THE axe is still hanging over threatened internet television station Kent TV, according to the leader of the authority in charge of it.

In an exclusive interview, Kent County Council leader Paul Carter said no decisions had yet been made about the future of the controversial channel, run by Bob Geldof's production company Ten Alps and led by Whitstable journalist John McGhie.

Cllr Carter said the authority - rated one of the best in the country in an Audit Commission assessment - was right to set up the £600,000-a-year web station, but admitted there were tough choices to be made as financial problems continued.

Q&A :

Q: How can you justify Kent TV when you are making other cuts? Are there any plans to axe it?

A: The decision is yet to be made and we're thinking long and hard about it. If you look at the evolution of Kent TV, what we started with and how it's developed over the last two years, then we've made a lot of progress. It's not delivered on expectation and I would like it to be more dynamic. That's not to say it's been a failure because it hasn't, but it hasn't grown into the state I would like it to be right now. The question is if you continue with it, what can you turn it in to?

The digital age and use of video-streaming and the concept of Kent TV is right and you ignore it at your peril. It's a medium of the future. But if you're going to fund it, what are you going to stop elsewhere? We already print and publish less and make savings for that and we have to do more of the same. There's already far too much bumph which no-one reads. And similarly on Kent TV we can't produce a lot of stuff which people aren't going to watch, it needs to be interesting and engaging.

Q People ask why you're cutting the mobile library staff when you continue to fund Kent TV.

A: We're not cutting the quality of the mobile library service - it doesn't need two people to drive and run the lorry, why can't the person who is driving deliver the service once they've parked up? The actual service is undiminished, it's just one person running it instead of two.

Q: Potholes and lack of action by Kent Highways is a continual complaint we hear from our readers and parish councils. What are you doing to resolve this?

A: I've spent an enormous amount of time on Highways looking at how it can change, transform and innovate to be the best in the country. We have a lot of innovation that needs to be made and it will continue to be a major focus. A lot of it is dependent on the money passed from us by central government. We probably have more highways and byways than any other authority in the country but in the south east of England we have a lot of wear and tear (probably more so than others) and in my view there needs to be a fairer distribution system of national government resource. We are delighted to see the proposals by the Conservative national party is for a needs-led body to look at the division of the national government money.

Q: How do you feel about the assessment rating KCC as excellent?

A: I'm absolutely delighted, Kent is at the top of the league table with two green flags, so we are exceptional, not just excellent. We are in a very select league. When I took over there were a lot of knockers saying after Lord Sandy Bruce-Lockhart's leadership there was only one way to go. They said we wouldn't be able to retain the excellent results. So in the first couple of years of my leadership I was very keen we didn't talk the talk before we could walk the walk. There's a whole host of initiatives we've implemented that I think have delivered the success shown in the report. I'm thrilled the audit commission hasn't focused on softer, more politically correct issues, but on the services we provide to people of all ages and stages in life.

Q: How are you going to continue this good work with the impending cuts from central government?

A: We have been the most efficient part of the public sector. We've become accustomed to delivering better services for less costs, but that can't go on forever and sooner or later the elastic is going to break. I'm only too aware the next two or three years are going to be very tough for the whole of the public sector but particularly for local government. Once you become a lean machine then there's a limit to what you can do without starting to look at diminishing the quality of services which I'm reluctant to do. I'm not saying we're at the end of that journey but it's getting more difficult every year when they're asking for more efficiencies.

Q; What do you think the long term future of county councils is with the growth of quangos such as SEEDA?

A: I'm writing a paper at the moment for the shadow cabinet which is looking at some radical options. I would radically redesign the regional architecture. I believe there's enormous opportunity for democratically elected local government to have significant empowerment from Westminster, replacing many of London's regional functions and more specifically the regional quangos of which we have too many and have no democratic accountability. We would also save an enormous amount of money - probably around £20bn across the country. I hope it would excite the Treasury.

Q: One of your green flags was for apprenticeships - why is this so important to you?

A: I've been on a mission to make sure we deliver a good quality education system that allows all young people to reach their full potential. That means a well-rounded, diverse system that gives them choice. Part of that is having grammar schools for the most academically able, and high schools that deliver excellence in education but also reflect the different styles of learning that suit young people. It's about motivating young people and making education relevant to their lives, aspirations and talents.

Education in this country is too focused on the gold standard of five A to Cs. With the best will in the world, you can get it up to 80 per cent, but what do you do with the other 20 per cent? We're not all born equal and we were focusing too much on the academic side of things. This has now changed in Kent. It's about developing people to their full potential giving them real choice and making sure no young person is left behind.

Q: What about raising the minimum age for full-time education to 17?

A: I'm not a big fan of full-time education after 16. It's not always appropriate, and that's why I support apprenticeships. I was running a business at 17 and going to college, so those wanting to get on with their lives outside of statutory education should be able to.

Q: Do you still intend to shift grammar school places from east to west Kent?

A: This topic is a bit of a storm in a tea-cup. My proposals aren't radical, they are just saying the statistics indicate we have slightly too many places in the east of the county and we have massive pressures on places in the west. On the Kent 11-plus test we set the pass rate that enables between 23 and 26 per cent of our young people to go to grammar schools. Shifting a few places will make sure every young person who achieves the grade gets a grammar school place close to their residence.

Q: What will the effect of the high speed rail link be on the county?

A: We're looking at the opportunity to run a bus network from some of the park and ride centres in Maidstone and the Medway towns. If you've got shuttle buses going to Ebbsfleet which leave every 15 minutes, it could be very attractive, provided it's affordable. There's a massive business opportunity there to link the bus transport network to the Ebbsfleet and Ashford rail network to get people into London in a much faster and pleasant way.

What do you think? Would you have rated KCC as excellent? Leave your comments below...