Manx Radio is now providing a service on video and its own version of the BBC’s iPlayer system.

The station, which recorded an £82,000 loss in 2016/17 in spite of getting £850,000 a year from the taxpayer as a subsidy, says the initiatives will put it ’ahead of the market’ in a press release.

The launch of Manx Radio Vision ’powered by Manx Telecom’ began this week.

It allows the station to showcase its radio shows on video and post them online to be watched for many days afterwards.

A selection of shows will be available to view including Morning Mandate, Women Today and Sunday Opinion.

The video clips will automatically be available to watch through Facebook, Twitter and YouTube using a system brought in to the station from Broadcast Bionics.

The videos created using Manx Radio Vision will also be available to view on the second new product being launched by the station called ’the Portal’.

That is similar to the BBC iPlayer, which will showcase videos from Manx Radio, Manx Telecom’s video news service MTTV and Culture Vannin’s programming.

Manx Radio boss Anthony Pugh said that the station’s annual report said the broadcaster’s aim was to enhance audio services by making ’visual elements’ available on social media and the internet.

He said: ’As our station format, as issued by the Communications Commission, specifically encourages us to continue to develop the use of social media and our website for the benefit of the audience, we feel this initiative brings a whole new dimension for those who interact with Manx Radio on a daily basis.’

The fact that the move will put it, in the words of the press release, ’ahead of the market’ appears to suggest that it’s aiming to beat rivals’ offerings.

Ron Berry, boss of commercial rival 3fm, said: ’We have been broadcasting live streaming on Facebook Live and on our website for over a year now.

’We continue to do this and have been ahead of Manx Radio at no cost to the taxpayer.’

The Examiner asked Mr Pugh whether how the station would pay for Manx Radio Vision both initially and for the predicted annual cost. We also asked whether Manx Telecom would be contributing as part of its sponsorship deal.

Mr Pugh said: ’Manx Radio Vision primarily utilises the studio software and hardware that has been a central part of our studios for a number of years.

’The small additional investment has come as a result of two years planning as to how we can most effectively use our capital budget to introduce new services for those who are already interacting with Manx Radio.

’No other body has made a contribution towards the cost of the specialist equipment.’

The Examiner then asked whether the station had to put expansion schemes to the Treasury, which pays for the subvention, when it plans to move into new areas of business.

’The Manx Radio station format includes the following "Manx Radio should utilise and continue to develop the use of social media and its website in order to consider how to reach their audiences and provide a degree of interactivity and personalised choice and look at the balance of broadcast with other services to best match audience need with available resources",’ Mr Pugh replied.

’This clearly sets outs the parameters for our future development.’

We also asked whether the project would be paid for through new advertising.

Mr Pugh said: ’The Manx Radio subvention only accounts for circa 40% of the station’s income.

’Our latest annual report clearly shows how the subvention partly funds some of our output.

’Manx Radio is continually looking for new products that attract advertisers and sponsors to our station - it is our responsibility to do that and we currently raise in excess of £1m a year to offset the cost of delivering public service broadcasting, in all its facets, to the island.’

The Examiner also asked whether the station had considered the impact of such venture on its commercial rivals.

Mr Pugh said: ’Manx Radio Vision is the visualisation of Manx Radio’s current activities.

’By its very nature, it is a service that no other provider can deliver and does not take us into the realms of operation of any other media provider on in the island.

He said that there would be no extra staff employed and said guests on radio shows would be warned that they were being filmed.

Manx Radio spent more than £13,600 on a party to mark the station’s 50th anniversary in 2014, a freedom of information request from Isle of Man Newspapers recently revealed.

In the early 1990s. Manx Radio got its fingers burned when it moved into public relations with a venture called Cushag Communications.

It lost £90,000 which resulted in an inquiry by Tynwald, which recommended that the company should simply stick to radio.