評論
打印
Local television
地方電視臺
Small-town views
小城眼光
The fruits of government meddling in the television market
政府干預電視市場的后果
FOR more than a decade staff and media students at the Grimsby Institute, a college in Lincolnshire, have broadcast worthy programmes to a smattering of nearby cable TV subscribers. In November their audience quadrupled. With a new name—Estuary TV—and a prominent spot on Freeview, a free digital television platform, their news and discussion shows now reach 350,000 homes around the Humber. A station long propped up by grants and donations is courting advertisers.
十多年來，林肯郡格里姆斯比學院的一些員工和傳媒專業的學生，一直為附近零星幾戶有線電視用戶播報有價值的節目。11月，他們的聽眾翻了兩番，而且名字改成了河口電視，同時還在免費數字電視平臺Freeview上占據了顯要位置，現在亨伯河附近收看他們新聞和討論節目的用戶達到了35萬家。一個昔日需要靠補助金和捐款苦苦支撐的電視臺現在居然可以招商引資了。
Estuary TV is the first of 19 television stations launching in Britain's towns and cities over the next year—the fruits of a plan laid out in 2010 by Jeremy Hunt, then the culture secretary, to revitalise local media. Ministers hope they will help promote small businesses, train new creative talent and generally make people more civic-minded. London will get a station in March, Birmingham in the summer. Ofcom, the television regulator, plans to license about 30 more.
河口電視是19家電視臺中第一個登陸英國鄉鎮的電視臺，下一年的目標是城市，2010年文化部長亨特為了復興地方傳媒業而制定了此計劃，現在的發展就是計劃結出的果實。部長希望這個舉措可以帶動小型企業，培訓新興有創意的人才，并且逐步讓人們變的越來越熱心公益。明年3月，倫敦就會新增一電臺，而伯明翰在明年夏天也會跟隨其腳步。電視總局英國通訊部計劃，明年會再批準成立30余電視臺。
High costs and low positions on on-screen TV channel guides have killed previous efforts to launch local services. So the government has tilted the market to help them. In England and Northern Ireland local television will air on Freeview channel eight, a coveted slot. A single operations centre in Birmingham, set up with ￡25m($41m) from the television licence fee, will keep them on air. Over three years the BBC will dole out a further ￡15mto the stations, in exchange for local footage that can be used in its own news reports.
屏幕上電視頻道的高成本、低地位，使先前許多開展地方電視服務的努力都付諸東流。對此，政府為他們調整了市場。英格蘭和北愛爾蘭本地的電視，會在每晚8點黃金檔在Freeview頻道播出。獨立運營的電視節目將集中在伯明翰展開，需要花2500萬英鎊（約合4100萬美元）的電視許可費才能保持其正常播出。未來三年，為了能讓地方電視中的畫面能被自己的新聞報道所用，BBC將要為此多付1500萬英鎊給地方電視臺。
These bungs have attracted some well-known firms. STV, a big Scottish broadcaster, plans services in Glasgow and Edinburgh; the Evening Standard, a newspaper, will launch London's channel. In many towns local papers are involved, in part for fear of interlopers such as Made TV, a firm from the capital which will run services in Leeds, Newcastle and three other cities.
這一系列福利吸引了許多知名的企業。蘇格蘭一家大型廣播公司，蘇格蘭廣播，計劃對格拉斯哥和愛丁堡提供電視服務；《標準晚報》將會登陸倫敦。許多當地報紙都包括其中，某種程度上是擔心倫敦Made TV這樣的入侵者會在利茲、紐卡斯爾和其他三個城市推行電視服務。
Most will air only a few hours of new telly each day. Local bulletins are a condition of the licence; cheap chat shows are inevitable (station controllers like to cite “The One Show”, a jovial BBC programme, as a model). Bill Smith of Latest TV, Brighton's new channel, hopes viewers will want to contribute films on topics that engross them. Estuary TV is airing a nightly talk show for fans of the paranormal.
大多數城市每天只用幾小時播放新的電視節目。本地新聞快報是許可執照的條件之一；廉價的談話類節目是難以避免的（廣電總局總喜歡引用BBC一檔娛樂節目“一個秀”作為反面教材）。布萊頓一個新頻道“最新電視”的史密斯希望，觀眾能夠提供可以鼓舞他們的影片。河口電視為一些靈異事件愛好者還提供了夜間談話節目。
Britain's local channels are inspired by America. But there the market is different, and more favourable. The tiniest local channels, of the kind lovingly lampooned in “Wayne's World”, a comedy, are publicly funded. Others are supported by advertising from large regional businesses. But Britain's high streets are dominated by national firms who advertise nationally. Jamie Conway of Made TV insists big chains that do not yet splurge on costly campaigns will welcome a chance to experiment in smaller media markets. His team have already secured more than half the cash they hope its channels will make next year.
英國的本地頻道是受美國啟發。但是英美的市場是截然不同的，而且英國的更有優勢。最小的本地頻道是政府資助的，這類頻道會被親切的笑話成喜劇《反斗智多星》。其他頻道由大型地區企業的廣告支撐。但是英國高速公路的廣告還是全國廣告的國企占了主導地位。Made TV的康維堅持認為，大型連鎖不會在耗資高昂的活動中撒錢，而會傾向在小型傳媒市場中嘗試。他的團隊已經籌集到所需資金的一大半了，他們希望頻道明年就能建立。
In titchier towns where local television stations are planned, such as Cambridge and York, the economics look grimmer. Small businesses increasingly advertise online. Simon Terrington, an analyst, thinks channels may survive through the benevolence of local bigwigs and the generosity of volunteers. “People get involved in media for no money,” he points out. Regional studios will test that.
已規劃的地方電視臺在例如劍橋和約克這樣的小城鎮中，經濟問題似乎更加嚴峻。小型企業不斷增加網絡廣告的份額。分析家特林頓認為，本地頻道要靠當地權貴的手下留情和志愿者的慷慨解囊才能幸免于難。他指出，“人們被無償的卷入了傳媒”。地方電視會檢測這一說法。譯者 周雨晴 校對 曾擎禹
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