Tag Archives: local television

Channel 6 to partner with universities across the UK

Channel 6 is to team up with Skillset to “explore partnerships and collaborative opportunities” with more than 20 media colleges and universities in the UK, according to reports this week.

The Drum claims that Channel 6, which is reportedly planning on bidding for the new national TV network announced by culture secretary Jeremy Hunt last month, to support local television across the UK, already has plans underway to work with both Sunderland and Cardiff University.

Richard Horwood, chief executive of Channel 6, said universities are “key local partners”.

Over the next few months we will be sitting down with our partner colleges and universities to discuss in detail how we can collaborate most effectively. We’ll be looking at issues like access to studios, production, and post-production facilities, providing internships for undergraduates and jobs for graduates, maybe even setting up our local affiliates on campus. Depending on the business model we agree, our partner universities could participate directly in the profitability of the local affiliate.

Ofcom delivers local TV report to Department for Culture, Media and Sport

The department for culture, media and sport has said it is now considering a report by Ofcom on ways in which the current system of public service broadcasting (PSB) might be changed to help deliver local TV services, and will announce its plans in the new year on the “next steps for local TV in the UK”.

The report was published on Friday for the department after culture secretary Jeremy Hunt asked Ofcom to produce the report in his speech at the RTS International Conference in September.

It sets out options relating to commercial PSB providers ITV1, Channel 4/S4C and Five as well as ways that new providers of local services might be assisted.

Some of the main recommendations/considerations taken from the report:

  • There is a significant opportunity under current legislation to create a new licensing regime for local TV on digital terrestrial TV (DTT). In the future this could help create a clearer regulatory distinction between national and local providers of content and new revenue opportunities could potentially be created if a new local TV channel was carried on DTT.
  • The Government could decide to add any new local TV service to a list called ‘must carry’ – meaning the channel must be available through all platforms which have a significant audience size and that the owner of the platform is under a legal obligation to ensure the channel is shown.
  • If the Government wants to add extra material obligations on existing providers, it may be necessary to reduce current obligations and quotas – such as ‘out of London production’ – to balance the future incentives and obligations associated with PSB status.

Telegraph: Former head of Trinity Mirror Television to put forward local TV proposal

The former managing director of Trinity Mirror Television, Richard Horwood, is to put forward a formal proposal to the government review on local television in relation to a single TV channel which would favour local programming, according to the Telegraph.

It is reported that Horwood has already spoken to head of UK investment banking at Lazard Nicholas Shott, who is responsible for carrying out the review on the commercial viability of local television in the UK for culture, media and sport secretary Jeremy Hunt.

This week Mr Horwood will put a formal proposal to the review involving a single TV channel available on multi-platforms and combining local and national programming and adverts.

The idea is to create a national framework of programming with the ability to “opt out” of the national schedule in certain towns in favour of local programmes and adverts.