[DVB Cornwall]

Details have been revealed for the licensing process for local muxes in S Wales and Manchester ...

The first awards will create opportunities for digital services in Cardiff and Manchester.
Later phases would include offering white space spectrum in many different parts of the country at the same time, as the UK switches to digital.
This would allow bidders to put together blocks of spectrum – known as ‘interleaved spectrum’ - so that they could offer new digital TV services across most of the UK, or in a network of various cities.

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/notice524/

[freetoview33]

So local TV? e.g channel M? on freeview?
This is more great news, at last Ofcom have finally done something good.
I said what's next this seams to be it, Octobers been full of amazing news for freeview.

Or HDTV?

[tghe-retford]

Originally Posted by DVB Cornwall

This would allow bidders to put together blocks of spectrum – known as ‘interleaved spectrum’ - so that they could offer new digital TV services across most of the UK, or in a network of various cities.

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/notice524/

Hopefully we won't see a problem where national services (like LBC or Jazz FM do on DAB) occupying regional slots in specific parts of the country because it is cheaper to specifically target major population areas (ie. London, North West, West Midlands, South Wales, Central Scotland, Yorkshire) whilst other areas of the UK which are not as densely populated lose out (ie. Mid Wales, South West, Northern Scotland).

I would prefer the space to be used for true local TV services (ie. Channel M) or if the cost of this cannot be justified, a seventh national multiplex.

[Neil C]

Very exciting news. I agree with freetoview33 on OFCOM's decision. But there's one thing that concerns me and that is what format the new stations could take.

Channel M is a decent stab at a truly local station but it covers the greater manchester area only. If new city wide stations launch I feel the larger less populated parts of the UK may miss out.

I think what's needed is a 50/50 split. By all means have a "Channel S" for sheffield or a "Channel L" for Leeds but also a wider "Yorkshire Network" or a Southwestern TV".

That way viewers can feel that they have their own channel and not feel left out by the big cities.

Question: Does this have anything to do with ITV's cutting back on local programmes?

[Ray Cathode]

Originally Posted by tghe-retford

Hopefully we won't see a problem where national services (like LBC or Jazz FM do on DAB) occupying regional slots in specific parts of the country because it is cheaper to specifically target major population areas (ie. London, North West, West Midlands, South Wales, Central Scotland, Yorkshire) whilst other areas of the UK which are not as densely populated lose out (ie. Mid Wales, South West, Northern Scotland).

I would prefer the space to be used for true local TV services (ie. Channel M) or if the cost of this cannot be justified, a seventh national multiplex.

This is a commercial service and so local TV is only likely to be a proposition in large metropolitan areas. In this case analogue local TV stations seem to be given the opportunity to go digital.

The fact that Caldbeck is not being offered means that there is no prospective local TV operator in the area. Instead it is likely to be included in a package of 20 or more transmitters to form a quasi-national network and auctioned later. I understood from the previous consultations that this was attractive to shopping channels.

If I was able to bid, I would try and get a large a portfolio as possible for my channel. It is similar to what is going on with DAB, where there are networks of supposedly local stations, which all provide the same output except for a few hours a day. Unfortunately, they also have the characteristics of cherry picking the largest populations to be broadcast to at a cheap a price per head as possible. The rural communities will indeed lose out.

So don't hold your breath and think that local TV will come to every area of Britain. It will be mainly teleshopping I fear.

[tvhamster]

Originally Posted by Ray Cathode

This is a commercial service and so local TV is only likely to be a proposition in large metropolitan areas. In this case analogue local TV stations seem to be given the opportunity to go digital.

The fact that Caldbeck is not being offered means that there is no prospective local TV operator in the area. Instead it is likely to be included in a package of 20 or more transmitters to form a quasi-national network and auctioned later. I understood from the previous consultations that this was attractive to shopping channels.

If I was able to bid, I would try and get a large a portfolio as possible for my channel. It is similar to what is going on with DAB, where there are networks of supposedly local stations, which all provide the same output except for a few hours a day. Unfortunately, they also have the characteristics of cherry picking the largest populations to be broadcast to at a cheap a price per head as possible. The rural communities will indeed lose out.

