BBC TRUST, Newspaper websites and the paywall question?

Remote Conference Facilities are nothing new.....

Am I really alone in thinking, the political outpourings of our newspaper commentators are to the delight of No.10 and HM Opposition are being diluted? I say this as many of them are now retreating behind paywalls slashing on line readership overnight in the hope of picking up some extra revenue.

So unless you subscibe, the acres of finely honed cutting prose by some of our 'celebrity' journalists (and other hard working hacks) is totally lost to casual observers and indeed many larger PR companies are no longer picking up individual press cuttings as they have to pay a hefty fee for a copy licence from another authority. They simply rely on written opinion digests and summaries which are not subject to additional fees

The joke is that the poor old hacks seemingly not realising their casual internet audience has vanaished, they all still add programmed tweets and helpful links as if the paywall didn't exist ! The Times, News of the World, Financial Times, Broadcast, Sunday Times. London Evening Standard have all dived behind the paywall and no longer feature on the radar.

I also doubt if many people will set up a variable direct credit card debit starting at £1 in order to access some of the websites. Even behind the paywall many of them are still stuffed full of advertising...

They'll also find PR firms will take (at the next client/PR agency financial review) them off regulatr press distribution lists as cuttings measurement firms (oh yes, they exist!) advise both client and the PR firm, the paywall protected publication is no longer worth servicing. Its estimated that each individual press release has a single unit cost of £60 when you take into consideration the cost of research, creating, printing, photography, list hire, postage, press cutting agency, collation, NLA copyright fees and so on.

Paywalls will continue to fail unless all websites go behind the wall, this would include the massive http://www.bbc.co.uk/ who provide news services from their own correspondents and also every wire service under the sun. Precisely the same agency sources used and now expesively protected by the paywall mob.

BBC TRUST

I should add that now the news seems to have been placed in the public domain. I am a confirmed candidate for the vacant BBC Trust Chairman appointment.

Should I be appointed, the Trustees, many hardworking, will be rapidly introduced to the wonders of video conferencing and remote contributions and submissions submitted by intranet and other web.2 delights. It works for many other major organisations and there is no reason why it cannot work for the BBC Trust as we already have access to a network of remote studios and uplink points.

I can assure everyone concerned , there will be no more repetitive dining of politicians and contacts at the same few top mega expensive London restaurants, but I will certainly be taking all the trustees on a short cruise, probably on the Independence of the Seas as that is the only way the Trustees will ever, ever experience a weeks worth of the car crash known as BBC World Television, complete with commercials. It's not broadcast within the UK and is supposed to project the image of the UK overseas. Car crash TV is just too kind.

It is one mightily expensive service we could all do without and perhaps our international stock in trade will improve overnight. I will also be questioning why every opt out requires it own channel on the Sky electronic programme guide and why they are all bunched up near the adult red light section at the end of the sky spectrum. I will also be questioning the roll out of digital in the UK being unertaken by the BBC and subcontracted to gas fitters and boiler installers EAGA and ask why thousands of voluntary neighbourhood watch teams all over the UK are being asked to attend (UNPAID) installations along with the EAGA organisation. who famously managed to mess up the nationwide "Warmfront"program....

In short, my mission will to deliver the BBC Trust mandated charter and bringing the BBC Trustees right up to date and delivering the whole BBC Trust package for a fraction of the current budget. Not rocket science but if the majority of billable time is taken up with travel, hotels and fine dining and subsistence no wonder the running costs are astronomically high. So it's not a question of blaming the Trustees (some have yet to claim anything) but fixing the system that causes the payments, all out of BBC Licence payers funding, to be triggered in the first place.


Contributor: Media, Aviation and Travel Expert, Writer & Broadcaster Julian Bray SKYPE: Julian.Bray.UK Landline: 01733 345581 Mobile: 07944 217476ISDN2 down line +44(0)1733 555 319 (Broadcasters) G722 & APT-X Dual Codecs GlensoundC5 All Moral Rights Asserted