Bromsgrove a step closer to its Local TV station

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BROMSGROVE could be a step closer to getting its own digital terrestrial TV (DDT) station after the revealed operator for the services was announced by Ofcom.

Although the town was not named by Comux in its first swathe of 19 areas to get Local TV, it was in its proposed second group of 28 towns and cities named

Comux will now be responsible for building and maintaining the technical infrastructure needed to broadcast the TV services, which will be licensed by Ofcom. Among the first 19, which should be on air before the end of 2013, were Birmingham, London, Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds and Nottingham, along with Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Belfast.

Ofcom has so far awarded 14 licences to areas in the first list of 19 and the rest will be allocated in the coming months.

It is now looking for expressions of interest from potential operators in the 28 additional locations, including Bromsgrove.

As well as broadcasting the local TV channels, the multiplex operator can broadcast two additional video streams, which can be leased to other organisations on a quasi-national commercial basis.

Local TV will be beamed into homes using the same digital terrestrial TV network that distributes Freeview.

DMOL, the organisation responsible for the management and allocation of channel numbers, has reserved Channel 8 for the English areas. Those with the service will be able to receive it through their existing Freeview equipment.

Comux UK, which has been awarded the 12-year-licence to provide the infrastructure for the stations, is a not-for-profit organisation.

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