Newslip: Collapsed by U.K. Government

This was a project that I set up from home. It was filmed by my ex partner Nicola, and kept me occupied and developed a nice little global audience. It cost me a fair bit of investment, especially where time was concerned. Every Sunday, I filmed an approximate ten minutes of video of me presenting the news. The project was originally a research project into the effectiveness of online video streaming. During its life, Newslip attracted a lot of different interest. I’m sure a lot of people laughed but some of my friends really loved it and put it as part of their weekly schedule.

As a research project it did achieve its aims and taught me about search engine optimisation on the Internet and also I learned a bit about video broadcasting. Newslip was heavily indebted to the BBC for both its source material and in BBC Breakfast and BBC News, its presenting techniques.

There was a website and full social media including Twitter  and Facebook

At its zenith I was approached by my online friend from Palestine to buy the whole company and website for repacking and broadcast presumably across the Middle East. Feras studied out in Belfast and was originally from Palestine. He used to love the show and when he approached me to buy Newslip we arranged for him to fly over. I spruced up my flat in Caldicot as he was coming to stay with Nicola and I. As he was flying out to Bristol airport and his plane was in the air, I was preparing to travel over there to meet him but unfortunately the door went at my flat and I got dragged off by Gwent Police and sectioned under Mental Health Act. I think the shrink at the time was probably Dr Darryl Watts. Not sure. It was around 2009. I was held incommunicado, no access to mobile phone. Feras turned up in Bristol, went through arrivals gate and I wasn’t there to collect him. He ended up spending three or four nights sleeping on the streets of Bristol before flying home and obviously the business didn’t go through. It really did upset me and is a life regret but the U.K. government, with its oppression of me as an individual makes virtually anything stable in business, education, research or music to be impossible. I was disillusioned and folded Newslip completely shortly afterwards.

Here is the final statement issued in Facebook Group:

Wesley Gerrard

Newslip – The End. Phew!

Whether this comes as good news or bad to you, I’m not quite sure!!!

I set this up as a research project for the dissemination of video across the internet and to learn more about the functionality of Search Engine Optimisation. I needed something with changing content that had active keywords and would have a market across the world wide web.

It’s been fun doing and has taught me a lot. On the other hand it has also been a bit of a pain. It takes about 5 or 6 hours every Sunday to compile and produce.

I know some of you have enjoyed it a lot and I have been pleasantly surprised by the messages I have received from across the world. It’s an innovative idea and I think the concept of Newslip is good. As a business there is a lot of potential.

I’ve also had a lot of people having at laugh at me doing something so silly!!! At the end of the day – you have to be prepared for people to snipe you down whenever you try to do anything. Focus on the positive – that’s the philosophy.

There simply isn’t enough time to continue it, however, with my active schedule. As most of you know I do quite a lot of stuff with music and that side of the business is currently expanding. I also am a fulltime student and next year looks particularly busy.

Perhaps Newslip will make a comeback at some stage in the future, who knows… It has achieved it’s aims and taught me some very useful ideas for development of other businesses in the online environment.

Thanks for supporting the project and sorry if your Sundays will never be the same again!

That’s all for Newslip this week. Thanks for tuning in. I wish you all the best for the future. Goodbye.

Wesley.

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