When Peter Gilroy Chief Executive of Kent council was kind enough to inform me that Kent TV, would contribute a gazillion sorry million pounds in savings to Kent Council I simply couldn’t believe it, still that was before Lynda McMullen KCC Finance Director was kind enough to furnish me with details to substantiate that figure.
As you would expect from a 5 star council when they say they’ll save a million, they mean it and now the figures have been revealed exclusively to Bignews Margate, although I have sent a copy to a rather miffed Paul Francis Political Editor for the KM Group who seemed to get short shrift having enquired for similar figures earlier.
To save you the headache of reading through the highly scientific calculations it seems most savings have come about as a result of not printing leaflets, oh and also not wasting money on expensive advertising telling you the er blimin obvious like for Highways er speed is not a good thing and accidents happen.
Still for the more curious, you’ll appreciate the elegant way the figures add up exactly to the right amount, if only my finances were so clear cut. (if you click on the image it should expand a bit).
I’m not entirely convinced the savings made couldn’t have occurred without squandering a couple of mill on Kent TV.
The last paragraph is a telling one. It does not claim that the savings are due to Kent TV but services like Kent TV. KCC have not answered your FOI question.
ReplyDeleteThe report is meaningless without showing the spending for the last 3years as well and the spending on www.kent.gov.uk.
This fall in printed material does not just apply to KCC and is the general trend both in the private and public sector. KCC should be thanking sites like KCC's own web site, Visitkent, KM online, Thisiskent, Youtube and all the other information sites that are free to us Kent tax payers.
Another KCC story for you released today (22nd). When KCC awarded the Turner contract to R Durtnell & Sons it was known that they were one of more than 100 building companies that were accused by the OFT of rigging contract tenders for both public and private works.
ReplyDeleteBut KCCs attitude was that they were a good company.Would they have employed a teacher that was on remand? Very deliberate act of ripping off tax payers by directors of these companies, if proven just as bad as benifit cheating. Well today the said company has been found guilty and fined £711,115. It was not just a small case, the fines totaled over £126 millions. (details on BBC business and OFT web sites)
KCC spend on publicity:
ReplyDelete1996/97 - £1,409,000
2007-08 - £5,683,000
Tony, I may have slightly misled you as the information I had sought under FOI was for the £200,000 savings KCC achieved the previous year. At the time, KCC told me it had no reporting mechanism that allowed the information on how savings had been secured to be collated - which rather contradicts with the response to you.
ReplyDeleteI've put a posting on this on my blog at www.kentmessenger.co.uk
Paul Francis, The KM Group.
Its my feeling that Kent TV existence hasn't contributed one penny to savings, thanks for the contributions particularly the one that shows the stagger media spend.
ReplyDeleteCheers Paul for your comments and mention on your posting.
That is creative! Still, not all bad news. At least Peter Gilroy is going in May. That should save a few bob.
ReplyDelete