LIVERPOOL is on track to get its own local TV station, as bidding opened yesterday for operators to win the licences to run the new services.
Liverpool is one of the first 21 areas across to the UK to be given the opportunity to launch its own local TV station, under Government plans to set up a new network of town and city-based television channels.
Weather in Norwegian
Not since the heady days of Channel One, run by Trinity Mirror at the Echo office in Old Hall Street, and their rival, Live TV, which spawned the News Bunny and the Weather in Norwegian, will viewers have been in store for such "hyperlocal" small screen entertainment.
News BunnyOfcom is now inviting companies to bid for a licence to run the new service, which is expected to launch on air as early as next year.
Secretary of State for Culture, Media, Olympics and Sport Jeremy Hunt said: “I hope to see some really exciting bids in Liverpool for its new local TV channel. Local TV will not only create jobs but it will also provide communities with news and content that is relevant to their daily lives.”
Potential operators now have until 13 August to apply to Ofcom for a licence. Ofcom will award the licence based on a set of criteria including: provision of local news and current affairs; proposals for programmes; planned launch date; and viability of the business plan. But can they beat their illustrious ancestors in the game?
Liverpool was selected as one of the first 21 areas, based on having sufficient levels of interest from potential operators and being technically capable of receiving a local TV service.
Channel One LiverpoolOfcom is also seeking applicants to hold a local TV multiplex licence, with the winning applicant responsible for providing the broadcast infrastructure for local TV services. The competition for the multiplex licence is open to both commercial and not-for-profit bids. The holder of the multiplex licence will have to promote local TV and offer good quality coverage and transmission. It cannot recover carriage costs greater than the costs of transmission from each local TV service.
The full list of 21 towns and cities is:
Belfast, Birmingham, Brighton & Hove, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Grimsby, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Newcastle, Norwich, Nottingham, Oxford, Plymouth, Preston, Sheffield, Southampton and Swansea.
