Interest in Hereward TV shown at meeting in Bourne

Media students from Bourne Academy where among an audience in Bourne who found out more about community station Hereward Television which aims to be on TV screens around the Fenlands and greater Peterborough region by April 2018.

Hereward Television directors Alex Geairns and Nik Fox revealed plans to open a studio at Peterborough’s Queensgate Shopping Centre, rent free for five years, and the possibility of broadcasting programmes online from May.

Mr Geairns said: “You don’t need a lot of money for a start-up TV station, not in this day and age.

“Everywhere we go with this concept, people have told us ‘it’s a good idea’ and so we don’t want our area to be left behind in what is the most recent TV revolution around.”

The station is offering to train people in roles, including research, script writing, production and editing.

Ross Lee (17) of Morton, a sixth form student at Bourne Academy, said: “I think’s it’s intriguing because I come from a performing arts background and so this project could lead to so many big things.

Another Bourne Academy student, Rebecca Boyfield (17) of Bourne, said: “It’s a good opportunity for people our age to learn skills that we can develop in the future and, hopefully, to open up lots of doors for us in term of careers.”

Meanwhile, Bourne Academy student Sam Parker (17), also of Bourne, said: “I like the idea of Hereward TV and it’s good that they are engaging with the local community, rather than the big broadcasters who have more nationwide issues to look after.”

Mr Fox said: “People will be able to come to us, get the training and then go out and start their own media companies.

“The way the world is going, digital media is at the heart of everything because the technology is there.

“It’s all about who you know, what you know and applying it.”