London Live will today attempt to succeed where others before it have failed, when it becomes the third of the new wave of local TV stations to launch in the UK, after Grimsby and Norwich.
The 24-hour network is backed by the London Evening Standard and Independent owners Alexander Lebedev and his son Evgeny.
Channel One launched in February 1996, owned by Associated Newspapers (the then owner of the Evening Standard), with a promise of £50 million investment. Those with long memories will also recall Cable Today, Wire TV and, yes, Live TV.
Amid the usual promises to foster new talent, London Live has also bought in content including Olympic satire Twenty Twelve and is commissioning new material running from comedy to current affairs.
“In the rollout of Local TV, London Live is alone, with neither its success nor its failure providing more than very limited guidance for the rest of the country’s local TV services; but it is nonetheless a major London media launch,” commented Enders Analysis.
This time around cable distribution is supplemented by distribution on Freeview and Sky.
