Solent TV

Infobox TV channel
dummy parameter=
name= Solent TV
logoalt=Solent TV logo
launch= October 31 2002
closed date= 24 May,2007 | owner=Island Volunteers Group
availability note= at time of closure
terr serv 1=Analogue
terr chan 1=Channel 54 (735.25 MHz) from Rowridge (Isle of Wight)
sat serv 1= Sky Digital
sat chan 1= Channel 219
cable serv 1=WightCable
cable chan 1=Basic Channel|

Solent TV was an independent not-for-profit television channel broadcasting on the Isle of Wight. It was transmitted from the Rowridge transmitter on the Isle of Wight on UHF channel 54 (735.25 MHz). It began broadcasting in October 2002 but ceased trading on 24 May,2007.

Launch onto Sky

After a false start in March 2006, the channel launched on the Sky satellite platform (ch 219) on 15 January,2007.

To enable the transition to Sky, Solent TV worked with Sony Broadcast and Broadcast Networks to upgrade Solent TV’s technical infrastructure by installing a turnkey solution to Digital and HD technology. The solution included a completely new Sony XDCAM HD camera system, allowing Solent TV to acquire all of their footage on this exciting new format; an HD-ready media server and media management system from Suitcase TV; a Miranda X-Station HD-ready playout system and the new Miranda Kaleido multiview system for playout. To link Solent TV to the Sky platform, a new Broadcast Networks H264 encoder system was used to provide the live link to Globecast, who in turn provided the uplink to Sky.

Until the Sky launch, the channel's content was streamed live in Windows Media format, as well as a collection of video on demand files such as the channel's news programme 'Solent Tonight'. Shortly after the Sky launch the live web stream ceased, and although the on-demand service continued, it was via Flash video format.

Website content and TV programming

The website carried a full [http://www.solent.tv/livenews.aspx news] and [http://www.solent.tv/sports.aspx sports] service for the Isle of Wight and provided RSS feeds for the same: [http://www.solent.tv/rssfeed.aspx?categoryid=1&title=Latest+Isle+of+Wight+News+Headlines RSS Latest News Headlines] and [http://www.solent.tv/rssfeed.aspx?categoryid=2&title=Latest+Isle+of+Wight+Sport+Headlines RSS Latest Sports Headlines] .

Its many Isle of Wight programmes included.

Solent Tonight - The nightly weekday news programme covering news, sport and weather on the Island.
Extra Extra - This weekly debate programme allowed members of the public to quiz Isle of Wight Council members and other leading figures on current Isle of Wight issues.
Hannam’s Half Hour - Well loved entertainment guru John Hannam was joined for chat and insight into the life of a long list of local guests including former leader of the IOW council Morris Barton, Shaw Taylor and Ray Allen.
Painting On Location - Professional Isle of Wight artist Frank Jacobs took local amateurs to one of the Island's beauty spots, guiding them to achieve the best from their passion for painting.
Destination Isle of Wight - Isle of Wight promotion to the rest of the UK and Europe as a great holiday destination.
Solent TV Local Pin Board - Local community information for the Isle of Wight. Promoting worthwhile causes and charities free of charge.
Big Al Unleashed - A very popular programme featuring a simulcast of a Isle of Wight Radio phone-in show hosted by Alex Dyke.

The TV station's web site was by 2007 getting over 350,000 unique visits every month, and it was said to receive millions of hits every month. However, these figures were the station's own claims and were never publicly backed up with data. In a BBC report following the station's closure, it was revealed the station claimed it had 70,000 peak time viewers at any one time, despite the company earlier in the year saying it could not produce viewing figures as it was not on BARB.

Criticism

Despite its success, Solent TV was not without its detractors. While its news coverage on the Isle of Wight was widely accepted as being very good and the station broadcast many local programmes, it often relied upon external popular entertainment programmes such as Futbol Mundial and classic films - and these types of programmes far outweighed those made on the Island. Its predecessor, TV 12, featured almost entirely Isle of Wight based programmes.

The station was also criticised for not employing any type of sales team. Despite its move to Sky Digital - which presented good advertising opportunities - very few Isle of Wight companies wanted to become involved and no real advertising campaign to attract potential sponsors was ever put forward. Many critics felt that the station concentrated too heavily on its news output and lost sight of its finances. The station's directors were also criticised for engaging in such a costly project on Sky without the necessary funds to maintain it. The company's publicly available bank details revealed it lost almost £1,000,000 in the 2006 financial year, more than double its losses in 2005.

