Alex Connock, the chief executive of Ten Alps plc, has told How-Do that the company would bid to provide local news, if licences went to tender.
“If a licence becomes available for the North West, we will put in place a dedicated team to bid for it using our TV people and also video advertising specialists, based in Manchester," he said.
It comes as the Government prepares to publish the Digital Britain white paper next month, which will set out the future of Public Service Broadcasting (PSB).
In today’s Financial Times,Ten Alps co-founder Bob Geldof, said that they would be interested in bidding for the Northern Irish news currently supplied by UTV.
The company, which already runs the hyperlocal Kent TV, envisages a tie-in with local newspapers and a 24-hour service on television and online.
Ten Alps
Connock confirmed to How-Do that Ten Alps had a strategy of “bidding for whichever regional licences became available.”
“Since Ten Alps has a substantial base already in the North West, we believe our proposal would be creditable from a content and infrastructure basis. But it is very early days at this point, as the sense seems to be that the first pilots for PSB news will be in the 'nations' rather than the 'regions'.”
STV in Scotland is set to do this by the end of the year.
With Channel M’s redundancies hitting the headlines recently, How-Do asked Connock whether there really was a future in local television news:
“I wouldn't read too much into the recent downsizing of their team: that's just a function of the recession, and doesn't tell you much more about the value of their model, which I think is a strong one.
Fergie: Channel M
“However, where our approach will differ perhaps is that we are focussed on the non-linear possibilities of using a purely online approach, where news is provided, syndicated, aggregated on websites, rather than on a regular TV broadcast slot where the viewer has less choice at any given moment. I'm not saying TV is a redundant medium, but I am saying that in the long term a more non-linear model will prevail.
“So should we end up bidding for a North West licence, we would represent very respectful and friendly competition for Channel M. If they're Fergie, we'll be more Steve Bruce than Rafa Benitez.”
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