Local TV in the UK

The government has announced the first 20 locations set to receive local TV. This page is an information resource for those interested in this process. Please Contact Us if you have anything that should be added.

In the late nineties the government started the process of issuing local RSL (Restricted License) TV licenses. At the time we held a public meeting and wrote an article entitled 'Will the Television be Revolutionised - Local TV Comes to Bristol and UK (1999)', the licenses were issued but most of the stations didn't last long.

Now local television is a reality about to happen. The following article Local Television's Time Has Come - (December 2011), assesses the bidding process for the new licences as it stands and examines what a successful local television channel might look like.

To discuss local TV in the UK please use our Local TV UK Discussion Forum

Government/Ofcom Documents:

Below are documents relating to the licensing of local TV in the UK. A Good place to start is a Summary of Licensing Local TV

Application Form & Guidance Notes to apply for local TV license (10.05.2012).
Local TV: Making the Vision Happen (13.12.2011)
Government response to the consultations on the Local TV Framework and Pioneer Locations
Licencing Local Televsion - How Ofcom would exercise its new powers and duties (12.2011)
Following the Government’s statements of policy in A new framework for local TV in
the UK, Local TV: Pioneer locations, and Local TV: Making the vision happen, it has
laid three Orders before Parliament that, if they enter into force, would create a
statutory framework for local television. Related documents:

Initial Findings, Letter from Nicholas Scott (9.2010)
Letter from Nicholas Shott outlining his initial findings.
Ofcom Technical delivery options for local television services in the UK (8. 2010)
Following detailed discussions with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and Nicholas Shott and his team, this report sets out the technical options for introducing local television services across the UK.
Commercially Viable Local Television in the UK (December 2010) - Has now come to be known as the Shott Review, this concluded Local TV was indeed viable.
Local Media Action Plan (1.2011) lays out what was necessary for local TV to succeed.
A new framework for local TV (7.2011)
Published by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, laying out how local TV would be structured.
Local TV: Pioneer locations (8.2011)
A consultation seeking views on potential local TV license locations and the order in which they could be awarded

Information:

The Guardian Local TV Webpage
Government Local TV Webpage
Government Potential Pioneer locations - Ofcom have identified 65 locations where there is the potential for local TV services to be licensed and broadcast on digital terrestrial television (Freeview).
Government Local Television Q&A

Organisations:

Community Media Association - Deal with community radio and local television as a consortium member of United for Local Television
(ULTV). Runs the comtv-l mailing list.
Institute of Local Television - Campaigning group supporting Local TV
United for Local Television (ULTV) - the industry association for local
TV in the United Kingdom (“UK”), has welcomed the government’s
proposals for a ‘bottom up’ approach to the development of local TV.

News:

Licensing Local Television - Statement, Offcom, 10..05.2012
How Ofcom will exercise its new powers and duties to license new local television services.
Licensing Local Television - Stakeholder Event - 3/2/2012, Offcom, 19.12.2011
Ofcom are planning to hold a public event for potential applicants for local television (L-DTPS) licences and/or the multiplex licence during the consultation period, to provide an opportunity for us to answer any questions on the consultation.
Could US Style TV Work in the UK, BBC, 13.12.2011
Local television stations are on their way to the UK, with the culture secretary announcing details of pilot schemes. But can they emulate the success of American local TV?
First 20 locations set to receive local TV are unveiled, The Guardian, 13.12.2011
Local TV may be coming to a small screen near you soon – but only if you are in one of the 20 towns and cities unveiled by the government as one of the "pioneers" of the new service.
Jeremy Hunt's grand plan for local TV wins no favors with his constituents, The Guardian, 14.9.2011
It was with characteristic good humour that Jeremy Hunt addressed the final leg of his nationwide tour to promote his grand plan for local TV on Wednesday.
Ofcom announces framework for local TV, BECTU, 10.8.2011
Industry regulator Ofcom yesterday announced 65 locations which it believes have the potential to support local tv stations in line with government plans for a new tv network of 10 or more affiliates from 2015.
Shott Review of economics of local television – why not use the web?, TalkAboutLocal.co.uk, 9.8.2011
For me the overarching question is why do local video programming on TV rather than the internet? The internet does almost everything that small audience local TV can do but far cheaper and more flexibly.
Race is on for local TV service bids, BBC News, 9.8.2011
More than 60 towns and cities are in the running to host the UK's first local television services, Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt has announced.
Jeremy Hunt confirms major shift in local TV policy, The Guardian, 2.6.2011
Culture secretary effectively scraps idea of a national network 'spine' in favour of 'more financially secure' individual stations
Jeremy Hunt outlines plans for 'local TV, BBC News, 19.1.2011,
Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt has invited companies to run local TV stations and make the proposed new services a reality.
Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt backs local TV stations, BBC News, 28.9.2010
Plans for a new "landscape of local TV services" in the UK would help "strengthen local democracy", Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt has said.

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