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New local TV channel

Licence to run channel has been awarded today by Ofcom

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New local TV channel for Southampton

Rival regional publishers are working together on a new local TV channel for Southampton.

Ofcom has announced that the licence to run the service in the city has been awarded to That’s Solent Ltd, with backing from Newsquest and Johnston Press.

The two publishers, who own the Southern Daily Echo and Portsmouth’s The News, will provide news for the local channel in exchange for video content for their websites launching in 2014.

The channel will have three production centres at colleges in Southampton, Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight.

The channel aims to transmit rolling local news for three hours per weekday evening and one hour per day at weekends, along with a host of other programmes.

It also aims to train 300 “citizen volunteer reporters” who will provide reports on what is happening in their areas.

Each That’s Solent production centre will have a tie in with their local newspapers. MOUs have been signed with Newsquest (Daily Echo, Hampshire Chronicle etc); Johnston Press (Portsmouth News) and the Isle of Wight County Press.

“Each of these major news outlets will give That’s Solent news leads and information in exchange for videos for their own websites. A camera in their newsrooms will enable us to interview their journalists.”

– Application statement
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