Do you ever ask yourself what has happened to local media? We still have our local papers, but where is the local coverage on TV and Radio? ITV is just one big conglomerate, local commercial radio stations are folding or being absorbed by a few big operators with little local affiliation and, if you are waiting for the BBC to provide truly local coverage, you will probably be waiting for a very long time.
Don’t despair! The Wholemeal Media Company has joined forces with the Balsam Centre, Wincanton’s, innovative healthy living centre and children’s centre, to launch “Transition Vision” (www.transitionvision.tv), a local TV and Radio station on the internet, covering an area roughly within a 50 mile radius of Wincanton.
John Holman from The Wholemeal Media Company said “In every recent survey people have said that they want more local coverage from the broadcast media but the structure no longer exists to deliver this. Community Radio licences go some of the way towards it but have a very limited geographical reach. In a rural area like ours, that means you can only reach a small listenership. Due to the development of the internet we now have free access to an effective distribution method. And, of course, whilst it is a service which will potentially strengthen local communities, it also provides the area with an opportunity to promote itself to the rest of the world.”
John ran “Farm Radio” for the rural media charity Trilith for 6 years. Transition Vision draws directly on that experience but covers a much wider range of subjects and includes video pieces. The spirit of “Farm Radio” lives on in Transition Vision’s “The Farming Channel” which enjoys funding and support from the Media Trust. It can also draw upon the unique Trilith collection of archive film material from the area amassed over the last 25 years. Trilith also made a grant which enabled the project to get off the ground.
Sue Place, manager of the Balsam Centre, said “Anyone who is engaged with work in the community will have been frustrated by the difficulty of letting people know what you are doing. The media of video and audio add a valuable dimension to the promotion of projects and Transition Vision is a vehicle for getting vivid material out there.”
Transition Vision also offers an opportunity for people from the communities of the area to become involved. Volunteers are sought to become correspondents and training, equipment and subsequent back up are available. The Wholemeal Media Company is a resource which can make available equipment up to broadcast standard and has over 25 years of experience of media production, community media projects and dealing with archive film. Of course, if you become involved you can influence the content of the programming. Media producers in the area with relevant material are also invited to submit it to Transition Vision if they are seeking a further local audience.
If you are still wondering exactly what it does, why not visit the website? www.transitionvision.tv.
Local Media
I used to watch Westward TV when they had Kenneth McLeod and Gus Honeybun, and (in the old days) occasionally picked up the Bridport News when they would report my latest traffic indiscretion, but I’m happy to say times have changed and I have moved on too.
I get all I need from ‘Marshwood’, that lovely, cozy rag for people like me who just like to bask in the loveliness of life in lovely Dorset. Its like Ovaltine with adverts. I particularly like the little biographies they do of people you’ve never heard of – they remind me of the newsy round robin letter I get from my Uncle Donald each Christmas. I can watch Malcolm Heaver age, get Hugh Fearnley’s recipes for free and choose a gardener for my second home in Netherbury all at the same time – and what’s even better, its small enough to keep in the lav so i can read it while having a pooh.