Advanced Television

Birmingham licence for City TV

November 7, 2012

Ofcom has awarded the local TV licence for UK’s second city Birmingham to local player City TV Broadcasting, ahead of high-profile consortiums backed by heavyweights including former BBC Trust chairman Sir Michael Lyons.

City TV Broadcasting has picked up the licence for what is considered by bidders to be one of the three most important of the 21 cities and towns that have so far been chosen to have local TV services.

Ofcom also awarded the licence for Oxford to That’s Oxford, the same group picked up the licence for Southampton, to be called That’s Solent.

The size of Birmingham, Manchester and London make their local TV licences the most lucrative on offer and are considered by some observers to be make-or-break for several bidders seeking multiple licences across the country.

Made Television, which is chaired by former Sky executive and co-founder of pay-TV firm Top Up TV Ian West, also missed out in Birmingham. The consortium, which has named partners including Time Out magazine and Ambassador Theatre Group, has already won in Bristol and Cardiff and bid for 11 licences.

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