Independent Broadcaster Offers Radical Approach to Local TV Initiative

News provided by

Information TV

03 Mar, 2011, 13:32 GMT

LONDON, March 3, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

- "Local TV is not About Mass Audiences or Massive Spending" says Information TV - the Latest Company to Submit an 'Expression of Interest' to DCMS

Information TV has joined the bidders for the DCMS Local TV initiative, but unlike the majority of other companies expressing interest, the company is the only broadcaster that has already made Local TV happen. And this, two years before anything will emerge under Government plans and without excessive funding, new legislation or regulatory changes.

Information TV (http://www.information.tv) is an innovative and award-winning TV services company, prepared to dedicate an entire channel to showcase Local TV programmes - and confident it can do so on a proven, sustainable, commercial model. It has already been active in broadcasting various Local TV initiatives (e.g. Lakes TV, Liverpool City of Culture, Man United Fans TV) and has the support of other, similarly interested parties, many of whom will shortly be launching new Local TV programming.

Information TV CEO, Fred Perkins observes that "whilst the Local Media Action Plan states that 'it is not for Government to design a local TV solution in isolation' it then describes a 'new network channel', an 'affiliate/network construct', the arranging of 'EPG prominence' and 'new multiplex capacity'. The Secretary of State, Jeremy Hunt, seems to have decided on the solution so it's no surprise that big companies with big ideas have been quick to seize an opportunity which will not necessarily deliver the aspirations of the Local TV providers."

"The Government wants to create the Big Society - empowering individuals and local communities to work with and for one another. But Big Society will not be served by the reinvention of regional ITV, run by big companies and even bigger egos, spending tens of millions of pounds on a new 'national' TV channel."

"Local TV is not about mass audiences or massive spending," Perkins continues, "it's about bottom-up engagement with LOCAL capabilities, where the stakeholders in Local TV are the entire local community. And it doesn't require millions of pounds of funding, particularly the GBP40m from the BBC - which, in these times of austerity, could be better deployed."

Perkins concludes that "the top down approach is one which patently does NOT address the aspirations of the many local stakeholders who, for several years, have been campaigning for 'Local TV' across multiple fronts."

About Information TV

Over 7 years, Information TV has established itself as one of the UK's leading providers of broadcast TV services with its flexible turnkey solutions for businesses, organisations and brands aiming to establish an independent broadcast presence on the UK's largest digital TV platforms - BSkyB and Freesat, digital terrestrial (Freeview) - and via broadband on the internet. On 19 November 2010 Information TV won a prestigious Eutelsat Communications HOT BIRD(TM) AWARD, Lifestyle Channel of the Year, for its innovative business model.

With its flexible, low-cost, low-risk broadcast solutions, Information TV has gained a proven track record in helping business and organisations reach their broadcasting potential through a variety of formats. Through Information TV, many businesses and organisations have established a broadcast presence in the UK, including: dedicated 24/7 channels (e.g. Russia Today), channels reaching new niche audiences through digital TV (e.g. The Caravan Channel), channels piloting and developing new commercial propositions (e.g. The Painting & Drawing Channel) and direct communications with specific audiences & stakeholders (e.g. BP and ASDA).

With its own TV channels - Information TV (Sky Channel 166 / FREESAT 402), SHOWCASE TV(TM) (Sky Channel 201 / FREESAT 403) and SHOWCASE 2 (Sky Channel 203) -- Information TV is able to offer flexible, low-cost broadcast packages, whether for microchannels airing for as little as 30 minutes a week, to standalone TV channels operating 24/7.

As one of the few broadcast TV businesses to incubate start-up TV channels, Information TV also helps organisations develop new micro-channels, programmes, formats and concepts for broadcast content which occupy too specific a niche to justify a dedicated channel. 

    
    For further information contact

    fred.perkins@information.tv
    Tel: +44(0)20-7131-6693
    http://www.information.tv