Public Value Assessment of BBC Local Video Report Prepared for the BBC

Public Value Assessment of BBC Local Video Report prepared for the BBC

February 2008

Contents

1. Executive summary...... 3

2. Introduction...... 5 2.1 Background...... 5 2.2 Aims and objectives...... 5 2.3 Methodology...... 7

3. Main Findings...... 9 3.1 Current usage and attitudes...... 9 3.1.1 Defining the local area...... 9 3.1.2 Interest in local news...... 10 3.1.3 Main sources of local news...... 12 3.1.4 Perception of local news coverage...... 14 3.1.5 Perception of local BBC coverage...... 15 3.2.1 Quality...... 19 3.2.2 Reach...... 21 3.2.3 Distinctiveness...... 23 3.2.4 Impact...... 25 3.2.5 Value for Money...... 26 3.3 Strategy and purpose...... 28 3.3.1 Sustaining citizenship and civil society...... 28 3.3.2 Promoting education and learning...... 29 3.3.3 Stimulating creativity and cultural excellence...... 30 3.3.4 Reflecting the UK’s nations, regions and communities...... 30 3.3.5 Bringing the UK to the world and the world to the UK...... 31 3.3.6 Supporting the benefit of helping to deliver to the public emerging communications technologies and services...... 31 3.4 Final votes...... 33

4. Conclusions and recommendations...... 35

5. Appendix...... 36 5.1 Workshop agenda...... 36 5.2 Introductory presentation...... 46 5.3 Factsheet examples...... 48 5.4 Questionnaires...... 57

1. Executive summary

1.1 Introduction

Following the recent licence fee settlement, the BBC's plans for local TV evolved into a broadband only offer. The BBC believes that this will offer better value for money than distributing its local content on digital television. This is a web-based multimedia proposition, using broadband technology to deliver video journalism content and information on local news, sport, weather and travel.

As the context (distribution method and user experience) of the local video content has changed (but not radically) and the market has developed since 2006, new evidence is needed to inform the Public Value Test for BBC Local Video. In particular, the views of licence fee payers are an important part of this test, and deliberative research is required to provide feedback on both citizen and consumer perspectives on the value of the service.

The overall aim of the research is to explore the extent to which the public believe that BBC Local Video offers value for the licence fee payer, and to what extent it fits with and helps to deliver the BBC’s strategy and purposes. It is the video journalism element of the BBC Local proposition that is primarily under consideration.

1.2 Main Findings

There is overwhelming support from broadband and non-broadband participants both at a personal and citizen perspective for BBC Local Video. At the end of the deliberative workshops participants voted on whether they were in favour or against the proposal both from a personal basis and from a citizen perspective. From a personal perspective 108 participants were in favour and 13 against, from a citizen perspective 116 participants were in favour, 4 were against and 1 person was not sure.

Participants believe BBC Local Video to be excellent value for money in absolute terms and in comparison with the cost of other BBC services.

Many participants perceive the BBC Local Video proposition will enhance the current sources of local news and anticipate very little impact on people's usage of other media such as local newspapers, regional news and websites.

The BBC Local Video proposition is perceived to fulfil all of the Public Value assessment criteria in terms of quality, reach, distinctiveness, impact and value for money. Participants rate the quality of BBC Local Video highly and believe it to meet or exceed their expectations of the BBC. Participants believe that BBC Local Video will increase the reach of the number of people accessing local news and information since it provides a greater range and depth of local video content compared to what is currently available. BBC Local Video is perceived to be a localised and personalised offer bringing together many different types of local information, videos, and user generated content which is perceived to be a distinctive offer. There is the potential for BBC Local Video to have a significant impact on the local communities by raising the levels of awareness about what is happening and important locally and making communities feel more connected. The proposition is perceived to be excellent value for money.

The BBC Local Video proposition supports all of the BBC's strategies and purposes (sustaining citizenship and civil society, promoting education and learning, stimulating creativity and cultural excellence, reflecting the UK's communities, bringing the UK to the world and the world to the UK and supporting the benefit of helping to deliver to the public emerging communications technologies).

1. Introduction

2.1 Background

One of the BBC’s key objectives is to provide relevant content to audiences across the UK. In order to achieve this, the BBC has been exploring new ideas for the provision of more local level content, taking advantages of the cost efficiencies and opportunities offered by new digital technology.

The overall aim of the research is to explore the extent to which the public believe that BBC Local represents value for the licence fee payer, and to what extent it fits with and helps to deliver the BBC’s strategy and purposes. Reflecting the cost differential, it is the video journalism element of the BBC Local proposition that is primarily under consideration.

2.2 Aims and objectives

The research objectives are to explore the extent to which licence fee payers believe that BBC Local Video: · Fits with the BBC’s purposes and remit, and to what extent, judged against six core values: - Sustaining citizenship and civil society - Promoting education and learning - Stimulating creativity and cultural excellence - Reflecting the UK’s nations, regions and communities - Bringing the UK to the world and the world to the UK - Supporting emerging communications technologies and services · Delivers value to individual consumers of the service

· Delivers value to broader society · Is sufficiently distinctive and innovative compared to existing commercial products, particularly local newspaper websites and ITVLocal.com · Builds on the BBC’s current online provision for local communities · Could be improved or developed

Some of these key issues necessitated exploration separately amongst participants with and without access to broadband internet given their different perspectives and capacity for comparison. However, all participants were asked to evaluate the proposition both individually, and as citizens as much as possible.

2.3 Methodology

We conducted six workshops across the UK with a mix of broadband and non-broadband users in order to capture all perspectives on the service and to note any significant differences. The research programme was weighted to those with broadband, with two workshops of broadband users only, one in a metropolitan and one in a rural setting.

A mix of urban, suburban and rural locations were chosen with a view to capturing differences in perspectives on current provision and in evaluation of the new BBC Local offer.

Manchester (metropolitan) § 20 participants with broadband (home or work) Sheffield (urban) § 10 x broadband at home/work § 10 WITHOUT internet access Cheddar (rural) § 20 participants with broadband (home or work) Chelmsford (suburban) § 10 x broadband at home/work § 10 WITHOUT internet access Llanelli (rural) § 10 x broadband at home/work § 10 WITHOUT internet access Aberdeen (suburban) § 10 x broadband at home/work § 10 WITHOUT internet access

Sample profile

Participants at the mixed broadband and non-broadband groups were recruited according to a nationally representative sample. For those participants attending the broadband-only sessions, the demographic breakdown was based on a representative sample of broadband users1, which is slightly different to the national sample. There was a slight skew to higher social grades in the broadband sample and to lower social grades and older age groups in the non-broadband. Total participation by demographic is shown below:

Demographic Broadband NON-broadband TOTAL 82 39 Gender

1 Ofcom, The Communications Market: Broadband, April 2007

Male 40 19 Female 42 20 Age 16 – 29 17 8 30 – 44 27 9 45 – 64 24 10 65+ 14 12 Socio-economic group AB 29 4 C1C2 36 15 DE 17 20 Ethnicity Non-white 5 4

2. Main Findings

3.1 Current usage and attitudes Exploration of how people are currently using local news sources and getting insight into what they would want ‘local’ to mean, suggests an appetite for news and information that could be more local to the individual. This is particularly true in areas of perceived poor local news coverage.

3.1.1 Defining the local area

There is a great variation in people’s definition of what ‘local’ means. Definitions range from the very immediate or local area, “two to three miles from where I live”, to a much broader, region- wide area e.g. the whole of the North-West. These variations depend primarily on the area that a person lives their daily life, but also where they have lived in the past or where friends and family live. For example, someone who does not need to travel far for work or to take children to school may focus on the area closely surrounding their home, whereas those who travel beyond this immediate area for work or social activities are more likely to have a broader perspective on what local means. Those who have lived or worked or been to university outside of the immediate area are more inclined to have a broader definition still.

“I’d go a bit wider actually because I tend to relate a bit more to Bristol and the surrounding area in total. Having actually worked, being on the road for a long time, covering the whole of the western England and indeed Wales I’ve got a wider interest than just purely very, very local.” Cheddar, broadband

“I’m probably older than most people so I’ve got a past, a travel past, and that opens up a new horizon to you.” Manchester, broadband

For many, the ‘local area’ that they were interested to hear about in local news coverage is wider than their initial depiction of their ‘local area.’ Most are interested to find out about the world beyond their immediate sphere.

“I would put as far as Cardiff really because although I said 10 miles earlier, thinking of what everybody has said where you socialise, where you shop, I would say yes as far as that and maybe even a bit further, because I'm originally from another area.” Llanelli, non-broadband

However, the breadth of this area is dictated by the breadth of the area that people inhabit in their daily lives. For example, those with the most local definition are more likely to be

Outer Local area interested in very localised or what they termed ‘little’ news such as gossip, crime or local politics. For Inner Local area many, their main focus is on the Family SHOPS immediate local area where they live, with a secondary layer of interest OLD UNI Friends spanning out into the wider SCHOOL surrounding area, according to where their daily lives take them. Those WORK travelling more extensively outside their home village or town in particular are more likely to have an interest in travel news in the wider region, weather and events and activities in other towns or cities.

