Should Tynwald Be Televised?

[Cronky]

Here's a new wheeze:

 

Should Tynwald be televised?

 

My reaction is what on earth for? Is it a gimmick for political anoraks or something really useful? If you want to know what they said then Hansard is published on line the day after the session. It's much quicker, in my opinion, to search through a document to find out what someone said than to laboriously watch a video.

 

Sounds like a waste of money to me. Anyone agree to differ?

[triskelion]

PAG tried to get some momentum behind this earlier this year I think - with no success.

 

I cannot see what possible benefits this would bring to anyone.

[homarus]

PAG tried to get some momentum behind this earlier this year I think - with no success.

 

I cannot see what possible benefits this would bring to anyone.

 

100% agree ! It would make some of them look even more hopeless , only to a bigger audience

[Chinahand]

There simply isn't the demand - but getting better web casting with a few more web cams would be worthwhile and stream it. Heck with storage costs being as low as they are they should be able to archive it for a far lower cost than live broadcasting.

[Skeddan]

Of course Tynwald should be televised, just like House of Commons, House of Lords, Welsh Assembly, and Scottish Parliament.

 

It's the BBC's job to be doing this. They have an obligation to do so under their Charter. The BBC should be doing what they're meant to and Manx taxpayers shouldn't have to pay any more for this than the TV tax / licence fee already being paid.

[TerryMcCann]

I'd rather watch the finals of the international paint drying championships

[pongo]

It's the BBC's job to be doing this. They have an obligation to do so under their Charter.

 

No they don't.

[triskelion]

It's the BBC's job to be doing this. They have an obligation to do so under their Charter.

 

No they don't.

Second. It is very much NOT the BBC's responsibility to broadcast something no one will watch. The only people with time to watch it live could just as easily go to the sittings themselves.

[Skeddan]

It's the BBC's job to be doing this. They have an obligation to do so under their Charter.

No they don't.

Section 56 of the Charter (Interpretations) states:

"In this Charter...the UK is to be taken to mean, for these purposes only, Our United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, together with the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.

 

BBC Charter

 

The Public Purposes of the BBC in S.4 of the Charter thus also apply to the Isle of Man.

 

This means the BBC has the same obligation to televise Tynwald as they have to televise Parliament, the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh and Northern Ireland Assemblies.

 

Second. It is very much NOT the BBC's responsibility to broadcast something no one will watch. The only people with time to watch it live could just as easily go to the sittings themselves.

How can you say it is something "no one will watch"? Speak for yourself.

 

Television coverage of Tynwald doesn't mean this will only be watched 'live'. Don't try to bolster your argument by making it about something it is not.

 

I'm sure there will be some Tynwald debates which will be watched with interest. Perhaps not by you, but no one is going to force you to watch.

 

When BBC2 first started showing snooker, there was no demand for it, and tiny audience figures.

 

The BBC Charter does not stipulate that its Public Purpose is subject to considerations about ratings or audience figures.

 

Even if you assume there is no 'demand' for this (or very little demand), that does not mean it is not something the BBC are obliged to do under its Charter.

 

What reason do you have for objecting to television coverage of Tynwald by the BBC? It won't cost IoM taxpayers a penny more than they are paying already. Would you object if the BBC decided to do this after becoming aware that there was a compliance issue they had overlooked?

[pongo]

It's the BBC's job to be doing this. They have an obligation to do so under their Charter.

No they don't.

 

etc etc etc ... This means the BBC has the same obligation to televise Tynwald as they have to televise Parliament, the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh and Northern Ireland Assemblies.

 

Is there anything in the BBC Charter about an obligation to broadcast any parliament?

 

No ? In which case there is no obligation under their Charter.

[Sebrof]

It's the BBC's job to be doing this. They have an obligation to do so under their Charter.

No they don't.

Section 56 of the Charter (Interpretations) states:

"In this Charter...the UK is to be taken to mean, for these purposes only, Our United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, together with the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.

 

BBC Charter

 

The Public Purposes of the BBC in S.4 of the Charter thus also apply to the Isle of Man.

