Policy & advocacy @mediareformUK @hackinginquiry. PhD press & broadcasting policy, lectured @Kingspol_econ @MediaComGold, future of PSB research @CardiffJOMEC
Joined June 2010
- Tweets6.6K
- Following1.3K
- Followers1.3K
- Likes10.8K
Tom Chivers retweeted
As BBC local radio proposes yet more change despite ample budget in decent hands - is the game all over? How has it come to this? Who's responsible? I've tried to pull it together
davidlloydradio.com/post/why…
Tom Chivers retweeted
Here’s what actually happened with the new Goldsmiths campus:
- Labour negotiates a deal with a university they know is on the brink of bankruptcy.
- They announce this as a done deal BEFORE getting Goldsmiths to sign a lease - giving up the Council’s negotiating leverage to score political points a few months ahead of the local elections.
- The new Green administration then has to work to deliver this new campus, in a much weaker position than we would be had Labour not jumped the gun on the announcement.
- Predictably, Goldsmiths cancels their expansion plans because they can’t pay for them.
- Labour then try to suggest, with zero evidence, that the Green Party are to blame for the deal collapsing. When, in reality, it was their mismanagement that has led to a huge amount of wasted time, money, and effort.
We had no intention of politicising this hugely disappointing news for the borough. But if Labour councillors are going to spread this kind of misinformation I feel it’s important for someone to correct the record here.
Tom Chivers retweeted
I've posted a new edition of Whose Beeb?, my blog on the future of the BBC
It analyses the financial realities behind the BBC's recent brutal cuts, the Government's obscenely stupid proposals for a 'YouTube tax', and why it's all George Osborne's fault: whosebeeb.substack.com/p/rec…
Tom Chivers retweeted
Laura Davison, NUJ general secretary, said:
“Instead of drip-feeding cuts, we urge BBC management to support calls for investment to secure the broadcaster's future. It is incumbent on the government to intervene in the Autumn budget and #BackTheBBC.”
nuj.org.uk/resource/bbc-cuts…
Tom Chivers retweeted
The BBC's decision to close BBC Three and BBC Scotland linear channels underlines the urgent need for a sustainable funding model for the BBC, and producers need transparency around redirected funding and support.
Read our statement in full: pact.co.uk/resource/pact-sta…
ALT Broadcast test pattern showing colorful alignment bars with on-screen label BBCTX-1 1080i/59.94, indicating a television signal and resolution used for calibration.
Tom Chivers retweeted
We are all saddened by the announcement that @R4Extra is scheduled for closure. Not only has the channel been the ideal outlet for the many programmes we have recovered, the staff have always been very encouraging, helpful, and, most importantly, have promoted what we do. (1/3)
Tom Chivers retweeted
In my opinion, we're going to lose something incredibly valuable to the cultural fabric & history of this country. If Radio 4 Extra with its carefully curated archive isn't the epitome of public service broadcasting, well, I don't know what is. Only the BBC can do it. A sad day.
Tom Chivers retweeted
What no MP seems to want to tackle is the uncomfortable question that lurks within this statement: if people can’t afford £15 a month for a licence fee, why can’t they? What kind of politics is it when MPs propose scrapping public services rather than tackling wages and poverty?
People are already paying for subscriptions to Netflix, YouTube, Sky and countless other streaming services. If the BBC is struggling to stay afloat, perhaps it’s time to scrap the archaic TV licence fee and move to a subscription-based model. Let people decide for themselves whether the BBC is worth paying for, rather than forcing everyone to fund a service they have little interest in watching.
With the cost of living already sky-high, why should ordinary people be forced to shoulder yet another financial burden to prop up an institution they neither use nor wish to support? The idea of effectively making people pay more for their existing streaming and entertainment habits to fund the BBC is completely out of touch with the financial pressures households are facing.
People are already struggling to afford even the simplest pleasures in life. A trip to the cinema, a meal out or a night socialising with friends can feel like a luxury these days. For many, a Netflix subscription or a bit of YouTube at home is one of the few affordable ways to unwind and escape the daily grind. Stop reaching further into people's pockets and taking away what little respite they have left.
If the BBC wants to remain relevant and financially sustainable, it should have to persuade people that its content is worth paying for, just like every other subscription service. If people value it, they’ll subscribe. If they don’t, that should be their choice.
The last thing people need during a cost-of-living crisis is another unpopular, forced charge. I suspect it could provoke resentment on a scale reminiscent of the poll tax.
Give people choice, respect their finances and let the BBC earn its subscribers rather than forcing the public to fund it.
Tom Chivers retweeted
We're deeply concerned that the Shadow Culture Secretary appears to be arguing for an end to almost all public investment in arts & culture.
A cut of this magnitude would be unprecedented and catastrophic. We've requested a full explanation of the numbers and a serious rethink.
We will cut the arts & culture budget by £1bn in order to fund 50,000 prison places. Keeping rapists and other dangerous offenders locked up is a priority for the @Conservatives. We will always put community safety first.
@RichmoMusic If you need help understanding the numbers, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Always happy to talk you through.
thetimes.com/article/77bcee1…
Tom Chivers retweeted
MPs' proposals for renewing the BBC's Royal Charter fail to match the scale and urgency of crises facing the BBC.
Read the MRC's statement & analysis of the recent Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee report on BBC Charter Review: mediareform.org.uk/blog/sele…
Tom Chivers retweeted
Today on Feedback, we're hearing your thoughts on the recent cuts to @bbcradio4, specifically the axing of #YouAndYours.
Here's a sample of what you have to say about the end of the long running consumer advice programme.
Listen at 3.30pm 📻
Feedback | @bbcsounds
ALT Quotes from listener regarding the cuts to BBC Radio 4, specifically You and Yours, as follows: "Who is the BBC trying to appeal to and retain with these changes in programmes, in addition to making cutbacks?" "The service to consumers it provides is invaluable and covers everyday issues affecting everyone." "Winifred is a superb communicator and does a brilliant job. I cannot understand how cutting this programme will be cost-effective."
Tom Chivers retweeted
The NUJ's just put this statement out on the BBC's decision to scrap You and Yours:
Tom Chivers retweeted
Oh and ofc, we lost Birmingham-produced ‘Doctors’ during the time Andy Street was Mayor, ended because the Government’s licence fee freeze meant the BBC had significantly less money.
Tom Chivers retweeted
I like Andy Street, he’s smart, but the reality is that during his reign as Mayor (2017-2024), the BBC continued to be subjected to financial traumas by various Tory governments and I can’t find any evidence he said anything about them. Difficult choices for the cash-starved BBC.
How can the BBC invest in a headquarters in Digbeth, yet consider moving The Archers out of Brum?
When we secured that investment, losing shows was never part of the plan.
After 75 years, it is part of the WM's heritage. The BBC must reconsider.
bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crpd…
Tom Chivers retweeted
#TheArchers, the worlds longest running soap opera, will stop being recorded in Birmingham because BBC can't afford to build a new studio for it at its new Digbeth building, so it will change location
-This sounds impractical for actors & production staff who live near Birmingham
Tom Chivers retweeted
📢New co-authored article out today examining executive remuneration & developing the concept of elite welfare.🧵cambridge.org/core/journals/…
