Northcliffe Media: BBC Trust rejects local video proposals

Michael Pelosi, Managing Director, said of the BBC Trust's decision to reject its local video plans: “Northcliffe welcomes the BBC Trust’s considered judgment, rejecting the local video proposals put forward by the BBC.  This is a victory for common sense. We felt strongly that the BBC proposals would duplicate services which are already provided by local media organisations and thus would have an adverse impact on nascent digital audiences. Hence the reason we have expressed our concerns from the outset about these proposals.”

“Northcliffe provides high quality video, audio and text based services for readers and advertisers. We also encourage members of the public to post relevant local videos on our sites.  We will continue with our investment plans in this area.”
 
John Meehan, Regional Editorial Director, Northcliffe Media Midlands and North, who represented the company during the consultation process, said: “We are pleased that the BBC Trust have recognised these proposals as an unnecessary use of licence fee funds. The BBC should not be using its privileged position and public funding to duplicate services already provided by commercial operators, to distort commercial markets and to undermine the plurality of local news provision.”
 
“BBC management must now recognise that they should stick to the BBC's public service remit by concentrating on providing services that commercial media cannot or do not offer. Northcliffe will continue to invest in and develop excellent multi-media news and information services for local people and communities. We will also remain wary of the BBC seeking to revive its ambitions to spend public money competing aggressively with local and regional news providers.”