Culture secretary Jeremy Hunt has fleshed out his plans for a new UK national television station, which will focus on local news content.

The sixth UK digital terrestrial channel will house national content but this will be peppered with shows focusing on local topics.

Hunt is set to unveil his plans at the Oxford Media Convention today and said the new channel would be "dedicated to the provision of local news and content.

"One that will sit alongside other public service broadcasters, offering a new voice for local communities, with local perspectives that are directly relevant to them."

Sixth sense
If the idea is successful, then Hunt is hoping that he will be able to roll the channel out to BSkyB and Virgin Media, as well as having it as a staple on Freeview.

It's not clear if the channel will be able to nab the heralded sixth spot on the Freeview EPG, but Hunt has said in his plan: "The government wants to see a market-based solution emerge and is prepared to exercise its available powers and facilitate the right conditions to incentivise the market.

"The government is also considering whether new primary legislation is needed to secure incentives such as a prominent EPG position for local services."

It is thought that the TV channel could be up and running as soon as 2012 and will be filled with content from as many as 10 different local TV services.

As well as using digital TV, Hunt is hoping that services like YouView will be a lifeline for localy produced content in the future.


Read more: http://www.techradar.com/news/televisio ... z1BTZ16Xfm

Local content here is like The One Show with less of a budget, so it's hard to be hopeful

So, like UTV then?
Please say no.
(8+|

Mark

Pointless!
We have a million channels on Freeview already. Sky/Virgin viewers have even more.

True. Yet another channel I won't have the time or inclination to watch.

Also this sounds remarkably like ITV before the merger of all the companies. Though it is very similar to ITV now. So completely pointless.

That's what I'm expecting tbh

Unless your name is Murdoch and you want in on the public service TV remit.

Murdoch has no interest in public service remit. If he did why didn't he do it with Sky?

If ther is advertising revenue to be had, he'll be there. He'll also be there if he can oust hisbagenda at a local level.

There will be rules that stop him pushing his agenda on terrestrial TV.

You mean like we used to have? What happened to them?

Here each state has its own channels, even on satellite. I can watch the equivalent of a BBC 1 regional variant for each state, plus the Austrian versions of the channels as well.

Yes we have regional BBC and ITV still. Though the amount of local production is very minimal, usually just News, Weather and local political programs. I do not see what else this is adding. It will simply take another cut of the TV advertising budget. As for the public service remit I can understand that ITV want to get out of it. They should be allowed to, but the BBC funding should be guaranteed to ensure it.

He’s pushing to have various restrictions relaxed or removed. With Vince Cable out of the equation now, the Tories are in a better position to accede to his wishes.

Well we will end up with a Fox News here and it will lower standards dramatically.

And Sky News has such high standards now?

***COUGH***Kay Burley***COUGH