3.1.2 Interest in local news Interest in information about the local area ranged widely but was high overall (one of the pre- requisites of recruitment was to have at least some interest in local news.) There are differences in levels of interest according to age and life stage; with some younger people less interested in hearing the detail of the most local or ‘trivial’ news content, whilst mothers in particular are interested in local crime reports, safety-conscious for their children.

Many balance the desire for the most local news content with the need to maintain interest and avoid trivial news. However, how this balance is struck is personal to each individual, according to their particular areas of interest and how they define their local area. There is agreement that a local news story that was trivial or uninteresting to one person could be highly relevant to someone with connections to it, either geographic or personal.

“The thing is a boring story becomes interesting if there’s somebody involved that you know about; it makes local news interesting. If you didn’t come from

that area, you didn’t know the people, you’d just find it boring.” Aberdeen, non-broadband

The depth and focus of local content is personal and wide ranging. People want depth of content about the specific areas of local life that are either of personal interest or practical use to them. They want the content to be local to where they live, as well as possibly where they used to live, and sometimes where they happen to be on any one day or at any one time. A middle-aged man in Aberdeen might want to know only about the sport, but both locally and in Glasgow where he used to live; a young woman in Chelmsford driving to work might listen mainly to the radio for music but also require local travel updates and an older gentleman in Sheffield wouldn’t miss the 6.30p.m. Look North because he likes to know what has been going on locally. There is evident need for local news to be tailored to the individual, in their locality.

3.1.3 Main sources of local news In terms of where people are accessing local news content, there are some variations according to lifestyle and personal preference. Different news sources are seen to fulfil very different needs and many people use multiple sources to fit these needs accordingly. The most common combination of local news sources is watching the regional television news and reading the local newspaper. However, people who spend a large amount of time driving for example, might be more inclined to listen to the radio.

Overall, local newspapers, both free and paid-for, have a strong presence in each area. The local paper is consistently listed on the pre workshop questionnaire as a news source for almost everyone, and as a main source for many. As well as being very local, newspapers have some specific additional benefits. In physical terms they are good ‘on the move’ - there is a definite sense of attachment to the physical act of reading news and holding it in your hands. Local papers also fulfil a practical function as an essential source of, for example job adverts and entertainment guides, as well as human interest in the form of registers of marriage and obituaries or gossip from ‘naming and shaming’ features. However, free papers are perceived by some to contain too many adverts and not enough news.

“I like looking through the names and pictures to see if you know anyone. It makes it so real.” Aberdeen, non-broadband

Regional television news programmes have a high profile as a source of local news. This includes both BBC regional news programmes and commercial offerings. Many appear to be watching both BBC and ITV/STV, with slightly more watching the BBC offering than ITV in most areas. There are interesting differences in the amount of people watching regional TV news according to area which seems to correlate with coverage in the area. Whilst in Chelmsford all participants watched television news, in Aberdeen numbers were much lower, only thirteen out of nineteen participants watched Reporting Scotland and twelve watched STV. Aberdonians prefer newspapers as their main local news source.

Due to the set times that the television news updates take place, the amount that people actually use it as a main source is highly dependent on their lifestyle. For some, particularly retired participants, the television news represents a ‘six O’clock ritual’; sitting down on the sofa for the national news and then the regional news that follows. However, the 6.30p.m. slot causes particular difficulty for those still out at work or travelling home at that time, or for those with children either dominating TV choice or parental attention. For this reason, for these people, the regional TV news is enjoyed as more of a wallpaper in their busy, multitasking lives. There were multiple reports of ‘headline grabbing’ or letting the regional news ‘flow over you’, with ears only really ‘pricking up’ at stories of interest.

Radio usage is also highly lifestyle dependant. For those often on the move or driving into work it is seen as a useful and flexible source of local news; a good opportunity to catch up on what is going on. It also has a key practical role in updating on travel and weather. There is a varying degree of attachment to the radio as an actual source of local information, however, rather than simply for entertainment. Younger people in particular are more likely to listen to the radio primarily for the music, with travel, weather and news updates being an unsolicited extra. For others, there is a more distinct sense of ownership, with one participant describing BBC Radio Manchester as “a very ‘Manchester’ thing”. For this latter group, presenter personalities and local reporters are important to the appeal of local radio, as well as particular features and this is especially true for some older participants.

Some of the participants with broadband are accessing local news content online. However it is only the main source for a few. Most prevalent use of online local resources is for the weather, and the capability to input postcodes and check local weather online has widespread mainstream awareness. Many are using the internet primarily as an additional resource, to follow-up stories they have heard on the radio or seen on the TV news in more detail. There is some usage of particular sites, for example local newspapers online sites such as Manchester Evening News online or BBC Where I live, but many simply carry out searches in Google or use their search engine’s particular local resource. The internet’s local benefits for many are as an ‘instant hit’ to get quick updates on travel or on a particular sports interest. Some are beginning to enjoy the visual benefits of, for example, jam cams. However, there is little widespread watching of videos, with this mostly occurring amongst either ends of the age extremes in the ‘You Tube generation’ or retired people with more time on their hands.

3.1.4 Perception of local news coverage

There are significant differences in satisfaction levels with local news coverage between locations. Different media are also considered to cater to the need for local information to differing degrees and for this reason, many are dipping into a combination of several different news sources. Overall, however, most were satisfied with their local newspapers in terms of the area covered, whilst regional TV coverage was seen to be the least ‘local’, particularly in rural or less well served areas.

Regional TV news programmes are appreciated more as a general National TV visual summary of news for the wider area than for in-depth local coverage. There is little expectation that regional TV news would cater for a village or suburb level, and many understand the need to fairly Local TV reflect the news of a wider area. However, the obvious downside is that many of these more general stories hold little personal relevance and strong geographical skews can be particularly frustrating. For example, Radio news stories about shootings in Liverpool when you live in Manchester.

Radio is seen to cater for a much more locally defined area and so Online enjoys a more proximate relationship with the various local populations than TV is able to. It can also cover breaking news stories. However, it does not have the visual appeal of seeing stories on TV and variations in style and content mean it does not have such mainstream appeal to all audiences. Newspapers

Those who view local news online appreciate this as a much wider resource where they can choose to look at the local stories of interest to them and bypass those that aren’t. Like radio, it is also an instant resource for breaking news.

Many feel that local newspapers are the most local in-depth form of news available. The coverage of local newspapers in each area is seen LOCAL to fit most closely with the most local definitions of people’s local areas, described in Manchester for example as “doorstep news”. People spontaneously compare which publications they receive in their particular village, town or suburb, with many displaying a certain level of attachment to their particular title. However, newspapers are not seen to be the most up-to-date way of getting news and are often a perceived to be a poor source of finding out about upcoming or current events for this reason. An excess of ads in the free papers is a complaint for some.

3.1.5 Perception of local BBC coverage

TV The BBC is viewed as a trusted television news source at the regional level, just as it is at the national level, for its high quality outputs and integrity. The BBC regional news programmes are valued for their professionalism and the quality of the stories aired; the 6.30p.m. slots prove popular for many. In many cases there is a desire for more news at a local level, especially in the 10 O’clock bulletin.

However, there are differences in satisfaction levels with the BBC by area. In terms of how local the BBC programmes are, there is some feeling, for instance in Aberdeen and Llanelli, that the ITV regional news is more local than the BBC provision. In Llanelli, there was some recognition that this is partly due to ITV’s selection of ‘human-interest’ stories and their more informal style, making it simply seem closer. This is not to every taste, highlighting the importance of maintaining the quality that the BBC is renowned for.

“If you want to know professional news of what's happening in your area – I'm not just talking about national news UK - always go to BBC. If you want to know about little Johnny's had these things stuck in his ear for eight years go to ITV. You get the heart-wrenching stories on ITV but you don't get the real nitty-gritty of really what's at the core of things unless you go to BBC.” Llanelli, broadband

In Aberdeen, however, STV is also seen to actually cater for a different area – from Inverness to Dundee – whilst the BBC is perceived to focus mostly on Glasgow and Edinburgh. Such an obvious skew to neighbouring metropolitan centres is a cause of distinct disgruntlement, particularly in Aberdeen but also in Sheffield, where Hull and Leeds are seen to take the majority of BBC air space. Equally, some of those in more rural locations, such as Llanelli and Cheddar felt underserved in their regional BBC news coverage, perceiving there to be more coverage of Cardiff and Bristol respectively.

“Well certainly if you listen to the local news and the TV, I can’t remember a time when there’s ever been anything about our local area…It’s always happening somewhere else.” Cheddar, broadband

In both Llanelli and Aberdeen, there is a feeling that these areas would only get into their regional coverage if something ‘serious’ happened and that this isn’t always sufficient.

“You should have that every day really. There's always something happening everywhere locally isn't there, you know? You could have some good news as well as bad news.” Llanelli, non-broadband

“You’re only getting value for money, if you’re paying your TV licence as well, you expect to get local area news.” Aberdeen, non-broadband

Compounding the feeling that regional BBC news on the TV is not always actually locally relevant, some areas suffer from confused signal problems. In Cheddar for instance, those without digital and south of the Mendips receive BBC news about Plymouth (with some comments that this is potentially more interesting!) and in Chelmsford many could receive both Look East and BBC London News.

