A Midlands daily newspaper is set to be involved in launching a local TV channel for its city.
The Nottingham Post is one of the partners in Notts TV Ltd alongside Nottingham Trent University, Confetti Media and Inclusive Digital.
The partnership was announced as the successful applicant to run a local TV service in Nottingham by media regulator Ofcom today.
Journalists at the title could be involved with the new channel and the advertising team for the channel will be based at the offices of the Northcliffe-owned daily.
The Post, whose publisher Steve Hollingsworth is one of the directors of Notts TV Ltd, is the latest regional title to become involved with local TV.
Last month the South Wales Echo became part of a winning bid to run a station in Cardiff while Archant will run a channel in Norwich.
Students from Nottingham Trent University’s journalism courses could also gain experience with the city’s channel, as its news team will be based at the university, which has its own studios.
The new channel aims to launch on 1 April 2014 and will broadcast local news and other programmes seven days a week – from 4pm until midnight for the first six months, then from 7am until midnight.
The application to run the Nottingham TV channel said: “Our vision is to produce quality content that is directly relevant to the people of Nottingham. We aim to cover local news, and produce a broad range of general programmes.
“Notts TV will reflect the fact that Nottingham is a vibrant city, with a busy news agenda, and a rapidly growing creative sector.
“We will adopt a Public/Private Partnership approach, involving a network of local public, private and community organisations.
“We will avoid unnecessary costs; but at the same time ensure that the service meets high production standards. And we will make extensive use of the consortium’s existing studios, facilities and resources.”
The licences have been awarded as part of the first phase of the government’s plans to roll out local TV across the UK, with further successful applications set to be announced this autumn.
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This will not work. In the USA the major cities have their own TV news but this is based on having a much more exciting and ‘newsworthy’ format. Without a helicopter cam, a daily dose of shootings etc it will be very bland. I can’t see how it will survive commercially either.
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We have successfully bid for the Cross Street TV channel in our town with the local charity shop and the A5 colour, local, free quarterly, church magazine. We are expecting a flood of news shortly. If you have got anything for us call in the charity shop and speak to Sharon or speak to the Vicar after Sunday’s service.
We have a jingle…”Cross Street TV it’s reet close to thee”
Winner!
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The drowning men of the regional press clutch at another straw!
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I understand the journalism content will be originated at the uni while advertising will be sold by Post sales staff.
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“…a daily dose of shootings”
Well, it is Nottingham.
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“We now go over live to a corner shop in Beeston where our reporter has discovered some grapes for sale at half the usual price.”
Exciting stuff…
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This will no doubt be done on a shoestring budget, with the newscaster getting up mid-sentence to adjust his camera or to press play for the adverts.
Doomed unless there’s unlimited cash available to fund it, a majority of people already have access to hundreds of channels of slick, professional and expensive to make TV.
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We tried this at a well-know regional daily (video news) and the newsworthy format, looking at fires, crashes, murders, fights, etc, really hit the spot. Viewing figures went through the roof. But the bosses then thought it would be better to include softer, magazine-style articles. Guess what? It bombed. Newspaper audiences and online video audiences are completely different. If this is to work, please, please, please don’t let the newspaper bosses dictate content.
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Sorry, should be ‘well-known’…
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