First 20 Towns/Cities for Local TV Announced

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  • marria01marria01 Posts: 437
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    ...and Liverpool has gone to Bay TV. That leaves only Preston from the 1st phase to be announced. Given Metro8's luck so far, I'd say YourTV have got it in the bag.

    It's been quite an interesting process, the only decision that's truly flabbergasted me has been Manchester. I think Ofcom have dropped a bit of a bo**ock on that one.
  • sparkie70sparkie70 Posts: 3,053
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    marria01 wrote: »
    ...and Liverpool has gone to Bay TV. That leaves only Preston from the 1st phase to be announced. Given Metro8's luck so far, I'd say YourTV have got it in the bag.

    It's been quite an interesting process, the only decision that's truly flabbergasted me has been Manchester. I think Ofcom have dropped a bit of a bo**ock on that one.

    Glad that Liverpool has got a local group but thought it would be Our tv as Bay tv just seems to have teleshopping in the evenings.
  • RijowhiRijowhi Posts: 1,054
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    Manchester is England's second city and if this new incarnation of local TV fails there, it will fail everywhere else except London.

    I personally think that even if Local TV fails in Manchester, it could still work in (England's second City) Birmingham and Liverpool amongst others as these are areas that the TV industry has abandoned*.:( With the set up and potential audience the London franchise has, I'm sure it will be a success.

    * They really should look at a Regional quota as opposed to a National quota of TV Programming. :mad:
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 3,895
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  • marria01marria01 Posts: 437
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    In its award of the Preston and Blackpool licence, the regulator said that YourTV demonstrated a "better knowledge" of the region and "would meet the needs of the local area".
    That wouldn't be hard considering the competition was Metro8.
  • jj20xjj20x Posts: 2,079
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    marria01 wrote: »
    That wouldn't be hard considering the competition was Metro8.

    Yes, I think Metro8 need to take a good look at what they are offering if they plan on applying for any licences in the next phase.
  • TelevisionUserTelevisionUser Posts: 41,404
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    chrisdafur wrote: »

    Whilst I wish the successful bidders well, I remain doubtful that some of these smaller towns will be able to support a local TV service in the long term. I can certainly see local TV surviving in large cities like London, Manchester, Birmingham, etc.
  • RijowhiRijowhi Posts: 1,054
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    UK local TV operator Comux heads for Birmingham
    May 13, 2013
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    Comux UK, the company responsible for operating the UK’s local digital-terrestrial TV infrastructure, is setting up base at Birmingham Science Park Aston’s Innovation Birmingham Campus.

    Comux will occupy three suites: one dedicated to broadcast operations; one that will house the operations team; and another that will contain the servers required to power the local TV stations. The new headquarters will create 20 jobs locally.

    “Basing the Comux operation at the Innovation Birmingham Campus makes absolute business sense. For one, it is an urban location in the centre of the country with very good accessibility, but crucially it is one of the only places that is capable of providing the infrastructure we need to power a UK wide network of local TV stations,” said Comux UK founder Ed Hall.

    UK broadcast regulator Ofcom granted Comux a 12-year license to build and operate a local TV broadcasting platform earlier this year. The move will establish up to 60 local channels in towns and cities across the UK, with an initial 19 to launch by the end of 2013.

    Alongside broadcasting on digital terrestrial TV, the local channels are expected to go live on satellite and cable TV, and online. The BBC has pledged £25 million (€26 million) of funding to the local TV initiative up to 2017, with the channels to raise their own ad revenue.
  • marria01marria01 Posts: 437
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    Rijowhite wrote: »
    UK local TV operator Comux heads for Birmingham
    May 13, 2013
    Related Content

    Comux UK, the company responsible for operating the UK’s local digital-terrestrial TV infrastructure, is setting up base at Birmingham Science Park Aston’s Innovation Birmingham Campus.

