Three cities set for local TV switch on
Manchester, Liverpool and Preston could be in line for their own local television stations under plans announced by the government.
The three are among 20 towns and cities in the UK to have been named "pioneer areas" by culture secretary Jeremy Hunt. The final 20 have been whittled down from a shortlist of 65 locations. Burnley and Lancaster are among those to have missed out.
The government said the areas were identified as having good local spectrum coverage and "significant levels" of interest from potential operators and audiences. Ofcom will now consult on the areas and its proposed licensing process.
Hunt said: "Local TV will be a fundamental change in broadcasting in this country, meeting a real demand for local news and content. We are now putting in place the measures needed to establish a series of commercially viable local TV stations.
"I am confident these new stations will provide local communities with programming which is relevant to their daily lives, will support local democracy, boost the big society and enhance local communities."
Carlisle has also been named on a list of "future areas" that could benefit from local television stations. It is one of 24 places to make the list.
The government said it was now taking "a number of steps" to create a statutory framework for licensing that would allow for transmission infrastructure to be built and the local TV services to start operating.
It also intends to examine whether independent television production companies should be allowed to bid for local TV licences. Current rules, designed to ensure a buoyant independent production sector, would prevent an independent producer from owning more than 25 per cent of a local TV licence.
