Ofcom looks at local TV options

Ofcom the UK’s TV regulator has released a technical report on the possible platform options for the start of regular local TV in Britain. The report has been compiled as a result of the UK government making the provision of Local TV a priority.
The Ofcom report gives a comparison of the costs and benefits of four different platforms, terrestrial, cable, satellite and broadband.
Ofcom has produced a list of 25 urban areas including the UK’s four capital cities and 21 of the largest urban areas where local TV might be feasible. It has also carried out a comparison of the possible delivery methods.
When commenting on using the DTT platform for Local TV the report summary says that Terrestrial delivery may provide the best option through new local geographic interleaved multiplexes that would be able to run from existing sites. The approach is not completely flexible as coverage would be limited in some areas, but the absolute and opportunity costs of the approach are low. It might also be possible for the channels to have carriage in an existing public service multiplex or in a new multiplex released after analogue switch off.
To download and read the full report click on: Ofcom Technical Delivery Options
Source: Broadband TV News
Item added: 27th September 2010