A new commercial television service for Dundee has come a step closer after broadcasting regulator Ofcom gave Comux the green light to start building a localised digital television platform.
The agreement will enable the company, a cooperative venture-backed by Canis Media, to widen the scope of local TV broadcasting to as many as 60 towns and cities across the UK including Dundee, Aberdeen and Inverness.
The deal ties the firm into a 12-year licence for the build and maintenance of technical infrastructure capable of transmitting local TV services.
The initial roll-out has identified 19 local TV locations where the licensing process is either complete or under way.
This first wave includes Edinburgh and Glasgow, and some local TV channels are expected to start airing on Freeview before the end of this year.
Under the agreement the firm also proposed a further 28 locations for local TV coverage. The licensing for these towns and cities, including Dundee, will begin later this year.
The Comux platform for digital TV services is based on a cooperative, locally owned, profit-sharing model.
“I’m delighted that we will be playing such an important role in what is one of the most exciting changes to the UK’s TV landscape for many years,” said the Comux UK founder, and chief executive of Canis Media, Ed Hall.
“I believe that we won because our innovative cooperative structure maximises the chance of success for each and every local TV franchise holder.”
Mr Hall said Comux is looking forward to building the infrastructure, and he will be particularly excited to see the first local TV services on-air.
“This really is a step-change; previously local TV has been limited to a handful of cities, but soon there will be up to 60 towns and cities with their own local channel,” he added.
“This revolutionises how the UK’s local communities are served by TV.”
Comux parent Canis Media is a television consultancy business which is one of the leading brokers of electronic programme guide slots for Sky’s digital TV platform.
It will manage Comux which will have its UK technical headquarters at Birmingham Science Park at Aston for an initial period of three years.
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