Discover the TV channel that’s all about community spirit
Alex Kann explains how this Freeview channel is a little bit different from all the others.
IN 2004, Sky and the BBC put their weight behind a little-known Freeview channel called Community TV that sought to bring uplifting stories to the public and inspire them to get out into their communities.
Soon they were joined by ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5, with MTV and Disney pledging help in 2006.
The station became the place to see stories of local folks doing good in their area, and with a roster of diverse programmes from charities like UNICEF, Water Aid, Mary’s Meals and more, the station built a reputation for itself as the home of conscientious entertainment.
Now Community TV is becoming Together TV, and Chief Executive Alex Kann talked to us about what has changed.
“In 2016 we became the world’s first national broadcaster owned by its viewers and supporters.”
But it’s still vital that when their programmes inspire, they give viewers the means to act on it.
“If you watch one of our TV shows, there’s a message after each programme saying, for example, if you like this show about gardening, why not get involved with, say, the ‘Growing Well’ campaign, which helps folk with mental health issues reap the benefits of gardening.”
With such inspirational intentions, we were surprised we hadn’t heard of it before here in the “Friend” office.
Is it hard to get your name out there in a growing world of digital channels?
“When we launched as Community Channel on Freeview, Sky was very different, and there were maybe twenty channels on Freeview.
“Now there are over eighty. That’s why we wanted to move away from the existing name to be clear about our proposition.”
Did you know that the digital programme guide on your TV has a massive impact on what channels are watched?
Alex explains that the higher up the channel is on the list, the more viewers it gets, which is a challenge for Together TV, on Freeview channel 93. But they’ve got help from their big brothers and sisters!
“We have our launch promo film going out on Together, but also across Channel 4, Discovery Channel, Channel 5, MTV and Comedy Central, Lifetime, Crime And Investigation and Turner Classic Movies!”
All these channels have offered space on their network for free to promote this well-intentioned station, and Alex tells me that the “The Times” and “The Sun” newspapers are also giving them advertising space.
Digitally, Facebook and Google are giving them space, as well, such is the media industry’s belief in what they’re aiming to do.
On top of this, Together TV and its predecessor, Community Channel, helped a lot of people get their first jobs in what is a very difficult industry to break into.
“So many people had their start here, it’s unbelievable! They worked on our programming, scheduling or marketing and trained up to go into the industry.
“It’s a lovely thing to see and to know that we are an approachable, friendly channel and we don’t have the barriers that some of the bigger broadcasters do.
“People write to us and if they are willing, keen, can put the time in and are up for learning then we can help.”
Alex talks about some of the other work they’ve done that he is particularly proud of.
“We ran a three-year campaign called ‘Do Something Brilliant’. We suggested little things to do – they had to be practical and fairly local to be relevant to people.
“Viewers really responded to ideas like filling up a rucksack of food for a food bank, joining the local community radio station or getting involved in the local Give Blood campaign.
“We had feedback saying the programme was great.
“Ultimately, the dream is for people to start their own thing or start running local groups. The way we’ve modelled the channel is as if it is a local community centre. It’s a hive of different interests.
“It’s trying to turn what we do into a way that people will think about how they engage in their community, then people can go and get involved. That’s what we’re going for!”