Carmarthenshire Council plans to launch a new internet TV channel.
The news comes just a week after the Newspaper Society, the body representing regional publishers, asked the Office of Fair trading to assess the impact of council publications on local papers.
The authority is considering running “Carmarthenshire TV” as a 12-month pilot project, funded by the Welsh Assembly Government.
The plans have met criticism from opposition councillors, concerned that taxpayers’ money could be better spent elsewhere and Plaid Cymru councillor Huw Lewis is worried that the station would simply be a “propaganda tool”.
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Today, the County Council said it has agreed in principle to look at adding video items to its website to make it a multimedia information platform.
“We are now in negotiation with a potential provider who would undertake the filming and host the video footage on our behalf.
“Funding for the project is being sourced but discussions are in early stages and no firm decision on the go ahead have been taken or any dates set.”
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The Council already publishes a bi-monthly magazine, Community News, but is planning to drop one issue to help fund Carmarthenshire TV’s initial running costs.
The first UK council TV service, Kent TV, was launched in 2007 and cost £200,000 to set up and a further £600,000 a year to run.
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