    Comux will occupy three suites: one dedicated to broadcast operations; one that will house the operations team; and another that will contain the servers required to power the local TV stations. The new headquarters will create 20 jobs locally.

    “Basing the Comux operation at the Innovation Birmingham Campus makes absolute business sense. For one, it is an urban location in the centre of the country with very good accessibility, but crucially it is one of the only places that is capable of providing the infrastructure we need to power a UK wide network of local TV stations,” said Comux UK founder Ed Hall.

    UK broadcast regulator Ofcom granted Comux a 12-year license to build and operate a local TV broadcasting platform earlier this year. The move will establish up to 60 local channels in towns and cities across the UK, with an initial 19 to launch by the end of 2013.

    Alongside broadcasting on digital terrestrial TV, the local channels are expected to go live on satellite and cable TV, and online. The BBC has pledged £25 million (€26 million) of funding to the local TV initiative up to 2017, with the channels to raise their own ad revenue.

    Who writes this stuff? It's been common knowledge that they're setting up in Birmingham since they put their licence application in. It hardly even qualifies as news.

    They also won't be putting every service on Sat/Cable either.

    Quality journalism.....
  • a516a516 Posts: 5,241
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    Local TV will launch on channel 41 in Scotland and Wales, not channel 45 as originally planned.
    (Although I had a tip-off earlier, it's been finally confirmed by Digital UK this evening.)
  • tomeetomee Posts: 2,891
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    a516 wrote: »
    Local TV will launch on channel 41 in Scotland and Wales, not channel 45 as originally planned.
    (Although I had a tip-off earlier, it's been finally confirmed by Digital UK this evening.)

    Know all we need to no is what going to be on LCN 34.
  • chrisychrisy Posts: 9,418
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    tomee wrote: »
    Know all we need to no is what going to be on LCN 34.

    If ESPN vacates it, as is expected, then local TV will shift down further.

    At the moment Ch 34 is still assigned to ESPN and as such it can't be reallocated yet.
  • SexbombSexbomb Posts: 20,005
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    When are we getting local tv?
  • anthony davidanthony david Posts: 14,461
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    Sexbomb wrote: »
    When are we getting local tv?

    Fairly soon, you are on a winter hill "petal" along with Manchester and Liverpool.
  • SexbombSexbomb Posts: 20,005
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    Fairly soon, you are on a winter hill "petal" along with Manchester and Liverpool.

    Is winter hill this year or next?
  • kevkev Posts: 21,070
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    Sexbomb wrote: »
    Is winter hill this year or next?

    The comux plans still appear to be to get all the multiplexes on air by Christmas - Your TV Blackpool and Preston are saying they will launch in 2014 http://yourtvblackpoolpreston.co.uk/ (i.e. you should get the new quasi-national services this year, and possible test transmission / promotional loop from Your TV before Christmas, but with actual programming starting in 2014).
  • chrisychrisy Posts: 9,418
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    kev wrote: »
    The comux plans still appear to be to get all the multiplexes on air by Christmas

    Not sure about that - the first ones are supposed to be on air by November, which is two months behind the original schedule. They've probably managed to accelerate the plan, but I'd be surprised if they've managed to do all the works in such a short amount of time.

    I imagine the fact Arqiva are visiting a lot of these transmitters for 4G clearance and 600MHz temporary muxes has helped.
  • chrisychrisy Posts: 9,418
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    Sexbomb wrote: »
    When are we getting local tv?

    Preston's local mux is launching 26th June 2014.

    Full list here in chronological order: http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showpost.php?p=67631599&postcount=333
  • kevkev Posts: 21,070
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    chrisy wrote: »
    Preston's local mux is launching 26th June 2014.

    Full list here in chronological order: http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showpost.php?p=67631599&postcount=333

    Where's that list come from? There appears to be some massive slippage to the launch dates - it also seams too surprising for London and Manchester to be so late in the plans? So Grimsby only this year (also surprised Nottingham is so early in the schedule seeing as Notts TV had one of the latest proposed air dates!)?
  • chrisychrisy Posts: 9,418
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    kev wrote: »
    Where's that list come from?