These issues have a clear impact on satisfaction levels with the BBC, and on the amount of people watching the main BBC local news service as their news source of choice. When asked at the beginning of the workshops to score how well they believe the BBC caters for their needs from 1 to 10 (with 10 being most satisfied), there were some differences in averages between areas. These were particularly low in Aberdeen (5.9) and Llanelli (6.3) with those in Sheffield most content with their service (7.6.) Across all areas, people’s perception in general was that the BBC catered better for their needs than those of their community. Overall, whilst people felt disinclined to say there was a great need for more local news content in their area (scores averaged between 6 and 6.8), there was more interest in the idea of a more local internet offering from the BBC, particularly in Manchester (7.9), Cheddar (7.7) and Chelmsford (7.3.) Aberdeen and Llanelli displayed the least interest in a new BBC news service (both 6.2.)

Abe rdeen Llanelli Cheddar Chelmsford Manchester Sheffield 7.9 8 7.6 7.7 7.1 7.2 6.9 6.9 6.76.76.7 6.8 6.7 6.8 6.6 6.5 6.3 6.36.3 6.2 6.2 6 6 6 5.9 5.5

The BBC responds to my The BBC responds to the There is a need for more I would be interested in needs and interests in the needs and interests of most local news content in my accessing a more local new coverage of my area of the people in my area news internet service community provided by the BBC

Base size 121. Results shown are mean scores of all responses by location.

Radio The geographic area covered by BBC radio stations is seen to be much more local that those reached by its TV programmes, with many finding the coverage much more locally representative. The only areas where the BBC local radio is not seen to be local enough is in Cheddar, where there was too much of a Bristol focus and in Aberdeen, where BBC Scotland serves the entirety of Scotland, rather than the local area. However, few people are listening to BBC radio in general and very few tuning in specifically for local information or news.

As with the television news, in comparison with the commercial radio stations, the BBC’s radio style is viewed as more formal, talk and feature based and this proves similarly polarising. Some, particularly older participants, enjoy the familiarity of their BBC local presenters and engage with their chat shows. Of particular discussion in Sheffield, for example, was ‘Praise and Grumble’ which has a significant following and pride attached to it. Others prefer more music and a more light-hearted tone from that offered by the BBC local radio stations.

Online There was some prior awareness and usage of the BBC’s current Where I Live site amongst the broadband participants in each location visited. Most of those using it are doing so on a sporadic basis to find out more detail about local news stories they had seen or read about.

There is evidence of some specific uses of Where I Live for instant travel, sport or weather updates. The online weather resource in particular is seen by its proponents to be much more accurate and local than the BBC TV weather reports, particularly in the least well-served areas furthest north from London such as Aberdeen.

The overall evaluation of Where I Live was positive for both broadband and non-broadband users, with many pleased to find stories of much more local interest to them than on the TV and radio, if not quite as much as the full content available in newspapers. Some broadband users were disappointed, however, that entering their postcode did not bring up an area more local to their home.

Overall, the site is perceived to be easy to use. Those without internet connections, evaluating the site from screen-grabs feel that the pages look a little cluttered. However, they did comment that it was hard to truly judge how it would work without seeing the site in action. For some

broadband users who had trialled the site in action, there was some significant frustration with continual diversions back to the national site:

“I got a bit annoyed because a couple of the links I clicked I thought I was going down to more local in depth and it actually took me back to a national site.” Cheddar

Another major area of concern raised by broadband users is how up-to-date the content on the Where I Live site was. There were some reports of finding stories that were two or three years old and a feeling that this is because “not enough goes on” (Cheddar) in their local area to replace these stories.

3.2 Public Value Assessment criteria

Having established the context of what local news provision is currently on offer, both from the BBC and commercial providers, participants were shown a demonstration of the new BBC Local Video proposal. It was particularly emphasised that participants were principally being asked to evaluate the video journalism aspect of the offer. Participants were shown some examples of video stories that might have been filmed during the last week in their area with BBC Local Video. There was also a short demonstration of an example news bulletin shown on a mobile phone.

The immediate individual responses to the proposition that were captured were overwhelmingly positive in every location, both from broadband and non-internet users. Participants responded positively to the concept of more local depth of video content at their fingertips which is perceived as highly progressive. Participants also value the context of the website, most particularly like the map navigation and apparent ease and clarity of use. Initial queries raised were mainly around cost implications, how often the content would be updated and there was some resistance to the technology element, for example watching on a computer screen, mainly from non-broadband participants.

Reactions were explored in more depth during table discussions and in accordance with the criteria of the Public Value Assessment.

3.2.1 Quality

Overall, BBC Local Video is perceived to be high quality; at a production and journalistic level that participants would expect from the BBC. Indeed, participants in several locations spontaneously described the offer as “professional” in initial individual feedback.

In terms of the video element, it is felt overall that the addition of video would enrich the quality of the content available, by providing something much more local and ‘real.’ There are a few concerns about the quality of the filming and editing going down, as a result of the one- journalist setup. This was an issue primarily in Manchester where it appeared to be in reaction to the example clip about phone lines that was shown to participants. However, in other areas concern about quality was more based on speculation rather than being a direct evaluation of what they had seen. Many people weighed up the benefits of the rawer, “more real” community quality of seeing local people and hearing local accents and concluded that even slightly wobblier footage would be acceptable in this context. It is seen to be worth it, in order to have a less stuffy output, showing real people and filmed by journalists and reporters from the local area.

“Like I say because it’s local and it’s more friendly. It’s not quite got the professional edge on it; it’s more relaxed, more informal.” Manchester

“It does make it, it makes it real. And especially when it’s your area, you do take more out of it.” Aberdeen, non-broadband

There is some broader concern about the quality of films uploaded by the public, however. Many are supportive of the existing practice of the public sending in mobile phone recordings at sites of breaking news and further still appreciate the richness that BBC-aided public recordings could offer. However, they are clear in their resistance to ‘YouTube-style’ videos and said that this would need to be carefully edited (something they would expect the BBC to do).

There is strong appreciation for the range of stories that would be available with extra videojournalists based in each local area. The contrast of what is available now and what could be available with the new BBC Local is particularly stark in the least-well served areas such as Aberdeen and Llanelli. In these areas, participants are very keen to see more of these sorts of stories, potentially redressing the imbalance or ‘black spots’ currently existing in BBC coverage.

The range and depth of stories presented as possible with the new video offer, are felt to be ideal. They are seen to provide more in-depth coverage of individual stories and a wider range of stories in many locations to the depth and range provided by local newspapers. Individuals of all demographic backgrounds were able to find at least some stories that interest them, even if for some younger males this is only the sport stories. This is seen to be the beauty of the proposition’s offering; personal choice at a local level. However, participants feel that it is important to include more stories of interest to the younger generation.

“The quality isn’t actually in the pictures that are taken, the quality is in the actual information that you're obtaining from around the county, so therefore your community. That’s the quality, the broad range of subjects.” Chelmsford, broadband

Participants value of rest of the site as high quality context for the BBC Local Video proposition. Many feel that the four bar choice of News, Sport, Travel and Weather on the service is clear and that the site appears uncluttered and easy to use, to broadband and non-broadband users alike.

“What I will say is, looking at [the screengrabs of the Where I Live site], it looks very confusing. Then when you see the [BBC Local site], that was much easier, you know you had your TV, sport…” Llanelli, non-broadband

Many feel that the colours and layout fit with their expectations of the BBC. Some feel that it even builds on or exceeds their expectations of the BBC, benefiting from a more informal, friendly and less ‘stuffy’ tone than existing BBC local provision.

“It’s more clear, like easier to use, it’s not stuffy, it’s…It’s more like a modern website.” Aberdeen, broadband

3.2.2 Reach

Overall, participants feel that the introduction of the BBC Local Video will increase the audience of people accessing local news and information, by providing more depth and range of local content that would be more interesting to more people. However, they think that certain groups of people would be more likely to use the offer than others, according to their life stage and lifestyle.

Participants feel that those most likely to use BBC Local would be in the middle age bracket. These people would have the right balance of interest in the content, especially for example in relation to children and their welfare, and ability to use the technology. It is felt that there may be older, retired people capable of using this sort of technology and doing so already, who would also be well-placed to make use of BBC Local Video. They are expected to be very interested in the content as well as having the time to view it. In terms of occupation, people in office-based jobs, or regularly spending long periods using computers are seen to most likely to use BBC Local. This is because they would already have the habit of surfing the internet and could simply add it as just one stop on their habitual surfing journey. Some participants are enthusiastic about the BBC Local Video’s reach abroad:

“It would be an ideal service for people like Aberdonians that live abroad, I think it would be fantastic for them to keep up with local news.” Aberdeen, non-broadband

In terms of those least likely to access the proposition, all participants, including those with broadband, raise the possible exclusion of people without access to computers or internet connections as a concern. Primarily this is seen to be a matter of cost, in terms of paying the monthly broadband subscription as well as for some people the initial upfront cost of buying a computer. Another perceived barrier is the ‘hassle factor’ associated with computers and logging onto the internet. This was an issue particularly for older people. However, it is also

thought less likely that people with manual jobs or busy mums would come back from work or daily activities and log on to the computer to check the BBC Local site for news due to this time and hassle factor.

