IF YOU HAVE ANY PROBLEMS OR ISSUES WITH TELEVISION OR RADIO IN ANY PART OF DORSET
we are here to help. We aim to improve:
ALL ASPECTS OF DIGITAL TELEVISION - FM RADIO – DAB –
& ESPECIALLY LOCAL DORSET NEWS & EVENTS COVERAGE ON ALL MEDIA
Picture: From The Dorset Page
The Dorset Broadcasting Action Group (DorBAG) is Co-Chaired by Oliver Letwin MP and Jim Knight MP with an Executive Committee comprising county, borough, town and parish council representatives, plus some experts & other group representatives. DorBAG's ultimate aims are to achieve a fair and reasonable service, from the BBC in particular, for the County of Dorset. The BBC freely admits that Dorset is ‘underserved’ despite no discount on our licence fee!
We have been concerned at reported problems with reception in some areas, and the quality and level of service on both Radio (FM & DAB) and on Terrestrial Television. In addition, the committee is working closely, especially with Digital UK, to address issues particularly relating to Terrestrial Television reception, with a focus on what will happen after switchover to digital. This is due to start, depending on where you live, in the spring of 2009.
Apart from reception issues, DorBAG has been pushing hard for Dorset to be provided with proper local news and events coverage on both terrestrial Television and on Radio.
Television: The BBC has advised that, for television, transmitting local news and events coverage for the county will only be possible after switchover to Digital Terrestrial Television, & if they can get the necessary funds.
However, in the meantime, the BBC has tried to encourage the present regional services (BBC Spotlight from Plymouth, BBC South in Southampton and Points West in Bristol) to cover more items on Dorset in their local news. Although Plymouth has made a marked improvement, as we are not their prime audience we still get minimal coverage in the county from the others which is totally unsatisfactory - and what is worse is that, depending on where you live in the county, you can only see that local news broadcast from that particular region's transmitter. There are no means (today) to view the combined total news from all regions in one programme. Hence, our main thrust now is to persuade the BBC to ensure the county has adequate newsgathering resources and proper services by:
- folding Dorset into one BBC Region with one manager responsible for all our broadcasts.
- then providing a TV transmitter to cover the whole **county with suitable editorial content
- adding appropriate staff with a local managing editor to gather and report the news and events
- investing in a new studio in Dorchester to replace the present antiquated building
- reinstating BBC Radio Dorset
**Dorset County, from DorBAG's perspective, excludes Bournemouth & Poole
FM Radio: At one point, the BBC did agree reinstate #BBC Radio Dorset on FM - only for it to be cancelled later when funds were cut back. Sadly, when it was cancelled, we heard from within the BBC that they were almost ready to re-launch BBC Radio Dorset at the time of the announcement, which rather added salt to the wounds! If the requirements outlined above are implemented, we believe the local radio problem will solve itself in the process.
So we continue to press, not only for our own county coverage of both Dorset news and activities on Radio & on Terrestrial Television but, in addition, and most importantly, for a consolidated Dorset-wide service that we can all access at the same time, anywhere in the county, by being folded into one BBC Region and with additional transmitter coverage.
Status: As the BBC's plans for expanding activities by introducing "BBC Local" on the internet has been cancelled by the BBC Trust, the English Region managers now have to submit bids to have a share of the £68 million that has been "freed up". We are assured by senior BBC Management that Dorset's needs/requirements will be high on the list! Bids have to be in by 5th January 2009, so we may hear in February/March the outcome of these negotiations. Watch this space!
We have emphasised to the BBC that, while their additional services on the internet are very welcome, they are no substitute for the majority of residents who still rely on radios and televisions for their news, information and entertainment. Nevertheless, we are delighted to work with the BBC on their Internet developments for the county, as it is obviously the way broadcasters (and others e.g. press) are moving with an eye to the future.
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