Garry Nelson's teacher
Well-known member
This launched last night and was more damp squib than space rocket. However, early days yet.
My initial impressions - and in fairness I don't think I was ever likely to be in their target market - are
- Andrew Neil has got to do a lot of the heavy lifting as he's the only heavyweight they've got
- they are very studio based and rely on their presenters generating viewer interest and loyalty. They are (to put it as kindly as I can) an eclectic mix
- they make a big play of being outside the London media bubble (er, the Beeb is now in Salford, guys), but have they got the resource to develop regional content that will engage anyone outside the region being looked at (e.g they have a 'Yorkshire' correspondent)
- it's hard to see the target market market (Red Wall?), as I suspect much of the target market isn't that interested in the news (if they are the silent majority perhaps it's because they aren't much engaged and never will be or want to be)
- there will be resource issues in that they will never have the reach of the BBC or Sky News; they can't and don't want to be a rolling news service and that leaves an awful lot of space to fill with talking heads (not sure how they will get sports coverage)
- the obsession with being anti-woke/proud to be British will only get them so far (and I'm not convinced that their voices have been hitherto unheard as many of their presenters crop up on the BBC and Sky). And when did good (upbeat) news sell more papers than bad?
- the could drive ratings by being Fox-type ranters but they don't want to and they are not allowed to (thank goodness)
- the more controversial they get, the more they risk upsetting advertisers
It's a ratings game ultimately. If they get the numbers, they get the advertisers. I don't think they'll get the numbers but we'll see.
Given that there must be some NSCers who are sympathetic to their cause (if our very own Bear Pit is any evidence), so any views, or even viewers?
My initial impressions - and in fairness I don't think I was ever likely to be in their target market - are
- Andrew Neil has got to do a lot of the heavy lifting as he's the only heavyweight they've got
- they are very studio based and rely on their presenters generating viewer interest and loyalty. They are (to put it as kindly as I can) an eclectic mix
- they make a big play of being outside the London media bubble (er, the Beeb is now in Salford, guys), but have they got the resource to develop regional content that will engage anyone outside the region being looked at (e.g they have a 'Yorkshire' correspondent)
- it's hard to see the target market market (Red Wall?), as I suspect much of the target market isn't that interested in the news (if they are the silent majority perhaps it's because they aren't much engaged and never will be or want to be)
- there will be resource issues in that they will never have the reach of the BBC or Sky News; they can't and don't want to be a rolling news service and that leaves an awful lot of space to fill with talking heads (not sure how they will get sports coverage)
- the obsession with being anti-woke/proud to be British will only get them so far (and I'm not convinced that their voices have been hitherto unheard as many of their presenters crop up on the BBC and Sky). And when did good (upbeat) news sell more papers than bad?
- the could drive ratings by being Fox-type ranters but they don't want to and they are not allowed to (thank goodness)
- the more controversial they get, the more they risk upsetting advertisers
It's a ratings game ultimately. If they get the numbers, they get the advertisers. I don't think they'll get the numbers but we'll see.
Given that there must be some NSCers who are sympathetic to their cause (if our very own Bear Pit is any evidence), so any views, or even viewers?
