Ofcom has agreed to requests from five local TV stations to change their programming commitments.
Local TV stations in London, Manchester, Birmingham, Oxford and Southampton have all been given the green-light to cut the amount of local programming hours on their channels.
The stations are all broadcast on Freeview channel 8 as part of a network of local TV stations around the country.
Manchester
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The number of local programmes aired on That’s Manchester will be cut from 66.5 hours a week to 52.5 hours a week. Within that, the number of peak time local programmes will be cut from 20.5 hours a week to 17.5 hours a week.
Birmingham
The number of local programmes broadcast on Big Centre TV will be reduced from 55 hours to 41.5 hours per week. The number of repeats will also be reduced from 40 hours to 30 hours. Ofcom has also allowed Big TV to maintain it programming levels dedicated to current affairs and news which will remain at 27 hours, and not increase up to 38 hours over the next two years as planned.
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Oxford
That’s Oxford has been permitted to reduce the amount of local programming between 6pm and 10.30pm from 18 hours a week to 14 hours a week.
Southampton
The local channel for Southampton That’s Solent has been granted approval to cut the amount of local programming from 51 hours to 35 hours a week.
London
London Live has been allowed to reduce the amount of local programming from eight to 5.5 hours a week. Peak time local programming will be reduced from 2.5 hours a day to one hour a day.
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