Production Capacity, Regional Media, Facilities and Skills
Date: (12/02/2009)
There is a growing media production and service capacity and skills in the region (currently over 50 production companies). Three leading universities (Abertay, Dundee and St. Andrews) and six colleges offer media production courses and, of these, Abertay and Dundee have invested heavily in production and studio facilities with St Andrews focusing on creative and media business. Abertay currently hosts broadcasts for Radio Scotland and both Abertay and Adam Smith have plans to establish TV arms. The colleges have also invested heavily in state-of-the-art facilities. Three of the colleges (Adam Smith, Dundee and Perth) are partners in the Creative Loop. Funded by Skillset, the venture was recently awarded the prestigious Skillset Screen Academy status. Investment in facilities has also been extensively supported by the European Union.
Elsewhere college facilities being used for production such as the joint ventures between TV production company, Shed (Bad Girls, Footballers' Wives) with Glasgow Caledonian University and the BBC's media campus at Birmingham University.
Fife and Tayside Media
Fife and Tayside are covered by regional newspapers including the Courier, Dunfermline Free Press, Perthshire Advertiser and Press and Journal. Radio stations include Jubilee, Kingdom, Radio Tay and Wave.
Potential Audience and Evidence of Demand for Service
Fife and Tayside have a combined population of over 750,000 and there are potential outlets beyond domestic households including retail, entertainment, leisure and community centres.
Local TV is the most wanted new application in Ofcom's own major survey "Digital Dividend Review". According to their research, "local TV on Freeview" was top of the list for new services demanded by consumers, ahead of both extra channels and High Definition on Freeview.
TV and Broadband
It is still the case that more people receive a TV signal than have access to broadband. Broadband is essential for computer delivery of video content. The current figure is currently around 50% of the UK population. It is estimated that it will take a further 5 to 10 years to reach a higher level.
Given the experience of national TV there is a clear synergy with internet - the audience ‘push pull' effect whereby TV and broadband can drive audience towards each other. TV can drive audience towards broadband and vie versa. Broadband can be used to enhance the TV offering and maximise community benefits and commercial/merchandising revenues.