Reposted from The Guardian
The public are being offered the chance to buy into and shape a UK TV channel as part of a crowdsourced share scheme designed to create the first “channel owned by the people for the people”. The Community Channel, currently run by the Media Trust, is trying to raise £300,000 by offering tiers of membership through crowdfunding platform Crowdfunder and become a community society owned by backers.
Founded 16 years ago with help from Sky, the channel broadcasts programmes focused on community projects and charitable activity across the UK. It is watched by at least 1 million people a month, but Media Trust chief executive and channel founder Caroline Deihl said the funding would help make up a shortfall to keep broadcasting and make digital investments.
“This is a really exciting opportunity to broaden the supporter base of the channel,” she said. “It’s a minimum we’d need to be able to invest in taking the channel to the next stage. What’s amazing is that it costs us less than £800,000 a year. It’s less than 10p per viewer a year, which is pretty good going. But we know our impact could be so much bigger if we had enough funds.”
Backers can put in anything from £50 for a basic membership to £50,000 to become a 'founder', who will become a "sole guest curator of a major season on the channel”. It is open to anyone, including charities, film-makers, media organisations and members of the public. Though many of those putting in more substantial sums will be given a significant say in shaping shows, the channel’s board will retain overall editorial control and all programming will follow regulations laid down by Ofcom.
Diehl said the new structure would make the Community Channel the “the first ever channel owned by the people for the people”.
“That phrase came to me from a lady who is a project worker on a really rundown community estate in north-west London. She said "It’s the only channel for the people by the people. It inspires me and makes me realise I am not alone".
Regardless of their investment, Each backer receives one vote to choose three directors picked from the backers who will make up a sizeable minority of the channel’s new board. Most of the remaining directorships will be taken by members of the Media Trust and broadcasters who back it with services to the tune of around £3.5m a year, along with up to three posts chosen by the board for their experience and skills.
To find out more and become a backer, visit crowdfunder.co.uk/community-channel
