Tag Archives: Peter Davies

Another council freesheet bites the dust

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Via FleetStreetBlues and HoldtheFrontPage we learn that another council newspaper has had it.

On July 30, the Doncaster Free Press (paid-for title owned by Johnston Press) reported that getting rid of the council-run free monthly newspaper ‘has saved Doncaster Council £67,000 without cutting jobs’:

“The new mayor [Peter Davies] ditched Doncaster News, the monthly newspaper that had been delivered to every home in the borough since 2002, on his first day in the job.

“”It is simply council propaganda and an exercise in distorting unpalatable truths,” he said.

“Instead, he plans to keep residents informed through local news organisations including the Free Press.”

Earlier in the month it was reported by HTFP that Cornwall Council had scrapped ‘Your Cornwall’ magazine after it ran £250,000 over budget.

Listen to yesterday’s BBC Radio 4 Media Show for views from both sides of the free council news debate:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00lv5h9/The_Media_Show_05_08_2009

MediaGuardian Radio Reborn 2008: industry jobs not under threat from networked content

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Jobs in radio are not under threat from the increasing trend towards networked content, Peter Davies, director of radio & multimedia for Ofcom, told an industry conference today.

Davies said the introduction of networked programming between stations, where shared content is broadcast by different stations within the group, would not result in less employment or training opportunities.

“The opportunities are still there they are just in different places,” said Davies, echoing Paul Myners comments about the newspaper industry to last week’s House of Lords Communications committee.

Davies added that Ofcom did not have a regulatory role regarding training and employment within the industry but that this was a concern of the body.

MediaGuardian Radio Reborn 2008: What’s the future for Channel 4’s digital radio?

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The future of Channel 4‘s digital radio prospect was on the table at today’s Radio Reborn conference, prompting some cagey answers from Natalie Schwarz, chair of the 4 Digital group over their ongoing discussions with Ofcom.

In the clip below Matt Wells, head of audio at the Guardian, challenges Schwarz’s comments:

[audio:http://www.journalism.co.uk/sounds/dab.mp3]

Speaking from the audience, Ofcom’s director of radio and multimedia Peter Davies did concede that Channel 4 had not asked for an extension to the launch date of Channel 4 Digital.