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Proceeding contribution from Mike Weatherley (Conservative) in the House of Commons on Thursday, 24 June 2010. It occurred during Adjournment debate on Local Media.


Local Media

Thank you, Mr Benton, for pointing that out. I appreciate it. We also have several good, strong local radio stations. One is Juice FM, and there is a community radio station called Radio Reverb, on which I was fortunate to host a programme called "House of Rock". I mention Radio Reverb because it is a good, local community radio station which does not have any advertising revenues. That has its own problems, but the station is an example of how the community can get involved. The ongoing point is that it goes out on the internet as well, and a programme that I presented with the Iron Maiden manager had a spike of listenership because it was taken up around the globe. That brings me to local television. Like other hon. Members who mentioned this, I am a little concerned about propaganda masquerading as entertainment programming. We need to be careful of that. I know that various consortiums in my constituency are looking closely at local TV, and one of my hopes, as someone who wants to expand the creativity of the city, especially Hove and Portslade, is that we take up all the opportunities for media. And, while considering local TV, we must consider whether super-fast broadband, whatever that may be, has implications—whether there is actually a local aspect, and whether we have enough listenership and enough people in the locality viewing the programmes rather than taking information from elsewhere.


Secondary information

Type
Proceeding contribution
Reference
512 c161-2WH 
Session
2010-12
Chamber / Committee
Westminster Hall
Subjects
Broadcasting Digital broadcasting Finance Media Radio Local broadcasting Local press
Link
View this Proceeding contribution on www.publications.parliament.uk