Restricted Service Licences and Media Practice Education

Abstract

This paper outlines a unique project within the field of media-practice education. It focuses upon the integration of a local free-to-air terrestrial television station, (Channel M, a restricted service licence) within the course and curriculum structure of the school of Media, Music and Performance at the University of Salford. The paper outlines the background to Restricted Service Licences (RSLs), describes the structure of the project and considers its educational implications. It seeks to analyse and assess the strengths and weaknesses of the scheme and to consider possible future developments and the issues it raises for the field of media practice education.Eric Robinson, in a now forgotten Penguin Education Special, The New Polytechnics, published in 1968 wrote, ‘The service of the polytechnics to the community should extend through…to actual participation in the work of industry, commerce and the public services. The polytechnics should make bids for local radio stations and for the local television stations which must come into being’. Well it might have taken over 30 years for this to come about but the advent of RSLs has made Robinson's call to action a reality.Local television has been very much the poor relation of the broadcasting world with no systematic local television service provision in the UK. Consequently, RSLs have been variously described as the last great adventure in broadcasting (Rushton), a quiet revolution (Taylor) and as possibly ‘more important for the future of broadcasting than our new digital terrestrial services’ (Hewitt).However they are described they certainly represent a significant developmental opportunity in broadcasting at a sub-regional level.