So don't hold your breath and think that local TV will come to every area of Britain. It will be mainly teleshopping I fear.

If Ofcom have some sense - they will offer spaces to every singal Radio station broadcasting in each transmitters reach.

[IanP]

These slots will go to the highest bidder. I would imagine existing mux operators (i.e. Arqiva, SDN) would be likely bidders, and once they've won the mux operator licence they'll auction off the channel slots to the highest bidders.

With some ITV and C4 services on mux 2 making way for displaced services at DSO, if they can't secure a national slot on a mux A, B or C they could try for slots on "mux 7" in major population centers.

Shopping channels are probably the most likely to acquire carriage on the new mux. There's an outside chance of some FTA satellite entertainment channels winning a slot if they can make a return via increased ad revenue (audience data could be hard to obtain to justify this with patchy coverage). Real local TV channels are very unlikely to be viable outside London.

[Westward]

deleted

[sugapunk]

Originally Posted by IanP

Real local TV channels are very unlikely to be viable outside London.

I think Channel M will definitely join Freeview. After the analogue switch-off, they'll only be on Sky and Virgin.

[PeterB]

Originally Posted by tvhamster

If Ofcom have some sense - they will offer spaces to every singal Radio station broadcasting in each transmitters reach.

Please explain why?

[Neil C]

Originally Posted by IanP

These slots will go to the highest bidder. I would imagine existing mux operators (i.e. Arqiva, SDN) would be likely bidders, and once they've won the mux operator licence they'll auction off the channel slots to the highest bidders.

With some ITV and C4 services on mux 2 making way for displaced services at DSO, if they can't secure a national slot on a mux A, B or C they could try for slots on "mux 7" in major population centers.

Shopping channels are probably the most likely to acquire carriage on the new mux. There's an outside chance of some FTA satellite entertainment channels winning a slot if they can make a return via increased ad revenue (audience data could be hard to obtain to justify this with patchy coverage). Real local TV channels are very unlikely to be viable outside London.

What about Channel M? They seemed to be doing alright.

[IanP]

I'm not sure what Channel M's financial position is on it's own but it does have the Guardian Media Group's weight behind it. GMG says

The station is well positioned to face the Digital Dividend Review in the autumn, which will determine whether Channel M can look forward to a digital future on Freeview following analogue switch-off in 2009.

I would assume the majority of their viewers are via satellite, cable and online given that so little analogue TV is watched these days. If I'm correct the impact of losing their RSL service would not be the end of their world. How much money can they afford to expand their reach to Freeview in Manchester in the early stages of a recession though? It will all depend on how much competition there is for slots and who has the deepest pockets.

[Ray Cathode]

Some interesting and spurious facts gleaned from the full consultation documents:

A LCN from DMOL costs £10,000 pa at present. Mux owners will be required to conform to "Freeview" co-ordination with compatible LCNs and SI.

The new muxes may be broadcast in QPSK mode but GMG queried whether current set top boxes can decode it. Ofcom say that QPSK has always been in the DVB-T standards but are doing more research on the matter. If QPSK is not used it will be 64QAM with less coverage but more channels. We all know the story about DVB-T standards and split NITs don't we?

[Neil C]

Originally Posted by IanP

I'm not sure what Channel M's financial position is on it's own but it does have the Guardian Media Group's weight behind it. GMG says I would assume the majority of their viewers are via satellite, cable and online given that so little analogue TV is watched these days. If I'm correct the impact of losing their RSL service would not be the end of their world. How much money can they afford to expand their reach to Freeview in Manchester in the early stages of a recession though? It will all depend on how much competition there is for slots and who has the deepest pockets.

Good point well made. Finances are going to be the big issue with this. GMG/Channel M may not come onto freeview that's true but hopefully another media group may do so as a response to ITV's cutback of regional output.

A pipe dream but possible.

[chrisy]

Originally Posted by Neil C

Good point well made. Finances are going to be the big issue with this. GMG/Channel M may not come onto freeview that's true but hopefully another media group may do so as a response to ITV's cutback of regional output.

A pipe dream but possible.

GMG will absolutely bid for the local Manchester frequency, and I wouldn't be surprised if they try and pick up some of the others in successive auctions to try and expand their TV output somewhat.

