First 20 locations set to receive local TV are unveiled
鈥楴ew stations will provide local communities with programming聽relevant to their daily lives鈥� says Jeremy Hunt.
The which are expected to be the first to have their own local TV stations were announced today by Culture Secretary .
The first 鈥榩ioneer areas鈥� are expected to be: Belfast, Birmingham, Brighton and Hove, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Grimsby, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Newcastle, Norwich, Nottingham, Oxford, Plymouth, Preston, Southampton and Swansea.
Red pins mark the first 20 areas; blue pins mark the next 24. View in a larger map
These areas were identified as having good local spectrum coverage and significant levels of interest from potential operators and audiences. will now consult on these areas and its proposed licensing process.
鈥淚 am confident these new stations will provide local communities with programming which is relevant to their daily lives, will support local democracy, boost the big society and enhance local communities,鈥� said Mr Hunt.
Future areas
A further 24 areas identified for a future round of licensing are: Aberdeen, Ayr, Bangor, Barnstaple, Basingstoke, Bedford, Cambridge, Carlisle, Derry / Londonderry, Dundee, Guildford, Hereford, Inverness, Kidderminster, Limavady, Luton, Maidstone, Malvern, Mold, Salisbury, Sheffield, Stoke on Trent, Stratford upon Avon and York.
Framework for local TV
The Government is also taking a number of that will allow for transmission infrastructure to be built and the new local TV services to start operating. Spectrum will be awarded through a competitive process to a single multiplex operator to provide the distribution for local TV. The necessary enabling legislation will be laid shortly.