 

This means the BBC has the same obligation to televise Tynwald as they have to televise Parliament, the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh and Northern Ireland Assemblies.

 

Second. It is very much NOT the BBC's responsibility to broadcast something no one will watch. The only people with time to watch it live could just as easily go to the sittings themselves.

How can you say it is something "no one will watch"? Speak for yourself.

 

Television coverage of Tynwald doesn't mean this will only be watched 'live'. Don't try to bolster your argument by making it about something it is not.

 

I'm sure there will be some Tynwald debates which will be watched with interest. Perhaps not by you, but no one is going to force you to watch.

 

When BBC2 first started showing snooker, there was no demand for it, and tiny audience figures.

 

The BBC Charter does not stipulate that its Public Purpose is subject to considerations about ratings or audience figures.

 

Even if you assume there is no 'demand' for this (or very little demand), that does not mean it is not something the BBC are obliged to do under its Charter.

 

What reason do you have for objecting to television coverage of Tynwald by the BBC? It won't cost IoM taxpayers a penny more than they are paying already. Would you object if the BBC decided to do this after becoming aware that there was a compliance issue they had overlooked?

 

In general, I agree with you, Skeddan.

 

Although I think there is some validity to the "village idiots' convention" argument, it is surely over-ridden by the desirability of making Tynwald debates as accessible as possible.

 

Recently there have been calls for increased CCTV surveillance on the island to see what the criminals are up. Obviously there is no connection whatsoever.

 

Incidentally, does the BBC charter really impose an obligation on the BBC to televise Parliament? And all parliamentary assemblies? If so, I couldn't see any reference to it.

 

S

[thesultanofsheight]

If it works like CCTV then it might stop all those pens and bottles of water going missing.

[joeyconcrete]

Without a local TV station - webcasting would make sense. Webcasting is relatively inexpensive, more so when you consider the target audience - Island residents. With an assumption that most of the traffic stays on Island they'd potentially be no requirement for any off-island bandwidth. I say potentially, at the current-time, most traffic between Island ISPs routes via London..

[Skeddan]

Incidentally, does the BBC charter really impose an obligation on the BBC to televise Parliament? And all parliamentary assemblies? If so, I couldn't see any reference to it.

This falls under the Public Purpose in the Charter (S.4(a) 'sustaining citizenship and civil society'), which is elaborated on in the Framework Agreement.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust/framework/charter.html

 

6. Sustaining citizenship and civil society

(1) In developing (and reviewing) the purpose remit for sustaining citizenship and civil

society, the Trust must, amongst other things, seek to ensure that the BBC gives

information about, and increases understanding of, the world through accurate and

impartial news, other information, and analysis of current events and ideas.

(2) In doing so, the Trust must have regard amongst other things to—

(a) the need to promote understanding of the UK political system (including Parliament

and the devolved structures), including through dedicated coverage of Parliamentary

matters, and the need for the purpose remit to require that the BBC transmits an

impartial account day by day of the proceedings in both Houses of Parliament;

 

Remember that the purpose of the Charter also applies to IoM, and 'amongst other things' would show that likewise this Public Purpose as applicable to IoM would similarly require the BBC to provide dedicated coverage of Tynwald and to transmit an impartial account day by day of the proceedings in Tynwald.

 

In the Framework Agreement, see also

 

THE BBC’S UK PUBLIC SERVICES

11. List and description of the UK Public Services

(1) As at the date on which this Agreement is made, the BBC undertakes to provide the

following as UK Public Services.

...

(h) BBC Parliament: a channel providing substantial live coverage of debates and

committees of the UK’s Parliaments and Assemblies, and other political coverage;

 

And section 104 - interpretations

“the UK” is to be taken to mean, for these purposes only, the United Kingdom,

together with the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man;

 

The Royal Charter and the Agreement provide the constitutional basis for the BBC. It may have been overlooked, but the BBC's constitution means that it is required to provide live television coverage of Tynwald.

[mojomonkey]

I know it's a maverick suggestion but why not write to the BBC to ask them about it rather than argue on an internet forum.