    From an official Ofcom document.
    There appears to be some massive slippage to the launch dates - it also seams too surprising for London and Manchester to be so late in the plans? So Grimsby only this year (also surprised Nottingham is so early in the schedule seeing as Notts TV had one of the latest proposed air dates!)?

    I guess the re-arrangement is partly the quickest order they can do it in, and partly based on when the channels are ready to launch. The fact it has slipped into 2014 means pretty much everybody will be ready as soon as the mux goes live.

    They must have had a choice of a few that could be done in November and only the time to do one - so picked one that was ready.

    Sheffield and Oxford are massively delayed - looks like some sort of re-planning required (there's a footnote in the document I don't understand the meaning of)
  • kevkev Posts: 21,070
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    chrisy wrote: »
    From an official Ofcom document.


    Sheffield and Oxford are massively delayed - looks like some sort of re-planning required (there's a footnote in the document I don't understand the meaning of)
    Thanks.

    The original Technical plan from Comux said
    5.35 The reach proposed for Sheffield in the Coverage Note is limited as it misses out North
    Sheffield presumably in order to protect the Wincobank relay site. It is proposed that an antenna
    design be used that provides a second lobe at around 25°. We will ask Ofcom to consider
    relaxing the restriction between 50° and 70° in order to allow greater coverage of Sheffield
    centre. The Arqiva GIS Report of 5 October 2011 states (at p.127):
    ‘A desk-top survey did not identify any viewers on Wincobank in the most affected areas.
    Viewers were seen to be using a variety of sources such as Sheffield, Emley Moor and Belmont’.
    5.36 Alternatively, it may be possible to change the channel on the Wincobank relay transmitter
    to remove the interference effect.

    I'd imagine that they are still working on that
    http://comux.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Technical-Plan.pdf

    I also see that Croydon has been added looks like they are using that as an SFN with Crystal Palace to improve coverage in South London?

    For anyone else looking for the actual link to this document on Ofcoms site it's here http://licensing.ofcom.org.uk/tv-broadcast-licences/current-licensees/multiplex/Multiplex-L/ (nothing else other than the licence and the plan chrisy linked to at the moment though)
  • kevkev Posts: 21,070
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    Summary of all the changes from the January Plan
    London - Croydon added, Crystal Palace doesn't get to use the main DTTV antenna, but will be 20 meters higher at 20kW ERP. Croydon to launch 5 months after Crystal Palace.
    Edinburgh - Gets switched from 56 to 30 bringing it in-group, but doesn't add Black Hill as requested.
    Plymouth and Swansea - No longer listed in Phase 1.
    None of the requested higher aerials have so far been added
    Belmont launches on 26/11 vs the original December (Although licensee proposed a September 2013 air date), all other sites delayed until 2014. However they were due to sign the deal with Arqiva in January but the licence wasn't awarded by that point.
    Only Nottingham, Preston, and Manchester to make it to air before the local tv licensees originally proposed launch date (although most licensees said "subject to award before..." a date that was missed by months)
  • chrisychrisy Posts: 9,418
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    Local TV in Scotland/Wales have now officially been allocated Ch 34.
  • TelevisionUserTelevisionUser Posts: 41,404
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    ...to include Barnstaple, Basingstoke, Londonderry/Derry, Gloucester, Guildford, Limavady, Luton, Maidstone, Plymouth, Reading and Salisbury. The closing date for applications is Tuesday 7 January 2014.

    (Source = http://mediatel.co.uk/newsline/2013/09/25/ofcom-invites-applications-for-new-local-tv-licences/)

    I have my doubts about whether the local TV channels in the smaller towns will survive in the long term unless they can cooperate with other similar ventures nearby to share costs and content.
  • BMRBMR Posts: 4,351
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    Still nothing for Derby :(
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