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Salford Council bans funding for Salford Star
Salford Star
DATELINE: 26/3/10
On the eve of the House of Commons Select Committee Report on The Future for Local and Regional Media, Salford's community (forums/committees) have been banned from financially supporting the Salford Star. Salford Council and its legal team instructed representatives from the community (forums/committees) who are responsible for handing out grants to community groups that they would be "breaking the law" if the Salford Star received any funding - because it "tends to criticise authority, in particular singling out Salford Council and individual councillors."
While Salford Council produces its own 'Life In Salford' monthly magazine at a total public cost of almost £28,000 per issue, the Salford Star applied to three of Salford's eight `community committees' for £3500, half the cost of producing another print issue of the award winning magazine.
The committees are each supposed to be `empowered' with their own budget, devolved from the council tax, to fund local projects which benefit the community. However, e-mails and a report were sent out by Salford Council to community reps explaining that they would be breaking the law (Local Government Act) by providing funding, as the magazine "is overtly political in nature", "does not take a balanced view" and that it "tends to criticise authority, in particular singling out Salford Council and individual councillors".
The fiercely independent Salford Star - which aims to give the community a voice and hold public bodies up to account - has hotly refuted the first two allegations – and is proud of the third…
The Salford Star has the right to appeal against Salford Council's decision to ban the community from funding the magazine – it can appeal to Salford Council's ruling Labour Party Cabinet. Or it can launch a legal challenge costing around £25,000.
Full story at www.salfordstar.comLast modified: Friday, March 26, 2010
Your comments:
In the interest of free spech. the comunity commity should vote for the funding of this Salford mag . and if this meens bracking the law . Then so be it and lets see if Salford councel will act against all the community commitys on the eve of an electon ??? Free spech is the essence of freedome . What is seed at times might not be even right, at times . But it is for us the public to decide and not the counceli feel.
Posted by: satnave: 29 Mar, 2010 02:16:30
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Previous stories
Miscellany
Media For All Policy Document
Alternative G20: Keep University of East London open
Burnham decision welcome
A homage to the British miners
The strike recorded
Optimistic AGM
Obituary: Jimmy Barnes
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Campaign Blogs
Farewell to Geoff
Dispatches footage will be given to police
Post Office to First Amendment: Drop Dead 5
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Sri Lanka and the CPBF
AGM calls for new direction for the CPBF
Report of Work 2005
Give money to Greg Palast
The UK Terror plot: what's really going on?
The war on Palestine's orphans
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Without Comment
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