Ofcom awards new local TV licences

UK regulator Ofcom has awarded two more local TV licences following the launch of the first of the country’s new local DTT services in Grimsby yesterday.

Ofcom has now awarded licences to operate services in York and Middlesborough.

The York Channel has been granted a licence to broadcast a channel for York, while Made In Teesside will operate in Middlesborough.

The new awards are part of the second phase of local TV licensing initiated by Ofcom in June. In total the regulator has received 10 applications to operate services in seven areas.

Ofcom will consider applications for services in Bangor, Mold and Swansea in the coming months.

The new channels will be broadcast on DTT by the local multiplex, a discrete amount of spectrum reserved for local TV broadcasting on DTT. Ofcom has awarded 23 local TV licences to date.