“Some people who have sat down in front of the computer all day on a laptop whatever, use it, I can’t imagine, you know, a joiner coming home from his work at 6 o’clock and then sitting at the laptop and look at the news.” Aberdeen, non-broadband

At either end of the age spectrum, older and younger people are seen to be less likely to use BBC Local Video. Whilst older people are identified as key targets for the content of the proposition, they are felt to be less likely to be able to use the technology at this time. Conversely, while young people are lauded as highly conversant with the technology, overall participants feel that in reality, they would be less likely to use a website providing local news content due to being less interested in news in general. In many cases, participants were imagining ‘young people’ as under-twenties (rather than under-35s as assumed by the BBC). Many are willing to hope that this offer might encourage young people to read more news in general, perhaps being drawn in inadvertently via weather checking, however this remains very much a hope rather than an expectation.

“Yes, because they're already there aren’t they, they're already on the internet and that’s half the battle really. You’ve just got to get them going to your website.” Chelmsford, broadband

Most current broadband users could imagine themselves using the BBC Local Video and some non-broadband would use it if they had broadband. Imagining, how they would use it, many thought they would use the site for short periods of time each visit (5-10 minutes). Those unused to the concept of watching video online struggled to imagine themselves spending large amounts of time watching news videos on the computer. However, participants believe that the way people accessed BBC Local Video would be dictated principally by their current internet usage i.e. those browsing the internet might spend longer on BBC Local Video and visit more regularly than those who already primarily use the internet to respond to a specific need e.g. planning travel.

Participants imagined using BBC Local Video to varying degrees and in different ways. Some could imagine it becoming a daily ritual, for example checking weather and news every morning, whilst for others it would be more of a sporadic or responding to a particular need or interest. The frequency of visiting BBC Local Video is perceived to be affected by the news stories currently featuring in the local press at the time as people might be more likely to go to BBC Local Video if they see a story of interest in local newspapers or on the local news.

In terms of where, participants believe the videos may also not be conducive to office surroundings, due to the sound disturbance. The option of reading the text as well as watching is therefore very welcome. It is also imagined that BBC Local Video will have more reach when the practice of computers feeding output through the television set is more commonplace.

Despite flagging up these possible limitations, participants both with internet and without perceived a real value in watching news rather than reading. It is felt that the visual appeal of video could broaden the appeal to those less likely to bother reading newspapers. There is also real appreciation of the extension of choice that more video represents, with some pointing out that even if a clip was longer, it would be up to the individual how long they viewed it for. Those able to peer even further into the future could see real benefits, particularly as people’s lives become more busy and less timetabled, from being able to choose when to catch up on local goings on and especially with the added option of seeing bulletins on mobile phones. Even amongst some non-broadband users, there is recognition that this technology was ‘the future’.

“I was initially quite reserved initially about the video thing – because to be honest it is not really something I use, but this is so much more local, pinpointing things that have really happened around the area. I personally want to see more of that.” Chelmsford, broadband

BBC Local Video’s potential to extend the reach of local news, is however seen to be dependent on sufficient awareness of the offer. Participants feel this would be best promoted via not only other BBC programmes, but also via word-of-mouth, encouraged via a presence of BBC Local Video in schools and libraries (where people without broadband at home could access the offer).

3.2.3 Distinctiveness

Non-broadband users and those with a limited experience of viewing local information online to a certain extent find it difficult to evaluate how BBC Local Video compares to existing commercial and BBC online sites. Although a few have watched videos on local newspaper websites, for example Manchester Evening News online, most participants are unaware of a similar offering in terms of local news stories in video online, so this is distinctive in itself. Overall, the concept of such a localised and personalised offering, bringing together many different types of local information, and even including links to alternative mediums such as newspaper websites and radio, is seen to be extremely distinctive.

“Comparing to other news websites, I think there will be more on this, and it's certainly more in-depth. It’s got the benefits of the overall BBC network –

there's more obviously with this because you're tapping into the existing structures that are there through the radio and through the television.” Sheffield, broadband

Regarding the concept of extended video content, as viewing video online was not yet seen to be a mainstream behaviour, this idea is certainly new. For those who are very content with their current local news sources, there is some concern this new offer would simply promulgate more ‘trivia’, particularly as there is often less news of substance the more local you go. However, it is clear to most, even those without broadband, that without the added video, more text on a more local level would simply be replicating newspaper coverage, only in a different medium. For most, the videos themselves are a much more distinctive offering, adding colour and sound to local stories; a richer experience. Furthermore, many had not heard several of the examples of stories that could be covered and felt that, if BBC Local results in more news stories in their area which would not otherwise be covered, this would certainly make the proposal and its offering distinct and moreover, powerful.

“It’s good because with the news on TV, it’s at 6 and 10 so you’re restricted to certain time. Whereas you can read a paper anywhere but a paper doesn’t have video on it that you can watch, so [BBC Local Video] is like the accessibility of the paper on a video screen.” Aberdeen, non-broadband

“And it doesn’t have people’s feelings in the paper does it, whereas when you’re watching in video format, you see how they feel.” Aberdeen, non- broadband

In terms of the context website, although broadband users had felt satisfied with the existing Where I Live Site when they had used it and non-broadband users thought it looked fine on paper, it is felt that the BBC Local Video site is much clearer, more modern and that the map in particular is a highly effective tool. Although the map does have its detractors (those who confess to being simply unsuited to this style of navigation), for many its value is two-fold. It is it perceived to be easy to use, but people liked the way it clearly defines and enables self- defining of an individual’s local area, making it feel much more personal. The clarity of the four section bars on the left hand side as and the alternative top headings as methods to navigate the site are also welcomed.

”I am really sold on the map. It takes out the hassle of looking for it and you can literally pin point where you want to go and that’s it, I mean it doesn’t get any easier than that does it really.” Chelmsford, non-broadband

3.2.4 Impact

Throughout all the workshops, there is optimism that the proposed BBC Local Video, if introduced, could have a positive impact. In broad terms, it is felt to have the potential to make people feel more connected within their communities and to create higher general awareness of news and local events in each part of the nation. This is viewed as particularly powerful for those perhaps most disengaged currently, such as those living in minority ethnic groups within the community and those new to the area. By publicising local events and showing local stories, participants believe the links in the website and the new video proposition could help to build communities.

Digital democracy is viewed with anticipation by many, who see its benefits as generally raised awareness of local inequalities or injustices, but also potentially acting as an inspiration and motivation to others to get involved. In the case of success stories, there is a feeling that people could learn a lot from each other’s ideas. An outcome could be that local authorities are made more accountable. Equally, the point was made that seeing the local politician’s perspective (or whoever is under scrutiny) could, for some, increase mutual understanding and even decrease the divide in trust between politicians and citizens. However, on the issue of editing, questions were raised about who would decide which stories the team of BBC video journalists would cover and how bias would be avoided. This is seen to be key to the maintenance of the BBC’s credibility.

Many participants like the interactive capacity of BBC Local Video and see great potential in the positive impact that viewers being able to create and upload their own stories could have. Once people were reassured that any uploads would be vetted by the BBC, they feel that, as visitors to the site, this would add richness and human value to the content and range of the videos available. Furthermore, the idea that the BBC could help and instruct people on how to make videos was seen to have a positive educational value, particularly for young adults keen on getting experience of journalism.

One of the most positive impacts that individuals anticipate from BBC Local Video and the increase in video journalists reporting in their area is that more stories would be covered in their proximate area. There is a sense that in doing so, something would be captured that would otherwise be lost. Some people also anticipate that, on a national, as well as a local level, this proliferation of stories could improve the profile of the area beyond its margins.

For a few people, the introduction of the BBC Local would strengthen the case for getting broadband. However, participants are realistic about its potential as the key driver to encourage them to get broadband. For many, particularly in Aberdeen and Llanelli, the cost of buying a

computer and of the broadband package itself remains too much of a barrier. Equally, although there is excitement about the idea of accessing BBC Local Video on a mobile phone, this is accepted as an impact that would only really be felt in the long-term future, once the cost of video downloads on mobiles had come down. Few see the proposition totally replacing their current sources of local information and news, but rather supplementing it.

“I think you would still watch the regional TV and you would use that to expand on it.” Sheffield, non-broadband

“I think it’s an added plus. You would still read your newspaper, I mean most people read newspapers for different reasons, but you would go to the internet to find out but there may be more than they’ve got in the paper.” Aberdeen, broadband

“You're just giving someone another choice aren’t you? You're not taking away something, you're just giving them a little bit extra and I always think that’s a good thing.” Chelmsford, broadband

3.2.5 Value for Money

Participants were asked to imagine that the TV licence has been abolished and to decide how much they valued a range of BBC services including the main BBC terrestrial and digital channels, radio and BBC Local Video per month. Participants were initially asked to decide how much each of the services was worth to them and their household personally followed by how much they think the services are worth to the average household. Overall, participants valued BBC Local Video at £3.85 personally and £4.57 as citizens per month.

From a personal household perspective, most participants judged the value of BBC Local and the other services according to how much they use the service currently and how much they anticipate using the service in the future. BBC1 and BBC2 and the digital TV stations are generally perceived to warrant the most expenditure. Most broadband participants gave the BBC Local Video a positive value at a personnel level, indicating that they would expect to derive some personal or household value from the offer. However, a few did not give the proposition a value because they did not think they would use it. The personal value given by participants given to BBC Local Video ranged from 0 to £20.

