[Stooky Bill]

Local TV stations rebranding as part of Talk TV partnership: TalkBirmingham, TalkBristol, TalkCardiff, TalkLeeds, TalkLiverpool, TalkNorthWales, TalkTeesside & TalkTyne&Wear

uklocal.tv 

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  Source: uklocal.tv

[Spencer]

Local TV stations rebranding as part of Talk TV partnership: TalkBirmingham, TalkBristol, TalkCardiff, TalkLeeds, TalkLiverpool, TalkNorthWales, TalkTeesside & TalkTyne&Wear

uklocal.tv 

Given the slightly ropey standard of local programming, I’m not convinced this move will reflect particularly well on TalkTV’s slick, flashy brand.

[Brekkie]

Are they still presented from the street?

[Stooky Bill]

Given the slightly ropey standard of local programming, I’m not convinced this move will reflect particularly well on TalkTV’s slick, flashy brand.

Thing is that 95% of their output is the national Talk TV anyway. The token local stuff won't affect things too much.

And looking at their ratings it can't make things any worse

[lookoutwales]

As I said on the other thread, even the local element is kept down to the bare minimum within those 'local' hours.

There's the odd bit of extra content here and there (usually some kind of sponsored / commercial initiative) with a bit more effort put in it - but it really does come at a premium.

[Ash101]

Interesting because NewsUK are essentially giving the branding over to another company… but I guess it’s worth the pay off for them as they’re getting most of the airtime and some brand recognition with the logo/name.

I wonder if any other local TV operators would be interested?

[orange]

This feels like a grim move. You’re telling me the local Liverpool channel is now going to essentially be the televised version of The Sun?

Because that’s going to go well.

[eyeTV]

'Local TV' is and has long been a farce anyway.

That's TV is a national network showing Birds of a Feather, Benidorm, Goodnight Sweetheart etc. with a 15 minute news bulletin at 5.30pm & 6.30pm. There is nothing 'local' at the weekends.

None of these services reflect anything like their actual bids to award the franchise. Ofcom just waived every change through as clearly the localness of these services was not actually properly viable. Are any of them still operating a properly local service?

[Brekkie]

That's TV is woeful as a local channel but they've somewhat stepped in to where Forces TV were with classic TV now and have now launched That's Christmas as a hybrid festive movie/music channel too. Not sure if these local licences expire soon but they're well positioned to give them up.

Hadn't thought about the Liverpool situation, though people would have to watch it in the first place in order to boycott it.

[Neil Jones]

That's TV is woeful as a local channel but they've somewhat stepped in to where Forces TV were with classic TV now and have now launched That's Christmas as a hybrid festive movie/music channel too.    Not sure if these local licences expire soon but they're well positioned to give them up.

The licences for the local TV multiplex, and for all 34 local TV services, are due to expire on 25 November 2025. In the Broadcasting White Paper, Up Next, the government committed to changing the local TV licensing regime to enable the renewal of the local TV multiplex licence until 2034.

However I also notice from the same webpage, the exasperating comment:  " outside of these reductions [to local content quota amounts], failures to meet programming output obligations [for Local TV providers] have only been noted by Ofcom a handful of times over the last 10 years "

Which seems to suggest to me simulcasting Talk TV (and previous CBS Reality) appears to count towards the quota, which is ridiculous because CBS Reality on its own aired Judge Judy all day, which is an American show that was made on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles...