Local television in the United Kingdom


Local television in the United Kingdom, described in legislation as Local Digital Television Programme Services, provides a television station for a specific local area. Successful applicants are awarded a sole licence for their chosen area, and are expected to locate their studios within the same area. They broadcast on the digital terrestrial system, as used by the national Freeview service.
The independent regulator, Ofcom, invites applications in all areas where transmission is technically possible, and assesses proposals against the statutory criteria.

Availability

The multiplexes that the stations operate on are operated by Comux, owned by the local TV broadcasters with operations run by Canis Media.
In England and Northern Ireland, the local channels were on channel 8 and in Scotland and Wales they were originally given channel 45; however, after a number of channel closures, channel 23 was used. Following the closure of BBC Three, the local stations moved to channel 7 in England and Northern Ireland, and channel 8 in Scotland and Wales. Some local stations in England however are broadcast on Channel 8 for other reasons. Some stations are also available via cable channel 159 and satellite channel 117. Channels 168, 169 and 209 were used if a region wants multiple local TV channels on Sky before 1 May 2018.

Phase 1

In May 2012, Local TV areas were selected to invite bids for providing a local TV service.
Primary locationTransmitterWinning operatorLaunch dateOther bids
AberdeenDurrisSTV2 24 April 2017
AyrDarvelSTV2 24 April 2017
BasingstokeHanningtonThat's Hampshire23 May 2017
BelfastDivisNVTV29 September 2014Made in Belfast
BirminghamSutton ColdfieldBig Centre TV28 February 2015Bham TV, Made in Birmingham, YourTV Birmingham
Brighton and HoveWhitehawk HillLatest TV28 August 2014none
BristolMendipMade in Bristol8 October 2014none
CambridgeMadingleyThat's Cambridge18 August 2015none
CarlisleCaldbeckThat's Carlisle25 July 2017
CardiffWenvoeMade in Cardiff15 October 2014Cardiff Local TV
DundeeAngusSTV2 24 April 2017
EdinburghCraigkellySTV Edinburgh12 January 2015Edinburgh News Network, Made in Edinburgh, Metro8 Edinburgh
GlasgowBlack HillSTV Glasgow2 June 2014Glasgow TV, Made in Glasgow, Metro8 Glasgow
GrimsbyBelmontEstuary TV26 November 2013none
GuildfordGuildfordThat's Surrey2 August 2017
LeedsEmley MoorMade in Leeds6 November 2014Leeds TV, Metro8 Leeds, NORTH, YourTV Leeds
LiverpoolWinter Hill
Storeton		Bay TV Liverpool4 December 2014Made in Liverpool, Metro8 Liverpool, Our-TV, YourTV Liverpool
LondonCrystal Palace, Croydon, Hemel HempsteadLondon Live31 March 2014London8, LondonTV, Made in London, YourTV London
Maidstone/TonbridgeBluebell HillKMTV Kent11 July 2017TVKent
ManchesterWinter HillThat's Manchester31 May 2015Made in Manchester, Manchester News Channel, MCR TV, Metro8 Manchester, YourTV Manchester
MiddlesbroughBilsdaleMade in Teesside30 March 2017TeesVision
MoldMoel-y-ParcMade in North WalesSerch TV Mold
NorwichTacolnestonMustard TV24 March 2014NR ONE
NottinghamWaltham
Nottingham		Notts TV27 May 2014Television Nottingham
Newcastle/SunderlandPontop PikeMade in Tyne & Wear12 November 2014Metro8 Newcastle, NEON-TV, YourTV Newcastle
OxfordOxfordThat's Oxfordshire17 April 2015Oxford 8, Oxford 8
Preston/BlackpoolWinter HillThat's Lancashire24 August 2015Metro8 Preston, YourTV Blackpool & Preston
ReadingHanningtonThat's Thames Valley3 May 2017
SalisburySalisburyThat's Salisbury19 July 2017
ScarboroughOliver's MountThat's North Yorkshire1 August 2017
SheffieldSheffieldSheffield Live TV23 September 2014Metro8 Sheffield, YourTV Sheffield
Southampton/PortsmouthRowridgeThat's Solent26 November 2014TV Solent
SwanseaKilvey HillThat's Swansea Bay12 July 2016Love Swansea
YorkBilsdaleThat's York26 June 2017none

In August 2012, 57 applications were received to provide these services. Bristol, Brighton & Hove and Grimsby attracted only one bid each. Plymouth and Swansea received no bids from potential broadcasters.
† The owners of Birmingham licence City8 went into administration before the channel launched. The licence was re-awarded to another operator, Big Centre TV.

Phase 2

In March 2013, Ofcom announced that more areas had been selected to invite bids for local television services, in addition to re-advertising the previously un-awarded Swansea and Plymouth locations.
Primary locationTransmitterWinning operatorLaunch dateOther bids
BangorLlanddonanot awardedBay TV Gwynedd
Bedfordnot awarded
Bromsgrovenot awarded
DerryLondonderrynot awarded
HerefordIt's Hereford01/02/2018
InvernessRosemarkienot awardedICTV
KidderminsterKidderminsternot awarded
Limavadynot awarded
LincolnshireBelmontThat's Lincolnshire
LutonSandy Heathnot awarded
MalvernMalvernnot awarded
PlymouthCaradon HillThat's Plymouth
Stoke-on-Trentnot awardedBay TV Stoke
Stratford-upon-AvonLark StokeUpon 8