YouTube Channel Costs

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Regards

Corporate Contact Centre
Customer Services
Transform Sandwell

www.sandwell.gov.uk

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Dear Mr Day,

Thank you for your Freedom of Information enquiry, requesting the
following information:

"Can you please tell me how much the council has spent on using/promoting
its YouTube channel "sandwellchannel" since its creation in August 2008.

Could you also include how much has been spent on creating the individual
videos for the channel since 2008".

The Council has not spent any money promoting its "YouTube" channel since
its creation. It does not cost the Council any money to place material
onto the YouTube website and advertising of the channel has been
undertaken via the Internet (such as releases on the Council's website)
and the Council's other social networking websites, such as "Facebook".
The advertising of both the "YouTube" channel and material uploaded onto
it is undertaken by officers within Sandwell's Communications Unit, as
part of their normal duties.

With regard to the costs incurred creating the individual videos for the
channel since 2008, I should stress that, in many cases, the videos will
not have been produced for the primary intention of being placed on
Sandwell's "YouTube" Channel, but for other purposes, such as for playing
at Council organised events, or to provide advice to potential service
users, an example being the video relating to adoption.

In these cases, the Council's Communications Unit would have advised that
the videos could also be uploaded onto Sandwell's "YouTube" channel to
maximise the total number of people that could view the material
concerned. In these cases, there are no additional costs incurred by
uploading the video onto "YouTube".

However, the videos "Job Seekers"/"Young People"/"Business
Growth"/"Business Start Up"/"Moving Your Business" were commissioned by
the Council's Economic Regeneration & Skills Divisions and it was felt
that the most effective way to deliver the messages contained within them
to key stakeholders was to place the videos directly onto Sandwell's
"YouTube" channel. The cost of commissioning these videos was £10,150 +
VAT.

No direct expenditure was incurred advertising these particular videos,
although their availability via Sandwell's YouTube Channel was promoted
via existing free sources, such as the Council's Internet (see the link
below as an example)

[1]http://www.laws.sandwell.gov.uk/ccm/cont...

If you require any clarification in respect of this response, please do
not hesitate to contact me.

Alternatively, if you are dissatisfied with the handling of your request,
you have the right to ask for an internal review. Internal review requests
should be submitted within two months of the date of receipt of the
response to your request, and should be addressed to:

Service Insight Team

Sandwell Council House

Freeth Street

Oldbury

West Midlands

B69 3DE

Email - [2][email address]

If you are not content with the outcome of an internal review, you have
the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a
decision. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at:

Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire SK9 5AF

[3]www.ico.gov.uk

Please remember to quote the reference number ENQ 1-111030373 in any
future communications.

Yours sincerely,

Nigel Parr

Data Protection/Freedom of Information Officer

Democratic Services

Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council

Sandwell Council House

0121 569 3248

References

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1. http://www.laws.sandwell.gov.uk/ccm/cont...
2. mailto:[email address]
3. http://www.ico.gov.uk/