Local TV biggest boost to indies since C4, says Horwood

INDEPENDENT radio producers have been encouraged to get involved with local television when a new network is rolled out in 2013.

Culture secretary Jeremy Hunt is pushing through a new model for local TV which he believes can be viable. Companies that want to run stations have already submitted expressions of interest and licences will be handed out at the end of 2012.

Richard Horwood, chief executive of contender Channel 6, called on radio producers to play a significant role in the planned renaissance of local TV when he addressed delegates at radio producers’ conference RPIN 2011 at The Lowry, Salford Quays yesterday

He said: “We’re aiming for 9,000 hours of original local programming across the network and hope to have 39 stations by 2016.

“Radio production companies frequently demonstrate great creativity – let’s bring that to TV. it may be a case of using those skills in partnership with TV directors and producers.”

Channel 6 is aiming to be a national network with local affiliates that enter into joint ventures with the national channel and receive a share of the advertising revenue.

The Government’s plans include initial funding of £25m followed by £5m a year, spread across all the stations, taken from the BBC licence fee.

“In our view that money [£5m a year] should be put in to non-commercial local programming to spotlight community issues. It does create opportunities for creative producers to collaborate on BBC subsidised local TV programmes,” said Mr Horwood, a Trinity Mirror executive who worked with former Sun editor Kelvin McKenzie on Live TV.

He added: “It will be the biggest boost to independent production since the launch of Channel 4 in the 1980s”.

The conference heard from Liberal Democrat culture, media and sport spokesman Don Foster who addressed concerns about the way the BBC’s quota for radio content from independents does not match the 25% for TV.

And Radio 5 Live’s deputy controller Jonathan Wall announced £40,000 for another Northern development fund. But the conference also looked beyond the BBC to other potential customers overseas. Speakers included Sally-Ann Wilson, the director general of the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association and Lorelei Harris of Dublin’s RTE Radio 1. The conference is organised by Ashley Byrne, creative director of producer Made in Manchester.