£22m price tag for failed TIF bid revealed
CLOSE to £22m was spent on the failed Transport Innovation Fund bid, with £224,000 of that going on a TV advert that was taken off air after just one week by OFCOM, the broadcasting regulator.
A report to the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities executive board show that a total of £21.9m was spent for in the year to the end of November 2008.
Project team costs were £7.48m, £6.99m went on congestion charging (including the TV advert), £6.51m on complementary transport schemes, and £886,000 on public information.
The TV advert was aired on ITV and Channel M for one week from November 6, and was then withdrawn following seven complaints to OFCOM.
It cost £64,000 to produce, with ad booking space costing an additional £160,000, according to a separate report to AGMA’s executive board.
Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive is in discussions with ITV over recompense for the cost of the unused advertising space.
“Contrary to some statements which have appeared, OFCOM did not find the advertisement to be inaccurate or misleading – this was never a point at issue,” said the report.
The report said that the process had revealed “serious flaws” in the regulatory process, because only the broadcaster is provided with the complaints made to OFCOM or has the right of appeal. It added that the process “contravenes the basic rules of natural justice”.
“The advertiser has no rights in either of these respects, even though its interests are affected and its reputation at stake. In this case ITV took the decision to suspend the broadcast of the advertisement… even though OFCOM had not communicated these to GMPTA whose interests were clearly affected.”
Responding to OFCOM’s findings it said: “It is difficult to see how as much time could be allocated to the consequences of a “no” vote which were simple and involved retaining the status quo.”
It added: “OFCOM are clearly one of a minority who perceive YES = congestion charge as a politically positive presentation and NO = no congestion charge as a politically negative presentation.”
