Bidders unveiled for local TV

FRANK McKenna, Phil Redmond and a Canadian TV station are among the bidders to run local TV in the North West.

In December culture secretary Jeremy Hunt named 21 towns and cities to pioneer local TV, including Manchester, Liverpool and Preston, which could start broadcasting as early as 2014.

Now the regulator Ofcom has now published a list of the 57 bidders.

In Liverpool Mersey TV founder Phil Redmond has teamed up with the former managing director of Lime Pictures Sean Marley under the Our-TV banner.

Earlier in the year Redmond said he wanted to create a, “platform and exhibition space for voices and social issues that do not get properly exposed or debated”.

He will face competition from a Canadian broadcaster called Channel Zero which has bid in eight of the regions including Manchester and Preston under the Metro8 name.

There’s also Frank McKenna, who is behind the business networking brand Downtown. He is bidding as the Liverpool representative of Your TV, a larger group chaired by former BBC Trust chairman Sir Michael Lyons, which is also vying for licences in Manchester, Preston, Sheffield, Leeds, Birmingham, Newcastle and London.

McKenna said Your TV was planning a 24-hour service in Liverpool with an emphasis on news and would employ 30 staff.

“We aspire to be the first place that people will go to get local news and information. Whenever someone turns to Your TV Liverpool they will get up-to date and informative content.”

Other bidders include Chris Johnson, whose Bay TV is already online and Made in Liverpool, which is registered to the Sharp Project in Manchester.

Manchester also has bids from Made in Manchester – although this is not the radio producer with the same name led by Ashley Byrne – Salford Quays-based Lets Go Global and the Manchester News Channel.

The only bidders for Preston are Your TV and Metro8. TheBusinessDesk.com is seeking interviews with some of the bidders – more to follow.