A local TV landscape soon?

Local TV is set to become a big issue in Britain in the next couple of years.

After the abortive IFNC (Independently Funded News Consortium) bids that the last government initiated, Jeremy Hunt the new Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport has asked Nicholas Shott, Head of UK Investment Banking at Lazard to look into the issue of local TV with the aim of DCMS to set out a local media action plan for autumn 2010.

This is on the back of the report he commissioned by Roger Parry when in opposition on the potential for local TV in the UK (as reported here in the Guardian).   It all adds up to some potentially serious changes to the media landscape in the UK, particularly as it strongly fits with the bigger political issue of the Governments, more localism.

Roy Greenslade, as usual has some well informed points to make on the issue

Heres Mr Hunt announcing his thoughts on local TV and the intended relaxation the cross media ownership rules that the big players want to make it work.

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