The UK government’s plans for local television have been dealt a major blow after The owners of Manchester-based Channel M announced the closure of the channel after 12 years.
GMG Radio, which had been running the channel since 2010 said in a statement it “could not provide a community viable quality service within the government structure for local television within the UK”.
Local content on the station, which broadcast on DTT and for a period via satellite, had been progressively cut back. For the last two years Channel M had been screening reruns, its staff numbers reduced from 33 to 4.
Last December the government announced 20 pilot cities where local TV stations would be established.