BBC Local Video is perceived overall by broadband and non-broadband participants to have a higher personal and citizen value than BBC local radio and News 24, a higher personal value than BBC National radio and a lower value than BBC 1 and 2 and BBC digital channels.

Some of the non-broadband participants also gave the proposition a positive value on a personal level because they believed that they would make use of BBC Local Video if they received broadband in the future. For a few BBC Local Video increased their level of interest in getting broadband as they perceived the offer to be beneficial to them and their household. A number of non-broadband participants gave the proposition a value with the proviso that broadband became more affordable in the future.

“I would pay for it if they dropped the broadband charges to account for it.” Aberdeen, non-broadband

The non-broadband participants in Chelmsford and Sheffield were more likely to give a positive financial value to the proposition. Conversely, the non-broadband participants in Llanelli and Aberdeen were the more likely to not to perceive BBC Local Video having a personal value to them. The perceived cost barrier to getting broadband was greater in these locations than in Chelmsford and Sheffield.

“I put £4 because hopefully I intend to get a computer fairly shortly.” Chelmsford, non-broadband

When asked to give a value to each of the services based on how much they think each of the services are worth to the average household, participants employed a number of different techniques. Many tried to judge the financial worth per month of the services based on how much the average household uses/would use the services. However, others gave each service the same value as they thought that all of the services were valuable to people.

“I'm trying to work out the national average income and if it matches up, how much would they actually put out of their pockets, could afford to put out of their pockets?” Llanelli, broadband

Overall broadband and non-broadband participants gave the BBC Local Video a higher citizen value compared to the personal value because almost all gave the BBC Local Video proposition a citizen value, whereas many non-broadband participants and a few broadband participants did not give a positive personal value. Those broadband participants who gave the proposition a positive personal and citizen value were more likely to give the proposition a higher personal value than citizen value because they believed they would use the service more than the average citizen.

Broadband and non-broadband participants valued the BBC proposition above BBC local radio and News 24, but lower than the other BBC services.

The vast majority of participants when told the actual cost per month per licence fee payer believe BBC Local to be excellent value for money. Many participants were very surprised at the low cost of the proposition.

“I'd like to see the bloke that did the maths on that – who did the costing? Is he over there? I'd like to look at his calculator. 7p!” Sheffield, broadband

When asked if the BBC should increase or decrease the amount of video content with a corresponding increase or decrease in the cost, many believe that the proposed amount of video content is ideal. A few participants express concern that there may not always be sufficient newsworthy stories in their local area to meet the daily quota of video stories and are keen to ensure that stories will only be covered if they are sufficiently newsworthy. There is little appetite for an increase in the amount of video content beyond the proposed number of local video stories.

There were some variations in terms of the perceived value for money of the BBC's services. Those in Aberdeen are more likely to ascribe lower values to BBC services than those in the other areas.

3.3 Strategy and purpose Participants were asked to consider the extent to which BBC Local creates public value in six areas: sustaining citizenship and civil society, promoting education and learning, stimulating creativity and cultural excellence, reflecting the UK’s nations, regions and communities, bringing the UK to the world and the world to the UK and supporting emerging communications technologies and services.

3.3.1 Sustaining citizenship and civil society

Overall many participants believe BBC Local Video contributes to sustaining citizenship and civil society. The proposition is perceived to contribute to this value by helping to reflect the issues and stories which local people are interested in. The example news stories demonstrate that BBC Local Video will cover stories which are of interest to the local community, encouraging people to engage.

The video format of the stories and items is perceived to help people to make better sense of their local world than relying on text, pictures or audio information since it is perceived to have a greater impact by uses a combining these forms. BBC Local Video also allows people to access other parts of the UK and find out what is happening outside their local area.

The ability to include user generated content is perceived to benefit citizenship by allowing a wide range of viewpoints to be aired.

The digital democracy aspect of the offer was also perceived to support this purpose by holding local politicians and decision makers to account. There was also a perception that by allowing the public a greater insight into the decision making process and the actions of local MPs that people could be encouraged to take a more active part in local politics, e.g. by voting in local elections.

3.3.2 Promoting education and learning

Participants define 'education and learning' in both a broad sense and a narrower definition.

Participants believe that BBC Local Video contributes to education and learning mainly in the broader sense by improving people's understanding and awareness of their local area and the issues which are important to local people. The video medium is perceived to contribute to the potential for the proposition to deliver education and learning due to its accessibility. However, some concerns were expressed by a few that by relying on video peoples' reading skills could suffer.

“It can provide a local level, knowledge about local heritage… A sense of where the history is.” Sheffield, broadband

Some think that it is educational to encourage children and young people to make their own video content for BBC Local. The posting of video content by young people is also perceived to encourage other young people to access the offer and become interested in the news in their area.

The proposition is not perceived to contribute to the narrower definition of education and learning which is defined in terms of linking to school/college curriculum's or being used as an educational resource.

There are some calls to include elements which are more formally linked to improving children's and young people's learning e.g. links to the national curriculum, pages on life skills for young people. Whilst these suggestions are likely to sit outside the remit of BBC Local Video, it does indicate an appetite for greater inclusion of young people in making and consuming news.

“I would bring teaching children into it, I’d make it more fun and I’d bring different games into it, like darts and things like that to educate them on mental arithmetic.” Sheffield, non-broadband

3.3.3 Stimulating creativity and cultural excellence

BBC Local Video is perceived to stimulate creativity and cultural excellence by enabling and supporting citizens to make their own films about the aspects of the community which interest them and which they want to celebrate. The proposition is perceived to enable a wide range of video contributions to be made enabling the celebration of diversity within local communities.

“Well hopefully this service would invite people to watch these types of things and hopefully enhance their cultural base. Sporting events between schools, entertainment, competitions, X Factor type shows, visits to places of interest, that would all sort of mount up to enhancing culture and what’s the word you use – stimulating creativity and cultural excellence.” Llanelli, non-broadband

BBC Local Video is also perceived to stimulate creativity and cultural excellence in a limited way through the communities' page providing links to trusted commercial websites showing listings for local cultural activities. Some participants are disappointed that the offer does not provide a definitive and up-to date section about 'what's on' locally since many feel that this is an aspect which is currently poorly served locally. Participants spoke about only finding about events when it was too late to purchase tickets or make arrangements.

3.3.4 Reflecting the UK’s nations, regions and communities

Participants believe that, out of all of the BBC's purposes, BBC Local Video is the most strongly supportive of local communities. It supports communities in a number of powerful ways. Including viewer's video contributions is perceived to result in representing a broad range of issues which are important to people in the local community. The video journalism is perceived to result in stories which would not have been covered otherwise being aired, which is believed to result in people becoming more aware of what is happening in their local area.

The local stories are perceived to offer a more balanced picture of the local community compared to the stories on the regional news which are often perceived to be negative. Having

more positive news stories is felt to help to challenge some of the negative stereotypes which exist about some local communities.

“The challenge is changing people's ideas and habits.” Chelmsford, non- broadband

“The challenge is finding the right stories, really. Make sure that they're not just all sad. More positive things – like social cohesion and everything – more positive stories will do that. Negative things just part people, don't they?” Sheffield, broadband

The video journalism is perceived to have a powerful effect in creating digital democracy by holding MPs, council officials etc to account. Some participants currently feel distant from local politics and by generating a better understanding of this, some feel they will become interested in and involved in local politics.

The style of the example video stories is perceived to have a more local 'feel' than some of the news items currently shown on the regional news programmes. Participants perceived that many of these stories involved more story-telling from the people in the community and felt there was less input from the reporter.

BBC Local Video is perceived to benefit people who have recently moved to the area who may have only a limited understanding about the local community and the issues which are important to local people. The video format of the offer is also perceived to be more accessible to people who do not have English as a first language than other media e.g. text.

3.3.5 Bringing the UK to the world and the world to the UK

BBC Local Video is perceived to support this principle since the proposition will be available to people overseas who visit the website. This proposition is perceived to be of greatest value to ex pats and those with family in the UK to keep up-to-date with local news stories. Some question the extent of the impact of the proposition overseas without significant amounts of publicity.

3.3.6 Supporting the benefit of helping to deliver to the public emerging communications technologies and services

BBC Local Video is perceived to support this principle by offering cutting edge applications (video) on broadband and mobile phones. Broadband and non-broadband participants alike clearly see the benefit of being able to access video on these devices and for some non- broadband participants this proposition strengthens the appeal of broadband. A few non- broadband participants claim that they would take up broadband if BBC Local Video was available.

Participants are impressed by the quality of the offer on a mobile phone and believe that this medium will be used by people who have busy lives. However, for many the current cost of accessing the internet via the mobile phone is prohibitive.

Some participants (broadband and non-broadband) are concerned about the lack of access to BBC Local Video to those without a suitable mobile phone or broadband access. Whilst the proposition is perceived to be beneficial some are concerned that some people will be excluded from accessing BBC Local Video due to cost (mainly) and signal (some rural areas).

