Comux unveils ‘Local TV’
August 22, 2013
Comux UK, the community-owned business selected by Ofcom to build and operate the local television broadcasting platform, has released details of ‘Local TV’, the brand that will be the public face of the UK’s local television service.
Local TV will be responsible for maximising awareness and providing information about local television stations and programming through the website www.getcloser.tv
Ed Vaizey, Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), said: “This agreement marks a key stage in the development of local TV and we will soon see the first station begin broadcasting. The first station to hit the airwaves will launch an entirely new media industry in the UK. These stations are creating new jobs in our communications and creative industries, and providing people with a fresh way to be informed about their local communities.
The Local TV brand was officially launched at the Guardian Edinburgh International Television Festival (GEITF) this week, where conference attendees were able to talk to some of the local licence holders who will be delivering the service initially to 19 major cities and towns, starting with Grimsby in November and rolling out over the following months.
Ed Hall, Chief Executive at Comux, said: “Recently we announced contracts with all of our infrastructure partners and suppliers. We can now deliver the complete technical framework we promised to Ofcom and the 19 local licensees due to start broadcasting from this November. Today’s launch of the public-facing Local TV brand means that we can now start promoting the service to the public and ensure that it receives the audience it deserves.”
Hall concluded: “Local TV will become a familiar brand over the next year or two, and we fully expect that the local television service will attract a significant audience in the areas that it is available. Ofcom is currently seeking expressions of interest in a second phase of local stations across another 30 locations, and we are looking forward to the launch of the first station this autumn.”