That's TV

That's TV
Launched Solent: 26 November 2014
Oxford: 17 April 2015
Manchester: 31 May 2015
Lancashire: 24 August 2015
Owned by That's Media
Audience share Local TV Macro Network:[Note 1]
0.01% (September 2015 (2015-09), BARB)
Country United Kingdom
Broadcast area Greater Manchester, Oxfordshire, Preston and Blackpool, South Hampshire
Headquarters Portsmouth
Sister channel(s) That's Lancashire
That's Manchester
That's Oxford
That's Solent
Website www.thatstv.com

That's TV is a local television network in the United Kingdom, currently operating four city-based TV stations serving Greater Manchester, central Lancashire, Oxfordshire and South Hampshire. It is owned and operated by That's Media.

The company also holds local TV licences to broadcast services in Basingstoke, Carlisle, Guildford, Reading, Salisbury and York which are yet to launch.

Overview

In September 2012, the broadcast regulator OFCOM announced That's TV had been awarded a licence to broadcast a local TV service for Oxfordshire[1] Two months later, the company won a second licence for the Southampton and Portsmouth areas, in conjunction with newspaper publishers Newsquest and Johnston Press.[2] That's Solent began broadcasting on Wednesday 26 November 2014 while a soft launch of That's Oxford took place on Friday 17 April 2015.

Prior to the launch of the Solent station, That's TV gained a further three licences in the south of England in June 2014 for the Guildford, Reading and Salisbury areas,[3] followed a month later by a Basingstoke licence.[4] In June 2015, a ninth licence was gained to serve the Carlisle area, in partnership with the CN Group[5] These five stations have yet to begin broadcasting.

The local TV licences for the Manchester and Preston/Blackpool areas were initially awarded to YourTV in February 2013, but both services failed to launch within the two-year timeframe permitted by the regulator.[6] That's TV took a controlling stake in Your TV in March 2015[7] with the licences subsequently reawarded.[8] A soft launch of That's Manchester took place at 9pm on Sunday 31 May 2015, followed by That's Lancashire at 6pm on Monday 24 August 2015.

The founder of That's TV, Esther Rantzen, became the group's Vice President when it opened its first station in Portsmouth and was lined up to present a weekly magazine programme. In May 2015, Rantzen resigned from the company along with former Meridian Broadcasting executive Mary McAnally.[9]

In March 2016, OFCOM placed three of the stations - Manchester, Oxford and Solent - on notice over persistent technical issues.[10]

In October 2016, it was announced That's TV had brought the licence for the York local TV service, formerly held by 'Hello York', which is due to commence broadcasting in November 2016.[11] The group has also brought out another station, Cambridge TV.

The headquarters of That's TV are based at Highbury College in Portsmouth, with local studios and offices based at The Flint Glass Works in the Ancoats suburb of Manchester, the Witney campus of Abingdon and Witney College and The Media Factory at the University of Central Lancashire in Preston.[12] Playout and presentation for the four channels is provided by Comux, the local TV multiplex operator, at its operations centre in Birmingham.[13]

Programming

Each That's TV station produces its own output, mostly consisting of studio-based talk programming and local news bulletins.

References

  1. ↑ Audience data for Local TV channels across England, Wales & N. Ireland are measured and reported together, as "Local TV Macro Network".
  1. ↑ Ofcom awards local TV licences for Birmingham and Oxford, Local TV, 19 September 2012
  2. ↑ Ofcom awards local TV licence to Southampton company backed by Johnston Press and Newsquest, Press Gazette, 26 August 2012
  3. ↑ Ofcom awards three more local TV licences to That's TV in Guildford, Reading and Salisbury, Press Gazette, 25 June 2014
  4. ↑ Ofcom awards Maidstone and Basingstoke local TV licences, OFCOM, 30 July 2014
  5. ↑ Ofcom confirms third That’s TV licence in the North West, Prolific North, 18 June 2015
  6. ↑ YourTV Manchester in discussions with Ofcom, Prolific North, 5 February 2015
  7. ↑ Exclusive: Local TV licences in Manchester and Blackpool & Preston to be rebranded as That’s TV takes control, Prolific North, 5 March 2015
  8. ↑ OFCOM grants Manchester local TV licence, a516digital.com, 7 May 2015
  9. ↑ That's strife as Esther quits Solent TV, Daily Echo, 22 May 2015
  10. ↑ OFCOM Broadcast Bulletin - issue 301
  11. ↑ Liverpool local TV service prepares for re-launch, a516digital.com, 3 October 2016
  12. ↑ That's Media, media.info
  13. ↑ Ofcom’s local TV multiplex operator to be based at Innovation Birmingham Campus, Innovation Birmingham Campus, 14 May 2013
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