Liverpool’s TV licence goes to Bay

MEDIA regulator Ofcom has handed the 12-year licence for local television in Liverpool to Bay TV.

It means Phil Redmond and three other bidders have lost out in their attempt to win the right to broadcast to 890,000 homes in the city on Freeview’s channel eight.

Bay TV already runs a television channel for the city on Youtube. It was set up by Chris Johnson, managing director of the Mercury Press and Media news agency.

Mr Redmond, who made his name with Grange Hill and Brookside, teamed up with former Lime Pictures managing director Sean Marley for his Our-TV bid.

Aside from Bay TV he was up against bids from Made in Liverpool, Canada-based Metro8 and Your TV, which picked up the Manchester licence earlier in the month.

Ofcom said Metro8’s proposal did not demonstrate an understanding of the local population, while Our-TV’s was “less strong” than the other three despite being based on an innovative model.

It said: “Bay TV Liverpool’s application demonstrated the greatest understanding of the needs of the local area and put forward programming proposals which would address those needs to the greatest extent.”

Bay TV said Mercury Press and Media will be its main news media partner but it will also employ a team of video journalists, editors and feature programme production staff.

It plans to broadcast more than 10 hours of local programmes, including two-and-a-half hours of news each day.
 
Mr Johnson said: “We are thrilled and delighted to have won the licence. I want to thank all the team at Bay TV Liverpool who have worked so hard to pull this off.
 
“Bay TV Liverpool has been broadcasting over the internet since November 2011 and has already shown the great potential and appetite for local TV in the city.”
 
“With the new licence we will soon be on Channel 8 on Freeview and we are 100% committed to providing a station the people of Liverpool and surrounding areas can really call their own.”