child said...

I think local government are using the internet wrongly, what we want to be able see TV wise are council meetings. We also want to be able to raise issues publicly with something like the national governments online petitions. We also want to be able comment on matters and see the comments of others and the council’s responses. I think most people in local government must realise this but are afraid to act in this way.

Anonymous said...

I think that would scare them rigid Michael.

Anonymous said...

Kent TV, Huh. I'll tell you what to do, turn the council meetings into a Big Brother type situation and give them mindless tasks to complete (they probably do that anyway). Also get a load of lezzers in for some serious hot babe orgy action (after the watershed of course). That'll pull in the punters and sponsorship. Maybe ECR could offer up a home movies section on ECR TV (Television not Transvestite)

Peter C said...

Dick Rubin, it's true that sex (or at least female nudity) sells: my own humble website (with zero publicity) gets more visits than they do.

"Naked in Thanet District Council" perhaps?

Anonymous said...

Just remember whose baby this is:
From the KCC Decision document
By: Paul Carter, Leader
Peter Gilroy, Chief Executive
To: Cabinet – 16 April 2007
Subject: Kent TV

They believed the risks were low to quote

Risks



2.4 The risks are low, particularly compared to the enormous opportunities Kent TV offers. The main potential risks are outlined below:
1) Income generation (see paragraph 4) may not meet expectations initially. This is low risk as we have already received significant interest in sponsorship and the company providing Kent TV will have a role in generating income.
2) Maximising viewing figures. This is also low risk as the channel is very broad so will appeal to a range of people locally, nationally and internationally. The quality of the channel will be high and we will obtain feedback, thereby ensuring the channel is meeting public demand. This will be key to overcoming this risk and ensuring viewing figures are high.

What experience have these highly paid people in running media organisations or any big corp?


At the current drop off rate, by the pantomine season they will be able to give each viewer a DVD player, plasma tv and save some money.

Anonymous said...

Same old story as with every media organisation, they try and do to much with too few staff on to crap wages.

For every success story like More4, BBC Four or TalkSport there's the dead ducks of the unwatched/unlistened to BBC Three; Community Channel; Five Live Sports Extra; BBC Radio 3 and so on...

It's all just pointless ignored nonsense and the Kos Media and Kent TV things are the same...

Who is going to watch them or upload videos when you can just go to YouTube and find so much more?

At least the KOS Media one doesn't cost anyone anything, unlike the woeful Kent TV.

While there are people in Kent in poor education, unemployment and need of help, to spend money on that bilge is truly unforgivable.

Anonymous said...

Waste of money. You can't post vids on immediately but have to wait for Fuhrer approval.

Anonymous said...

veee dont mentioning the waaaaar in Fannit

Anonymous said...

Surely Sir Bob has overlooked local talent to front some more veiwer grabbing shows. Jimmy Godden does Property Ladder {slightly charred} How about Antiques road show with Mr Hilton of the ubiquitious Jewelry shop? and of course our very own Sandy Shagpile could do local authority cage fighting last man standing, dosh bosh luverly juberly