The BBC has taken action to enhance coverage in the island but talks with government over getting a better deal will continue into the new year.

Policy and Reform Minister Chris Thomas provided an update in Tynwald on discussions with the BBC but said he ’doesn’t wish to speculate on outcomes’.

Mr Thomas was mandated by the Council of Ministers to lead the BBC negotiations after Tynwald resolved that discussions should be instigated aimed at delivering improved services from the corporation.

He said: ’Officer level discussions have been held since the beginning of the year and I recently held the first of a planned series of meetings with the BBC. As honourable members will be aware, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands are treated as if they are part of the England nation for the purposes of the BBC royal charter.’

Mr Thomas’ negotiations are being held with BBC director for England Helen Thomas. He said that their first meeting had been ’extremely productive’. He later told members these are ’complex’ negotiations and he was not working to a set deadline to achieve the goals set down by Tynwald and that he ’doesn’t wish to speculate on potential outcomes’.

Mr Thomas said despite this, the government was ’committed’ to the negotiations with the BBC over the next 12 months and that he would provide a further update ’no later’ than July 2020.

When asked by Speaker Juan Watterson about the shortfall in funding for the island per capita compared to other regions in the British Isles and the potential for BBC Parliament to cover Tynwald sittings, Mr Thomas said funding has ’always been an issue’ for the island. He added it was ’one strand’ of the discussions but that it was ’not helpful to dwell on figures’.

The minister confirmed that BBC Parliament had been talked about but offered no further update.

During their meeting, BBC director Miss Thomas detailed a number of actions the BBC has taken to enhance the island’s coverage. These included a change in the editorial process by appointing a senior journalist to allow for decisions to be made in island.

Digital

The minister added: ’I understand this has seen growth in digital consumption from the Isle of Man.

’North West Tonight continues to include Isle of Man stories, of course, including recently when Annabel Tiffin was ’’live in Laxey’’ following the flooding. The flooding also received coverage from the BBC on network news across the British Isles.’

Mr Thomas said that ’forthcoming stories the BBC online team already expects to be working on including the introduction of the climate change bill and the construction of the new Liverpool ferry berth’.

The BBC also funds some Manx Radio content in the island, paying for Manx language programmes and the station’s local democracy reporter.

Mr Thomas added: ’Miss Thomas confirmed during our meeting that the BBC will be recruiting a political reporter to be based in the Isle of Man to further enhance coverage.’

A BBC spokesman said: ’We’re pleased we’ll soon be recruiting a political reporter based on the Isle of Man. This exciting new role will expand our existing resource and help us explain and scrutinise even more the work of Tynwald and other public bodies.

’We already have three journalists on the island and fund a local democracy reporter there though our local news partnerships.’