Plymouth set for new TV channel

Plymouth may soon get a local television channel according to regulator Ofcom.

Locations across the UK including Plymouth and Barnstaple, are slated to gain independent channels making original programming.

Ofcom is inviting applications from independent studios to get a licence to found a new channel for a local audience.

11 more licences were announced today as part of an ongoing process of applications.

The first set of licenses has already been awarded with 19 new channels expected to be launched by Spring 2014. The first channel ‘Estuary TV’ in Grimsby is set to launch in November.

Seven more licences advertised in June this year have all received bids with a further ten expected to be advertised next year.

Bidders interested in a licence must present an application to Ofcom before January 7 2014 to be considered as a contender.

The new channels will receive £40million of funding from the BBC for the first three years of its running. Most of the funding will go towards infrastructure with further money going to subsidise programming.

All the channels must produce at least seven hours of news a week to qualify as a bidder. This is in an effort to promote local broadcast journalism.

The local channels will be broadcast regionally on digital freeview television although local operators can offer their service on satellite, cable and online.