UK & Europe launch new Internet TV service for young people

A new Internet television service for young people in the UK and Europe was launched on 7 November, as part of a major €3.3 million project led by the University of East Anglia (UEA), Advanced Television reports.

SeaMe.tv was created by the SeaMedia project and serves the coastal regions of the East, South East and South West of England, Belgium, France and the Netherlands. The cross-border collaboration sees young people working with professional broadcasters and academics to create programmes reflecting their interests and showcasing their skills. Content includes short films, discussion shows, music and documentaries.

The SeaMe.tv platform was launched in Belgium as part of a government conference in Ghent on young people and the media. Project manager Mark Wells, from the School of Political, Social and International Studies at UEA, said SeaMe.tv aimed to create a way for young people in the different countries to communicate and share experiences, and to provide an outlet for material that might otherwise not be seen.

“SeaMe.tv provides an opportunity for students and young adults around this part of Europe to express themselves, to learn more about each other, and to hone industry skills which will stand them in good stead should they look for a career in the media,” said Mr Wells, a journalist, TV producer and the initial director of Epic.

The site is made up of three channels. Music & Entertainment features concerts and performances by bands as well as interviews and backgrounders. Student Life & Work includes films on the issues that concern students and young people, from cheap ways to travel the world and what parents think of tattoos to cross-border job opportunities and language challenges. The Issues & Impact channel gives young video makers the chance to look at the wider issues facing society. Productions include investigations of the role of women in Islam, reflections on the World Wars in the North Sea region, engineering designs for a greener world and an award-winning report on homelessness in the UK.