With local journalism becoming an endangered species in recent years, Nottingham is very lucky to have Notts TV. Along with training our students to become broadcasters and journalists, the company has made their mark over the years in both modest and mighty ways. Here’s some of their best moments, according to Channel Manager Chris Breese…
1. Breaking the mould by going on air in 2014
This might seem an odd choice, but television at all levels is expensive and technically complex. It took a huge amount of work and goodwill to go on air, and the partnership between Confetti, Nottingham Trent University and NTV was committed and strong from the outset. While now part of NTU, the channel maintains editorial and structural independence and has not merged or grouped together with other local TV channels as others in the sector have. It still has a city centre newsroom and studio, and all the staff live locally. The fact Nottingham was able to create new jobs in television and media, and hold on to them, is important. We've also become a real pipeline for young reporters, TV producers, presenters and broadcast technicians who need a break in the industry before going on to jobs elsewhere. Hundreds of former Notts TV staff members and former placement students have gone on to work across the media. There are people who started here now at the BBC, ITV, Sky and production companies making high-level film and TV.
2. Bringing Splendour Festival to TV
Notts TV has been lucky enough to have a role in covering Splendour alongside Confetti since we first went on air, but it's fair to say our coverage has increased and improved massively over the years as the event has also expanded and grown. The Notts TV bus, where we interview artists, is a bit of a landmark and in 2023 Noel Gallagher's performance, and a short interview with Vicky McClure, was a real highlight. A lot of work goes in across Notts TV and Confetti in collaboration with organisers DHP to make the shows look and sound top-notch.
3. Roy Keane interview in 2018
In October 2018 we were secured an hour-long sit down with the former Forest and Manchester United legend. This was thanks to ex-Reds caretaker manager and former Notts County boss Charlie McParland, who is lead pundit on our Team Talk football chat show. At the time Roy had been out of the TV limelight for a while and hadn't done an interview in quite some time. So when he cropped up on Notts TV it caused a stir in the sports media and he was typically forthright. At the time some controversial players and Jose Mourinho were at United and millions of people connected with the club were interested in Roy's opinion. He was a gentleman with all the team behind the scenes and the interview attracted worldwide interest, helping to put Notts TV on the map.
4. Getting creatively ambitious with programmes like NTV Book Club and Rediscovering Notts
We try to be ambitious in every project - and not be afraid to try new things. In 2019 we began Notts TV Book Club - a culture show essentially about the love of reading in partnership with NTU. It's gone really well and we are now starting to take the show on the road - we recorded a show at the new Central Library. Elsewhere we've taken some big crews, including our professional team, Confetti and NTU students, on some ambitious shoots. One involved recreating a castle using special visual effects and drone footage. We essentially digitally raised a long-lost castle from the ground in a field in Laxton. Click here to watch the episode!
5. Helping people feel connected and informed during the pandemic
There was a big question mark over what local media should do during the early months of the pandemic - including to what extent we should stay on air. Thankfully we were able to still put out fresh news bulletins every single day right the way through, run breaking news online and on social media, and keep a full schedule going with a lot of careful planning and determination. Later on we were able to help by broadcasting church services for people who couldn't meet, including the city's main Remembrance Day service. We also got involved with a U3A group to create a series based on the idea of the educational talks they regularly put on for older people - this became the interview series NG30 - and also the Notts Nostalgia programme run by Paul Robey, and people watched these shows in big numbers. It helped people feel together and distracted at a really hard time.
6. Becoming home to the Local Democracy Reporting Service for Nottinghamshire in 2021
In 2021 Notts TV won a bid for BBC funding to employ and host a team of journalists who provide comprehensive coverage of local politics across Nottinghamshire. This is still ongoing and they've now published thousands of stories about local issues which are used for free by other local media providers. It's a source of independent truly local journalism which is motivated entirely by the public interest in a community sense.
7. Shining spotlights on unsung heroes down the years
Because we're so local, it means we're more likely to give time to organisations or people who might otherwise struggle to be heard or get coverage. Some examples include how we've followed the story of Cockleman Dave Bartram, covered the rise to the top of weightlifting of Bulwell's Emily Campbell, and broadcast full Nottingham Forest Women F.C. games - including the historic win over Derby County played at the City Ground and their Women's National League Cup win in April 2023.
8. Forest get promoted 2022
We sent a team to Wembley and then covered the homecoming/celebration in Market Square and it was wild. Seeing the impact promotion had on the city in general was amazing. We've got great sport, including County, Stags and the cricket. Forest going up was the icing in the cake for Reds fans. The way being in the Premier League has helped lift the city and put it in the spotlight can't be underestimated.
9. Giving a voice to families affected by the Nottingham maternity crisis
Running the Local Democracy Reporting Service means we have reporters who can spend time building relationships with local people and look into some issues in a lot of depth over a period of time. Anna Whittaker built trust with families who had lost children at Nottingham's hospitals and spoke to some who had pieced together an overall picture of poor care, going back a number of years. There is now an ongoing independent review - the largest ever seen in maternity care. As much as we're about celebrating Nottinghamshire, we have to be ready to ask difficult questions as part of our local journalism and listen to people who otherwise are not being heard properly.
10. Seeing the city unite and support the families following the Nottingham attacks in June 2023
This was an awful time and you really felt for everyone involved, yet we still had to go out and report on what was going on. The world's media briefly descended, and you realise of course that this is all playing out in a city not used to such terrible high-profile events. What followed was amazing to see - the bravery of the families in deciding to speak at the University of Nottingham and Old Market Square, and the thousands of people who came out and supported them as a city. It became a triumph of light and hope over darkness and tragedy. You can't imagine what the families went through and will continue to go through, but Nottingham stood up and supported them in a really inspiring way. It was like a community rediscovering what really matters.
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