More than two hundred media professionals packed into Live Theatre on Newcastle’s Quayside to hear about new plans for local television in the North East.  Jamie Conway, chief executive of Made Television, revealed he and his team were planning to launch a new service for Tyne and Wear this summer, and that will be followed in 2015 by a separate service for Teesside.

Mr Conway was interviewed by BBC Inside Out presenter Chris Jackson in a session produced by the Royal Television Society in association with Northern Film and Media on January 22^nd called 'Countdown to Local TV'.

He explained that the two North East licenses would be exclusively local and would generate 30 hours of original content each week.  The schedule would include:

• A dedicated local news service including twice-nightly 30-minute programmes and regular news updates throughout the day.
• Current affairs programming that encourages civic debate, giving the local audience a chance to get involved in local decision-making like never before.
• Local magazine programming focusing on entertainment and culture that makes the channel the ‘go-to’ guide for what’s happening in and around the area.
• Local sports programming that provides the in-depth analysis and behind the scenes access that national broadcasters can’t provide.

He said recruitment for the Tyne and Wear service was already underway and he encouraged programme makers to get in touch with him to talk about opportunities and commissioning ideas.  He said there would be a core production team of around 20, but that figure will increase during busy production periods with freelancers and independent production staff.

The Tyne and Wear service will be based in the David Puttnam Media Centre studios at Sunderland University.  Media students will get the opportunity to have work experience at the channel as part of their course.

He was challenged about his business plan, which he admitted was based on ambitious local advertising targets and “modest but realistic programme budgets”.

John Myers, a former executive with Granada Media Group which sank millions into the Manchester-based Channel M, said: “Of course I wish you the best of luck, but I have to sceptical about how this kind of venture can actually make any money.”

 

Jamie Conway said: “I don’t worry too much about what did and didn’t work in the past.  I think the conditions are right for this approach to do well.  If I’m wrong, I’ll admit it... but we are very confident this is going to work.”

He said second-screen viewing is a key part of the offer, with websites and inter-active content supporting each of the local services.  And he said some content would be shared across the local TV network with each station becoming a “centre of excellence” in producing a particular genre — such as entertainment, cookery or lifestyle formats.

Made TV won the Ofcom local television licences for Tyne & Wear, Teesside, Leeds, Cardiff and Bristol.  It plans to be on air from Sunderland in early summer.  Local TV in the UK is being supported with top-sliced BBC licence fee cash to cover set-up and infrastructure costs.

Recorded TV highlights of the event are available here.