3.4 Final votes

At the end of each workshop, participants were asked to vote ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to whether the BBC should go ahead with BBC Local Video. They were asked to vote in two separate ways, personally and as citizens. In all locations the results were compellingly in favour with a total of 108 ‘yes’ votes as individuals and 116 as citizens. In Chelmsford the vote was unanimously in favour in both votes. One person in Cheddar was not sure about the citizen value. Voting totals

Location Personally Citizens Yes No Yes No BB NBB BB NBB BB NBB BB NBB Manchester 15 n/a 6 n/a 20 n/a 1 n/a Cheddar 19 n/a 1 n/a 18 n/a 1 n/a Llanelli 11 5 0 5 11 9 0 1 Sheffield 10 10 0 0 9 10 1 0 Aberdeen 9 9 1 0 10 9 0 0 Chelmsford 10 10 0 0 10 10 0 0 Sub-totals 74 34 8 5 78 38 3 1 TOTALS 108 13 116 + 1 not sure 4 1 person in Cheddar was 'not sure' about the citizen value

Reasons given for voting ‘yes’ as citizens were wide-ranging around value to communities, wealth of information and progressiveness, of which these are just a selection:

“This service should have something for every section of the community.” Sheffield, non-broadband

“Eventually everyone will be able to access such sites. Schools, at work & libraries.” Manchester

“A great tool to inform communities.” Llanelli, broadband

And personally:

“Allows me to choose what local news I watch.” Cheddar, broadband

“It creates different opinions on everyday matters.” Sheffield, non-broadband

Personal reasons giving for ‘no’ votes were primarily to do with cost and lack of provision (especially for non-broadband) and lack of time. When it came to voting as citizens, some of those participants who had voted against the proposition on a personal level, felt that it should nevertheless be introduced for the wider population. Only four people in total voted against introducing BBC Local Video and reasons given were mainly around there being enough local news sources already.

4. Conclusions and recommendations

Most participants think that the BBC should launch BBC Local Video, both from a personal and a citizen point of view. Many participants believe that they and/or members of their household would use the service. Many also believe there is a citizen benefit from enabling people to become better informed about and involved in their local area.

The BBC Local Video proposal supports the BBC's strategy and purposes and is perceived to be a worthwhile addition to the BBC's product portfolio.

The main drawback in the proposition is the lack of universal access to BBC Local Video to people who do not have broadband. However, many participants, even those without broadband currently, did appreciate the progressive nature of this new proposition and its benefit in a future setting.

If BBC Local Video is launched, we recommend that the following aspects are taken into consideration in order to maximise its impact

1. It is perceived to be essential to exercise strong editorial control over the content sent in by members of the public to ensure it adds value. 2. The concept of digital democracy is a very strong potential aspect of the proposition, it is therefore essential that the journalists truly hold local decision makers to account. 3. It is perceived to be very important to engage young people with local news and it is therefore important that BBC Local Video delivers items which are of interest to young people and provides help to young people to make their own films. 4. BBC Local Video needs to be widely publicised to ensure that people are aware of it. 5. There should be a balance of good and bad news stories in each area (currently most of the news on the regional bulletins is perceived to be bad news). 6. The BBC could have a place on the website which invites the public to make their suggestions for news stories which should be covered by the journalists and journalists themselves should be in touch with the local area.

5. Appendix

Workshop agenda

PUBLIC VALUE ASSESSMENT OF BBC LOCAL VIDEO

January/February 2008 Workshop Agenda

OVERALL OBECTIVES OF THE WORKSHOP

§ To apply the public value assessment criteria to determine whether the public think the BBC should launch BBC Local with video journalism

INTRODUCTION IN PLENARY Timings 9.30-10.00 ARRIVAL AND REGISTRATION § Participant badges and groups allocated Pre-questionnaire § Fill in pre-questionnaire (attitudes to the BBC local service) § Tea/ Coffee served 10.00-10.15 WELCOME § Welcome and aims of the research from Opinion Leader (also give an explanation of the role of this research in the context of other evidence gathering i.e. competitive audit) § OLR provide information on housekeeping, rules and agenda Ask participants to think as citizens as well as individuals

BREAKOUT GROUPS 10.15-10.45 Working separately in 2 mixed groups:

OBJECTIVE: CONTEXT SETTING – CURRENT USAGE/ATTITUDES TO LOCAL NEWS AND THE BBC LOCAL WEBSITES

Introductions (5 mins)

§ Ask participant to provide:

ú Name, occupation, something interesting about themselves or something they would like to do if had more spare time

Context setting (25 mins)

§ What do you consider to be your local area?

§ If you were developing a new news service which area would you want it to cover?

§ How interested are you in local news?

§ Where do you go to for local news? (probe if not mentioned: local TV, local radio, local newspapers, local websites, national websites)

§ How well do you think local news is covered (probe for TV, radio,

newspapers, on-line, video usage)

Reactions to the BBC's EXISTING LOCAL WEBSITE

ú Spontaneous reactions to the site - likes/dislikes

ú How well do you believe this site caters for your interests and concerns in its coverage of your area?

ú How well do you believe this site caters for the needs and concerns of everyone in your community in its coverage of your area?

ú How well do you feel the site covers local news, sport, traffic, weather and community issues

ú Is there anything that you would change or improve about this site?

PLENARY SESSION 10.45 – 10.50 BBC representative to explain about the current news provision in

each area (2-3 mins) § BBC Presentation Show area map showing current area covered by local news § DVD clips Show the clips of 2 news stories which BBC covered in their area in the last week

BREAK OUT GROUPS

10.50 - 11.05 § How well do you believe the BBC caters for your interests and concerns in its coverage of your area?

§ How well do you feel the BBC caters for the interests and concerns of everyone in your community in its coverage of your area?

§ Is there anything you would change or improve about the coverage of local news in your area? 11.05 - 11.20 MORNING BREAK

PLENARY 11.20 - 11.55 BBC representative to give a demonstration of BBC Local (15 min demonstration of the main features and explaining the difference between the service with/without the video journalism aspect)

Show map of BBC Local area for each location

Play additional examples of video journalism specific for each location

BBC representative to explain the trials which the BBC is considering for local areas in the future (2-3 mins)

BBC representative to explain the benefits of the additional video journalism element (including the wider benefits in enriching the local/national news coverage)

BBC representative to demonstrate video streaming technology on a mobile phone and explain that the service could be accessed via a mobile phone in future

IN WALES EXPLAIN THAT THE VIDEO SERVICE COULD BE AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH AND WELSH

Q&A session about the service

REACTIONS TO BBC LOCAL VIDEO SERVICE 11.55 – 12.25 § Silent brainstorm – participants will all be given post-it notes and asked to individually write down words to describe the BBC Local Video service (one word per post it). Participants will then be asked Post it notes and to stick all of their words onto a flipchart, placing words next to others flipchart paper which have a similar theme. The brainstorm will then be used to frame the discussion about BBC Local Video

§ Moderator to select the most common themes and probe for reasons underlying the comments

§ Rating – Participants to individually rate the service out of 10

§ Discuss, with reasons for ratings:

ú What do you particularly like about it?

ú Do you have any reservations?

§ List out pros and cons on flipchart 12.25 - 12.30 PLENARY - EXPLAIN THE NEED TO THINK AS CITIZENS IN EVALUATING THE BBC LOCAL VIDEO SERVICE 12.30 – 13.15 OBJECTIVE: EVALUATING BBC LOCAL VIDEO PVA CRITERIA Factsheet 1 Hand out on the PVA framework and read out, explaining the process

Explain the need to think as citizens in evaluating BBC Local Video Handout on key i.e. representing all licence fee payers rather than thinking as an features of BBC individual - For example CBBC (children's channel) may benefit all Local including licence fee payers but not have any personal benefit to adult maps viewers. (Factsheets 2a, 2b and 2c) Run through the areas below, covering off questions that have not already been asked

Give out handout on the key features of BBC Local with/without the video

EXPLAIN THAT WE ARE GOING TO ASK THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS BASED ON THE SERVICE WITH THE VIDEO

Quality

§ Is this what you would expect from the BBC?

§ What are the aspects which make you think it is from the BBC?

§ Are there aspects of the site which are higher or lower quality than you would expect from the BBC?

Handout on § Is there anything that does not fit with what you expect from the news stories BBC?

§ How does the quality of the coverage compare to other BBC output?

Give out handout showing examples of potential stories which could be covered by BBC Local Video in their area

ú Does it cover the types of stories that interest you?

ú If not - what types of stories/features would be of interest?

ú What do you think about the general public being able to upload their stories?

- Does this affect the quality of the content?

ú What do you think about the number of stories each day in your area (up to - ten new local news stories, ten new local sports stories, three new local weather forecasts and three new local travel/traffic stories)

§ How would you describe the tone of the site compared to other BBC sites?

ú How appropriate do you think this tone is for the local BBC website?

Reach

§ Who do you think will use the BBC Local service?

§ Will this broaden or shrink the size of the audience who access local news and community information?

§ Do you think you would use this service?

§ How often do you think you will use the service? Daily/weekly/less often?

§ Where do you think you would access the service - work/home/both

§ How long do you think you would use the service for each visit?

§ Do you think using the service will affect the other ways which you currently find out about news (TV, Radio, Internet, Newspapers etc)

§ What effect do you think being available to access the service on a mobile phone handset will have on the amount of people using the service?

Distinctiveness

§ How similar or different is this service from the current where I live site?

§ What makes it similar/different? Probe: target audience, tone, content, (e.g. video content) functionality (e.g. map to define your area), Links to the national site and national news stories

§ Does it stand out from other news coverage on other websites?

