Licences to broadcast local television in the United Kingdom are currently being offered by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and Ofcom. In May 2012, twenty one areas were selected to invite bids for providing a local TV service. In August 2012 fifty seven applications were received to provide these services. Bristol, Brighton and Hove, and Grimsby attracted only one bid each. Plymouth and Swansea received no bids from potential broadcasters. In March 2013, Ofcom announced another 30 areas selected to invite bids for local television services.
The multiplexes that the stations will operate on are to be operated by Comux, owned by Canis Media. The stations will be located on DTT channel 8 in England and Northern Ireland. Because channel 8 is already allocated in Scotland and Wales, the stations were originally given channel 45, however this has since been allocated to Film4 +1, as the closure of ESPN freed up channel 34. Since then, the channel number has again fallen, to channel 26 after the closure of GOLD on Freeview, and now to 23 after the closure of Shop at Bid.
Coverage of local television presentation will be expanded in due course.
London Live
At 6:30pm on 31 March 2014, London Live, the local television service for London, backed by the owner of the London Evening Standard and Independent newspapers, launched in all London boroughs.
Mustard TV
At 5:30pm on 24 March 2014, Mustard TV, launched to viewers in Norwich and the surrounding areas.
Notts TV
Notts TV transmits on Freeview seven days a week initially 4pm to midnight, and then from earlier in the day as more programming becomes available.Page Updated: 12th May, 2017