Think global, broadcast local: British local TV takes off

摘要

Over the years, several attempts have been made at operating television channels in the UK on a purely local basis -with a city- or town-wide focus, catering to the viewing needs of a closely defined area. Few have been successful. Two explanations might be offered as reasons for failure - limited distribution through the use of cable and high individual operating costs. In 2011, the government's then culture secretary, Jeremy Hunt, proposed a network of stations to serve communities and provide an alternative to the existing services, plans which make the current outlook for local TV more favourable. On the distribution front, the DDT Freeview channel 8 (45 in Wales and Scotland) has been made available for these local stations - enabling an audience of around 12 million homes.