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Possible local TV locations are identified

Potential local TV locations in the UK, some of which could be run by regional newspaper companies, have been revealed by the Government.

In total 65 towns and cities across the country from Aberdeen to Plymouth and Londonderry to Norwich have been identified by Ofcom as potential sites for the channels which are set to go live in 2014.

The first licences will be open to bidders in just a few months and a consultation has been published  asking people in the potential towns and cities why they think they should be among the first selected to bid for a local TV licence. It is expected that the initial list will be narrowed down to about 20 contenders for the first set of licences before the end of the year.

Culture secretary Jeremy Hunt said: “These new local TV services will be a fundamental change in how people get information about their own communities and how they hold their representatives to account.

“There’s a huge appetite for local news and information in communities the length and breadth of the country. I want people to be able to watch television that’s truly relevant to them.”

However Newspaper Society president Georgina Harvey has expressed fears that it could take some advertising away from local newspapers and Johnston Press chief executive John Fry said in the company’s annual report that he  doubted the scheme would make money.

A map shows the 65 potential local TV sites in the UK

In the next few weeks Mr Hunt will host a series of events around the country to discuss how local TV could provide a valuable service in different communities. These will take place in:

•Birmingham (18 August)
•Manchester (19 August)
•Newcastle (24 August)
•Cardiff (26 August)
•Glasgow (9 September)
•London (14 September)

4 comments

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  • August 9, 2011 at 5:16 pm
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    In the light of Mr Hunt’s announcement, what could be more appropriate than to dig out the box marked “memories” and dust off that afternoon movie classic, “Channel M News – The Dream That Died”:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7ExcScF5A0
    Grab the popcorn and a box of Kleenex – you won’t be ashamed to cry!

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  • August 10, 2011 at 10:39 am
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    Given the awful rubbish that fills regional television (‘over to our reporter on the spot at 10pm for no particular reason with nothing to say’) the thought of even more local tv is hilarious. could be prime time for cats up trees and boring local councillors droning on. Avoid.

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  • August 10, 2011 at 11:26 am
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    Some of these places can only barely sustain a radio station. Is it realistic to assume there will be enough advertising to pay for the higher costs of a TV station?

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  • August 10, 2011 at 12:41 pm
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    I regularly watch BBC South preceded by BBC Oxford at 6.30pm and if this sort of prog is what we’ll probably get, then I think I’ll take up knitting and pressing wild flowers. Sometimes they have a decent piece but a lot of the time it’s fairly dire, and doesn’t properly cover the region it’s supposed to do. Got a bit worse lately with silly contrived jokey banter between presenters as prog ends and goes to fade. Good to show as an example of how things shouldn’t be. I’ve recorded it to show other TV chums. I guess that spending cuts will make it worse.

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