§ Is it similar/different from other local internet services at the moment?

§ Is it similar/different from other local newspaper websites (some have video stories)?

§ What makes it stand out?

§ Would being available on mobile phones in the future have any effect on how different or distinct the service is?

Impact

§ What effect do you think this service would have on the local community?

§ Would the service change the way that you feel about your community?

§ Would you feel more/less connected with what is going on locally?

§ To what extent could it support local democracy, e.g. people becoming more engaged and involved in local politics?

§ What effect (if any) do you think that people making their own content for the website will be (pictures/video content)? (could it make people more media literate?)

§ What would the effect be of a BBC producer helping local people to make films – would this add a new perspective to debates about some local issues?

§ Would this change the way you find out about local news?

§ What impact do you think the service will have on the regional/national coverage of the news in your area?

§ Could this service affect decisions on whether to get broadband access?

Overall

§ IN WALES ONLY - what effect would the service being available in Welsh have?

§ If you were in charge of providing BBC Local for your area

ú What would you change?

ú What would you keep? 13.15 - 13.50 LUNCH 13.50 – 14.15 HAND OUT SELF COMPLETION EXERCISE ON VALUE FOR MONEY FOR SOME OF THE MAIN BBC SERVICES AND BBC LOCAL VIDEO Handout on BBC local comparing Hand out worksheet 1a, ask participants to imagine that they no the service with longer had to pay the licence fee, and then decide how much each and without the service is worth to their household? video content § How did you decide how much each service was worth? Worksheet 1a § What did you take into consideration?

§ How much did you think the BBC Local Video service is worth?

§ Why do you think this?

§ Why did you not think it was worth more/less?

§ Is there anything that would have to change in order for you to think this service is worth more?

Hand out worksheet 1b and ask participants to repeat the exercise Worksheet 1b from the point of view of society as a whole. ASK PARTICIPANTS TO

THINK ABOUT HOW MUCH THE SERVICE IS WORTH TO SOCIETY

NOT HOW MUCH IT COSTS

§ What changes (if any) are there in how much you think each service is worth?

§ How much do you think the BBC Local Video service is worth to society as a whole?

§ Is the amount you think the BBC Local Video service is worth to society as a whole more or less than how much you think it is worth to your household?

Factsheet 3 Give out information on how much each group of services actually costs and the costs of other services (factsheet 3) Flipchart paper § Do you find any of these figures surprising?

§ What do you think about the cost of providing the BBC Local Video service? Probe: is it good/poor value for money? Why?

§ Should there be more local video content, costing more money, or should there be less local video content for less money or is the amount of video content about right? Why?

Flipchart a summary of responses to the BBC Local Video service:

§ Positives

§ Negatives

Cover off value for money, impact on users, distinctiveness and quality.

Identify one representative to present back the opinions of the group during plenary

PLENARY

14.15 – 14.25 Each group to present their responses to the BBC Local Video service

OLR to analyse comments

BBC to comment on the responses

Presentation on BBC's Strategy and Purpose

BREAKOUT GROUPS

OBJECTIVE – TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE BBC LOCAL VIDEO

SERVICE FITS WITH THE BBC’S STRATEGY AND PURPOSE 14.25- 15.05 Give out a handouts explaining the BBC’s public purposes (4a & 4b) Factsheets 4a & 4b Participants to work in pairs, each pair to take one value and discuss (one pair to discuss 2):

§ To what extent (if at all) does the BBC Local Video service support or detract from this goal?

§ What are the challenges faced by the service in achieving this goal? Flipchart paper § Are there any changes to the service which would increase its ability to fulfil this goal?

§ IN WALES ONLY - what effect would the service being available in Welsh on the ability to achieve the BBC's strategy and purpose?

§ To what extent does the addition of video content/journalism affect the ability to achieve this goal

Pairs to present back

Discuss with group

§ Anything further to add?

BREAKOUT GROUPS

15.05-15.35 OBJECTIVE – SHOULD THE BBC LAUNCH THE BBC LOCAL VIDEO SERVICE?

Each group will be split into two with one group being asked to prepare the case for the defence of BBC Local with video journalism and one group to prepare the case for the prosecution i.e. to not go ahead with the service Flipchart paper with video journalism. Participants will be asked to consider all of the information and debate they have heard today and use the criteria of: fit with BBC’s strategy and purpose, value for money, impact on users, distinctiveness, and quality.

Create a flipchart presentation to present back in plenary

§ Most compelling arguments for

§ Most compelling arguments against

NB Ask participants to take 2 post-it notes and a pen into the plenary session

PLENARY

15.35 – 16.00 Each group to present back the most important arguments for and against

Order of voting to rotate at each venue

Vote 1

§ Thinking as citizens, should the BBC provide the BBC Local service with video/video journalism (in English and in Welsh for Wales)? (participants to write on the post it the main reason why/why not)

§ Discuss votes and main reasons why and why not

Vote 2

§ Thinking personally, should the BBC provide the BBC Local service with video/video journalism (in English and in Welsh for Wales)? (participants to write on the post it the main reason why/why not)

§ Discuss votes and main reasons why and why not

BBC to explain how the debate will inform the decision about the BBC Local service

OLR to thank participants for their contribution and hand out post workshop questionnaire and incentives

Introductory presentation

Why are we here?

• To conduct a Public Value Test(PVT)on a potential new service from the BBC – BBCLocal – Web based service providing local news, sport, weather and community material – Demonstration provided by BBC • A PVT is carried out before the BBC alters its public services to help ensure the service: – upholds the interests of license fee payers – supports the BBC’s public purposes (e.g. promoting education and learning)

2 How does the Public Value Test work?

Guidelines

• Make time for everyone to contribute • Respect the opinions of others • Let everyone speak • No right or wrong answers • Mobiles silent (if possible) • Take a break when you need one • Citizens and licence fee payers 4

Agenda • Table discussion on current news/community provision • Demonstration of the BBC Local service • Initial discussion about the BBC Local service • Evaluating the service against the Public Value criteria • Lunch • Evaluation of the service against the BBC’s Strategy and Purpose • Views and voting on whether the BBC should introduce the BBC Local service • Next steps 5

Factsheet examples

Fact sheet 1

THE PUBLIC VALUE TEST

The BBC recognises that all of its public service activities must provide value to the public and licence fee payers. However, it is also important that these activities are consistent with a vibrant and dynamic commercial sector. The Public Value Test (PVT) is a robust and transparent tool designed to ensure that changes to BBC UK Public Services balance these two factors. For all significant changes to UK Public Services, the BBC Trustees will use the PVT to weigh up the positive public value created against any possible impact on the market. For every new service from the BBC carries out a public value assessment (PVA) to make sure that positive public value is being created. The PVA asks five questions of any new service:

Does the proposal compliment and contribute to the BBC’s public purposes? Is the new proposal of high quality; is it distinctive? Will the new service be valued by licence fee payers as consumers, and as citizens? Will enough people use the service? How much will the service cost to deliver and will it provide value for money?

FACTSHEET 2a BBC LOCAL (without local video) - KEY FEATURES

· BBC Local divides the UK into 60 areas. The local areas are much more local than the regional and national television areas and in England are typically the areas we already serve with BBC Local Radio The catchment area for your local area is

· The main news stories in your city or area - updated round the clock - linked in with the rest of the BBC's online news - the top stories from your area including limited video footage - meet strict BBC guidelines to achieve the highest quality and accuracy. - a map to help you find the stories that are most local to you.

· Links to local newspaper websites for those users who want to seek out stories that are even more local.

· The main local sports stories - integrated into the rest of the BBC's sports service. For example football fans will be able to access all that the BBC has to offer on their favourite club, both locally and nationally.

· The latest weather forecast, a lookahead for the next three to five days.

· The latest travel news, with maps and a chance to check conditions through a network of "jamcams". Soon to include other features like average running speeds and motorway message boards.

· Things to do. A "trusted guide" to what's going on, by linking to websites that provide listings, entertainment, reviews as well as the local theatres and cinemas.

· Your pictures, your thoughts, local debate and your films.

- local people have been helped to make films under the Video Nation brand and we intend to use "community producers" to continue to expand this work. - use maps to see what local people are saying and doing

· A way to get the local benefits out of big BBC projects and programmes. So the film that Coast made in your area, and the walks they recommended. Or the animals that Springwatch have found in your area and tips on how to see them. History, nature and local arts.

· Big local moments – 'Hogmanay Fireball Ceremony' Stonehaven

· BBC Local plays a crucial role in a crisis. At times of civil emergency we will focus all our efforts on getting information out. Many of our sites played a critical role in the floods of 2007. So the Gloucestershire site became the place to find the location of water bowsers.

FACTSHEET 2b BBC LOCAL (with local video) - KEY FEATURES

The service with local video will incorporate everything on Factsheet 2a (without local video). In addition, there will be a considerable increase in the amount of video that you will be able to watch either on the computer or on the move on your mobile phone.

The key aspects of investing in local video are:

· A small team of videojournalists will be based out of each of the 60 centres, filming and editing their own items rather than working in the more expensive two or three person teams often used for news programmes.

· We will offer as many as 12 films from across the county to be available via a map, showcasing the best stories and the best pictures alongside our radio and written stories, allowing you to catch up with the "television news" when you want.

