Ofcom awards Preston local TV licence

19th award completes the first phase of local TV licensing

Ofcom has awarded the licence to run the local TV service in Preston on digital terrestrial TV (DTT), completing the first phase of local TV licensing.

The award follows legislation enabling Ofcom to issue local TV licences. The channels will broadcast on a specific multiplex', a discrete amount of spectrum reserved for local TV broadcasting on DTT.

The licence is awarded to:

Preston: YourTV Blackpool & Preston

Channel name: YourTV Blackpool & Preston

Website: http://yourtvblackpoolpreston.co.uk/

Licences are awarded for a period of up to 12 years. It is hoped that some channels may be on air before the end of 2013. As well as broadcasting on DTT, it is anticipated that local TV channels might also wish to offer their services on satellite, cable and online.

A statement setting out the main reasons for the award of the Preston local TV licence has been published on the Ofcom website.

End of first phase

With the award of the Preston licence, Ofcom has now completed the first phase of local TV licensing.

In May 2012, Ofcom invited applications to run local TV services in 21 local areas. In total, 57 applications were received to run the services in 19 areas, along with four applications for the local TV multiplex.

Ofcom has now awarded all 19 local TV licences and the multiplex licence. In total, the first phase of local TV channels will reach almost 12 million households1.

The full list of successful applicants is:

Belfast: NvTv

Birmingham: City TV Broadcasting

Brighton & Hove: Latest TV

Bristol: Made in Bristol

Cardiff: Made in Cardiff

Edinburgh: ETV

Glasgow: GTV

Grimsby: Lincolnshire Living

London: London Live

Leeds: Made in Leeds

Liverpool: Bay TV Liverpool

Manchester: YourTV Manchester

Newcastle: Made in Tyne and Wear

Norwich: Mustard

Nottingham: Notts TV

Oxford: That's Oxford

Preston: YourTV Blackpool & Preston

Sheffield: SLTV/Sheffield Live

Southampton: That's Solent

Multiplex operator: Comux

In line with powers granted to Ofcom to licence local TV, Ofcom is now preparing for the second phase of licensing and will publish details shortly.

ENDS

NOTES FOR EDITORS

1. Ofcom estimates that the 19 local TV licences awarded in the first phase could reach approximately almost 12 million homes. Ofcom is in the process of confirming the coverage with the multiplex licensee now that the multiplex licence has been awarded.

2. Ofcom has provided technical assistance for local TV coverage planning and is overseeing the licensing of local TV services. This follows the Government's policy statement in December 2011, and our public consultation that closed on 19 March 2012.

3. Full contact details for Preston applicant, along with details of their application are available here.

4. Digital UK, the organisation responsible for the management and allocation of channel numbers on DTT, has reserved channel numbers for new public service local TV channels. These will be carried at channel 8 (England and Northern Ireland) and channel 45 (Wales and Scotland).

LINK:	http://media.ofcom.org.uk/2013/03/01/ofcom-awards-preston-local-tv-lic...
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