These licences do not have a "use it or lose it" clause, so it costs GMG £10,000 for the rights to broadcast to Manchester (if they are the only bidder - of course I never said they would win the auction) which is peanuts to a group such as GMG. They don't need to set the transmission up immediately, they can wait until the financial environment is better... but I think the opportunity cost of not being there at the point of DSO is probably greater than what it will cost to set up a new local multiplex.

[acoolwelshbloke]

Has mux7 gone live?

When i re-scanned my Thomson Box earlier it found 7 instead of 6 Frequencies?

[Neil C]

Originally Posted by chrisy

GMG will absolutely bid for the local Manchester frequency, and I wouldn't be surprised if they try and pick up some of the others in successive auctions to try and expand their TV output somewhat.

These licences do not have a "use it or lose it" clause, so it costs GMG £10,000 for the rights to broadcast to Manchester (if they are the only bidder - of course I never said they would win the auction) which is peanuts to a group such as GMG. They don't need to set the transmission up immediately, they can wait until the financial environment is better... but I think the opportunity cost of not being there at the point of DSO is probably greater than what it will cost to set up a new local multiplex.

If GMG go for Manchester then it's possible that The Yorkshire Post will do the same here etc.

What this could do is open up a new kind of regional structure. One that isn't tied in to the demands of some all powerful group in London a'la ITV.

What form this will take is unknown but surely it would be better then what we have right now.

[deepfroat]

The DS story refers to Capital TV, an existing analogue station in Cardiff.

I don't know anyone who's ever seen it on their telly, but they used to webcast their programmes online at www.capital.tv - the website is no longer active.

Does anyone know anything more about this station? It doesn't bode well for the prospects of local digital TV in Cardiff.

[Neil C]

Can't say I've heard of it. Have you tried Wikipedia?

[The Turk]

Originally Posted by IanP

Real local TV channels are very unlikely to be viable outside London.

Local tv channels are a reality all over other countries like Spain, Italy, Germany and Holland. They work perfectly well in these countries. For example, in Italy its not just the large metropolitan areas that have them, they pretty much have them everywhere in the country.
If it works in other countries, then why not the UK?

[Neil C]

How good are they?

[oscar1]

Solent TV was a local TV channel covering the Isle of Wight --- that didn't last very long sadly.
It began in October 2002 but ceased in May 2007.
Regards

[kev]

Originally Posted by acoolwelshbloke

Has mux7 gone live?

When i re-scanned my Thomson Box earlier it found 7 instead of 6 Frequencies?

Many transmitters, including Winter Hill, The Wrekin and Sudbury already broadcast multiple multiplexes - also others areas have strong signals from other sites (at one of my former addresses I could get 11 multiplexes from three transmitters for example). Where I am now occasionally one of the Belmont multiplexes makes an appearance on top of the six I normally get from Waltham.

[acoolwelshbloke]

Originally Posted by kev

Many transmitters, including Winter Hill, The Wrekin and Sudbury already broadcast multiple multiplexes - also others areas have strong signals from other sites (at one of my former addresses I could get 11 multiplexes from three transmitters for example). Where I am now occasionally one of the Belmont multiplexes makes an appearance on top of the six I normally get from Waltham.

I have always got 6 freq's in the past, i am on Kilvey hill only one mile from the transmitter. I have a clear line of site as the transmitter is on a hill and i am on a hill 1 mile opposite it!

I rescand today and again i am getting 7 freq's, no extra channels or anything though, maybe they are testing?

[The Turk]

Originally Posted by Neil C

How good are they?

Pretty good, judging by the ones I've seen in Italy. OK, Im not claiming the quality of local channels there match that of the national channels but considering the smaller budget they have through broadcasting to a much smaller audience, they're not bad.
The key is that they actually have their own channels to themselves so they don't have to share the airwaves with the national networks.
I know I must sound like a broken record as I've said this enough times on other threads but I really have to emphasise that unlike ITV, the major commercial network in Italy, Mediaset have NO regional obligations WHATSOEVER, despite operating no less than three channels on the analogue terrestrial spectrum. LA7 also don't have to broadcast any regional programming either.