· A short news bulletin would also be provided allowing viewers to see the main illustrated headlines from the last 24 hours. This would typically be two or three minutes long and will be ideal for use on mobile phones and other devices as mobile viewing of video grows. It will include film of the main breaking stories.

· Our video will also be inserted into written stories - so you will be able to read a story but then see the most relevant pictures or interviews. So, in a flooding story, we could carry the latest information from the Environment Agency alongside a film clip of the floodwaters.

· The team will have a special responsibility for improving "digital democracy". This is about investigating local councils and decision-makers. To include areas such as local school closures, big planning applications, recycling and rubbish collections. - In our trial in the West Midlands local MPs were put "on the spot" with a filmed report in which constituents' questions were put to them on video. Some of the highest audience figures recorded were when we offered film from each council during the local elections.

· The extra films will improve the way North East Scotland is represented by the rest of the BBC. News programme makers at both the regional, national and UK level will have more items from North East Scotland to choose from. When we carried out our trial in the West Midlands, more local stories appeared on News 24 and the national news bulletins.

· More depth and breadth of sports coverage. In football coverage it will allow us to show more action (the BBC has online rights for the Football League from next year) and more analysis through extended interviews. It will give us room to cover in film the kind of sports that are squeezed out on the radio and television.

· Our investment in video will also allow us to offer a weather forecast for North East Scotland alone. So someone we hope you’ll recognise and trust will lead you through the forecast. This will be regularly updated and again be ideal for use on phones and other mobile devices in the future.

· Our evidence from the trial of such a service in the West Midlands is that it attracted a significant number of people who are under 35. We hope this investment will not only provide an enhanced service for current news viewers, but also attract a younger generation into the world of news

Worksheet 1a

HOW MUCH ARE BBC SERVICES WORTH TO YOU?

Imagine that you no longer had to pay the BBC Licence fee. How much would the following services be worth to your household per month? Write down what you think each of these packages is worth to your household per month?

BBC ONE

BBC TWO

BBC DIGITAL TV CHANNELS (BBC THREE, BBC FOUR, CBBC, CBEEBIES)

BBC NATIONAL RADIO (RADIO ONE, RADIO TWO, RADIO THREE, RADIO 4, RADIO 5LIVE

BBC LOCAL RADIO

NEWS 24

BBC LOCAL VIDEO SERVICE (IN 60 AREAS ACROSS THE UK)

Worksheet 1b

HOW MUCH ARE BBC SERVICES WORTH TO THE UK AS A WHOLE? Imagine that you no longer had to pay the BBC Licence Fee. How much would the following services be worth to society as a whole per month? Write down what you think each of these packages is worth to the average household per month?

BBC ONE

BBC TWO

BBC DIGITAL TV CHANNELS (BBC THREE, BBC FOUR, CBBC, CBEEBIES

BBC NATIONAL RADIO (RADIO ONE, RADIO TWO, RADIO THREE, RADIO 4, RADIO 5LIVE

BBC LOCAL RADIO

NEWS 24

BBC LOCALVIDEO SERVICE (IN 60 AREAS ACROSS THE UK)

Fact sheet 3 HOW MUCH BBC SERVICES ACTUALLY COST EACH HOUSEHOLD PER MONTH? SPEND IN 2006/7

BBC ONE £ 4.70

BBC TWO £ 1.83

BBC DIGITAL TV CHANNELS £ .86 (86P) (BBC THREE, BBC FOUR, CBBC, CBEEBIES)

BBC NATIONAL RADIO £ 1.05 (RADIO ONE, RADIO TWO, RADIO THREE, RADIO 4, RADIO 5LIVE

BBC LOCAL RADIO £.70 (70P)

NEWS 24 £ 0.18 (18P)

BBC LOCAL VIDEO SERVICE (IN 60 AREAS ACROSS THE UK) £ 0.07 (7P)

Fact sheet 4a

CREATING PUBLIC VALUE

The BBC aims to create ‘public value’ by serving people both as ‘individuals’ and as ‘citizens’:

§ For people as individuals, the BBC aims to provide a range of services that ‘inform, educate and entertain’: that people enjoy and value for what they are.

§ For people in their role as ‘citizens’, the BBC seeks to offer additional benefits. It aims to contribute to the wider well-being of society, through its contribution to the UK’s democracy, culture, quality of life and respect between different communities.

55 Fact sheet 4b

THE BBC AIMS TO CREATES PUBLIC VALUE IN SIX MAIN WAYS:

1. Sustaining citizenship and civil society:

§ The BBC supports civic life and national debate by providing trusted and impartial news and information that helps citizens make sense of the world and encourages them to engage with it.

2. Promoting education and learning:

§ By offering audiences of every age a world of formal and informal educational opportunity in every medium, the BBC helps build a society strong in knowledge and skills.

3. Stimulating creativity and cultural excellence:

§ The BBC enriches the UK's cultural life by bringing talent and audiences together to break new ground, to celebrate our cultural heritage, and to broaden the national conversation.

4. Reflecting the UK's nations, regions and communities:

§ By enabling the UK's many communities to see what they hold in common and how they differ, the BBC seeks to build social cohesion and tolerance through greater understanding. This is an area licence fee payers think the BBC could improve its performance.

5. Bringing the UK to the world and the world to the UK:

§ The BBC supports the UK's global role by being the world's most trusted provider of international news and information, and by showcasing the best of British culture to a global audience.

6. Helping to deliver to the public the benefit of emerging communications technologies and services and, taking a role in the switchover to digital television.

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Questionnaires

BBC Local research

Pre-Workshop Questionnaire

Name ______

Location ______

We are interested in understanding your views on a new internet service which may be launched by the BBC. We would be grateful if you could help us by completing this questionnaire.

Q1. Which of the following best describes your current life stage? (tick 1 box)

Single

Married/cohabiting without children

Parent with children at home Parent with children who have left home

Retired

Q2. How many people live in your household?

One

Two

Three Four

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Five or more

Q3. How long have you lived in the Aberdeen area?

Less than 1 year

2-5 years

6-10 years 11-20 years

More than 20 years

Q4. Based on your experience, please indicate the degree to which you agree or disagree with the following statements by giving a score between 1-10 where 1 is strongly disagree and 10 is strongly agree. PLEASE GIVE A SCORE SCORE OUT OF 10 BETWEEN 1-10 WHERE 1 IS STRONGLY DISAGREE AND 10 IS STRONGLY AGREE a. I am very interested in local news b. The BBC responds to my needs and interests in the coverage of my area c. The BBC responds to the needs and interests of most of the people in my community d. There is a need for more local news content in my area e. I would be interested in accessing a more local new news internet service provided by the BBC

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Q5. Please tick in below all of the places that you currently go to for local news

a) Reporting Scotland b) STV North News c) Local newspapers d) Websites e) Local commercial radio f) BBC Radio Scotland Northsound 1, Northsound 2, Waves Radio

g) Other (write in) ______

Q6. Please tick your Main source of local news

b) Reporting Scotland b) STV North News c) Local newspapers d) Websites e) Local commercial radio f) BBC Radio Scotland Northsound 1, Northsound 2, Waves Radio

g) Other (write in) ______

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BBC Local research

Post-Workshop Questionnaire 1

Name ______

Location ______

We are interested in understanding your views on the BBC Local with video service after discussing this today. We would be grateful if you could help us by completing this questionnaire so that we can find out your views.

Q1. Thinking about the BBC Local service, please indicate the degree to which you agree or disagree with the following statements by giving a score between 1-10 where 1 is strongly disagree and 10 is strongly agree.

PLEASE GIVE A SCORE BETWEEN 1-10 WHERE 1 IS SCORE OUT OF 10 STRONGLY DISAGREE AND 10 IS STRONGLY AGREE a. I think that the BBC should develop the BBC local service with the video element b. I think the BBC Local service is poor quality c. I think the BBC Local service with video will reach a wider audience than the current BBC website service d. I think the BBC Local service with video is very different from the current non-BBC websites available e. I do not think BBC Local service with video would make much difference to the way I feel about my local community f. The BBC Local service with video represents good value for money g. The BBC Local service does not fit with the BBC’s strategy and purpose

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BBC Local research

Post-Workshop Questionnaire 2

Name ______

Location ______

We are interested in understanding your views on the Workshop you attended today. We would be grateful if you could help us by completing this questionnaire so that we can find out your views.

Q1. Thinking about your experience of the workshop, please indicate the degree to which you agree or disagree with the following statements by giving a score between 1-10 where 1 is strongly disagree and 10 is strongly agree.

PLEASE GIVE A SCORE BETWEEN 1-10 SCORE OUT OF 10 WHERE 1 IS STRONGLY DISAGREE AND 10 IS STRONGLY AGREE a. I enjoyed taking part in the event b. There was not enough time to fully discuss the issues properly c. The event was well organised and structured d. The information that was given to me was fair and balanced e. The event was run in an unbiased way f. I think events like this are a good way of consulting the public about services g. I have learned a lot from today’s event

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Q2. How would you describe the Workshop you have just taken part in? Please tick all that apply

c) Interesting e) Boring d) Enjoyable f) Confusing e) Easy g) Informative f) Important h) Hard work

Q3. Do you have any additional comments?

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