Although Solent TV managers denied approaching Isle of Wight Council for a rumoured £100,000 to keep it running while a rescue package was sought, senior councillor David Pugh was a guest on IW Radio's Alex Dyke phone-in in the days after Solent went off the air. He stated on the record that the council had been approached by Solent TV seeking financial help but the request had been turned down, saying 'We are not here to bail out failed companies. Could you imagine the public backlash and the precedent that would set if we said yes?' He acknowledged that Council Leader Andy Sutton had written a letter of support for any potential investors, but no one was willing to step forward.

The company later acknowledged in a statement that it was searching for new investors but talks had failed.

In 2005, the company was involved in a public argument with Isle of Wight Radio over the reporting of a story involving Channel 4's Big Art programme. Solent TV had claimed an exclusive that Sandown had won the right for an art development to be built in the town as part of the Channel 4 show, while Isle of Wight Radio reported it hadn't, and that the programme makers were critical of Solent TV's reporting for giving Sandown residents false information. The two media organisations often mentioned each other in the public dispute, which was eventually resolved after Channel 4 confirmed Sandown had not won the art developmet.

On August 23 2007, it was announced the Charities Commission would be meeting with Isle of Wight MP Andrew Turner to discuss why the warning signs that Solent TV and parent company Island Volunteers were not acted on. Andrew Turner said he wanted to know if job losses could have been prevented, and if public money was misused due to the collapse. Fact|date=September 2007. At the time, Island Volunteers itself had been criticised for cutting other services so it could concentrate on Solent TV, including removing a service that offered free home improvements for elderly people.

In mid-September, an article in the Isle of Wight County Press revealed that Solent TV's parent company Island Volunteers had spent £2.3m over five years. Island MP Andrew Turner said his meeting with the Charities Commission had been productive, and an investigation was underway in how the money was spent and if public funds had been misused.

Earlier in the year, Solent TV director Linda Ovnik went on record stating that not 10p of public money had been spent on the station, despite the fact it was funded almost entirely from money from the government through grants to Island Volunteers.Fact|date=September 2007

Also in September, it was revealed several former Solent TV staff - who lost their jobs when the station went bust - successfully won a tribunal hearing for £17,000 claiming unfair dismissal.Fact|date=September 2007

Shutdown

At the start of 2007, the station was losing several thousand pounds a month but had said that it was on course to reduce its losses dramatically since its move to Sky and the dramatic increase in revenue should have taken it into profit by 2008. However, a statement on the Solent TV website on 24 May 2007 read:

:"Solent TV will stop broadcasting tonight Thursday 24 May 2007 as the company ceases trading because it’s insolvent.":"The channel, which started terrestrial transmissions on the Isle of Wight in October 2002, expanded across Europe on the Sky satellite network in January 2007. Financial problems four months later mean company directors have decided to shut down the TV station despite talks with potential investors. Solent TV’s sister organisations, Island Volunteers, Community Solutions and DV Media, are also ceasing to trade. All employees are being made redundant."

Solent TV's final programme was a shorter-than-normal edition of the local news programme, Solent Tonight.

The day after the company announced its closure, much of its new HD equipment was taken away by investors.

Critics pointed that the station first appeared to publicly be in financial trouble several months before the shutdown, when it announced it was introducing a dedicated national rate phone number. The station claimed it was receiving such a large number of calls, that its normal number could not cope. However, it was widely acknowledged the station received less or similar amounts of phone calls than other media organisations such as the Isle of Wight County Press and Isle of Wight Radio, which used normal rate numbers. The station denied it was to make money.

External links

* [http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid626918891/bclid627018259/bctid933081004 The final Solent Tonight programme] from 24 May 2007
* [http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/article/ds26800.html Article on Digital Spy - "Solent TV plans March launch on Sky"]
* [http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/article/ds29143.html Article on Digital Spy - "Solent TV abandons Sky launch plans"]
* [http://www.islandpulse.co.uk/b2/solent-tv-on-air-off-air-or-hot-air/ Island Pulse - Solent TV: On air, Off air or Hot air?]