New Carlisle TV station may be broadcasting by 2020
Last updated at 16:54, Tuesday, 29 January 2013
A new television station dedicated to Carlisle could be on the air before the end of the decade.
Ofcom, the government agency which regulates the broadcasting industry, is to advertise for a licence to run a new station this year.
The announcement comes after Comux, a London-based co-operative firm, was appointed to operate the technical infrastructure yesterday. The company will initially provide local TV stations in 19 locations around the UK. These will be broadcast on Freeview channel eight.
It has also announced 28 other places where such stations could be set up, including Carlisle.
Ofcom will now look for expressions of interest in the station. This has been welcomed by the city’s political leaders.
John Stevenson MP said: “Any new investment to the city of Carlisle is to be welcomed this is a unique opportunity. It could be very interesting.”
He added: “It is a compliment to Carlisle that they are looking at the city.”
Carlisle City Council leader Joe Hendry welcomed the idea, but with some caution.
“Local television can be very good in some ways but sometimes I think they struggle with communities,” he told the News & Star.
He pointed out that on travels to Germany and the United States he has noticed that many cities the size of Carlisle have their own television stations.
However, he added that the quality of local media in Carlisle is extremely high and said he would want any new station to live up to this standard.
He said: “If it’s going to be a similar TV station that did a similar job, that would be fine. I would be concerned if it threatened the existing media.”
First published at 16:53, Tuesday, 29 January 2013
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk
The Border and Look North TV slots broadcast by ITV and BBC (long term B&W/Colour licence payer) must have a policy of restricted time slots for Carlisle and Cumbria. I do look forward to a more less biased local news channel.
I recall when Pirelli's invested vast sums of money in Carlisle by building their new factory. My relation Jack Francis (now in his 80's) was allowed to speak on behalf of the factories investment in Cumbria for a minute time. His interview talk about the new factory was cut to only 15 seconds air time, on black and white tv days. Pirelli built a vast factory in Carlisle and went on employing many folks. He said at the time he thought it was deplorable and as a youngster at the time myself, I always believed he was right. It has never changed milliseconds being seemed the norm for Carlisle and Cumbria on both viewing channels on many occasions. Official figures of devoted regional time in comparison? It is about time we were coloured in more than being left out of such broadcasts that say they cover Carlisle, Borders and Cumbria when they have so little to show for their programme titles. I worked GPO shifts for many years so missed both stations. I recall one work colleague when the interviewer was a bit taken back, asking why he did not watch. His response being I'd rather be at work for what local broadcasting was shown.View all 15 comments on this article
Have your say
Would be better if it was a dedicated Cumbria channel. That would be good for the whole county then, would bring in more revenue, would not only benefit locals but give info for tourists to the area and would give a much wider range of things to actually talk about on the channel.
I dont know if a channel just for the city would have enough to go on about for long without repeating itself.
I would love to know whats going on all around the lake district, especially during the warmer months. It would also help businesses to get known around the county so that we could more successfully keep business local rather than watch too much go to the internet. And of course thst means more jobs...
Posted by Si on 4 February 2013 at 23:01