Local TV services offering news and other dedicated regional programming are now being rolled out across the UK. On Freeview these public service channels can be found on either channel 7 or 8, depending on your region.
Some local stations are also available on satellite on Sky and are free-to-view (encrypted) on Sky 117 and on cable on Virgin 159. Local TV is not available on Freesat.
See: A new framework for local TV in the UK (PDF)
Comux
Comux UK is a company created in 2011 by Canis Media’s Chief Executive, Ed Hall. In 2013 it was awarded the licence by Ofcom to operate the digital transmission infrastructure. Comux offers an equitable, cost-efficient and community-driven approach to provide a wide range of broadcast services to local TV in the UK. The shareholders of Comux are the local TV licence-holders themselves.
In order to qualify as a Comux shareholder, you need to be a local TV broadcaster. The profits made by the sale of the additional capacity on the local TV multiplex will be used to fund the provision of the services to local television, and the activities of the Local TV Charitable Trust.
Any surplus will be paid to local broadcasters, ensuring that the value of the capacity granted to the multiplex operator is used to support local television for the whole term of the licence. Comux provides services to local television channels using facilities built using a European State Aid grant.
These services are only available on a subsidised basis to licensed UK local television channels, and not to other broadcasters. Any supplier of relevant broadcast services is welcome to contact Comux and be part of the process of procuring services for local television.
The network centre in Birmingham manages the multiplexing of the channels and also inserts the technical data that helps to operate the Freeview EPG. Other channels broadcasting on the local TV multiplex are also delivered to the network centre and multiplexed here.
The final group of channels are then distributed across the national Comux IP network to the multiple transmitter locations across the UK where the channels are broadcast to millions of Freeview homes. The network centre is staffed twenty-four hours a day, providing transmission support and problem-solving capability for local television services.
Website: www.canismedia.co.uk
Local TV Stations
Cardiff TV, serving Cardiff.
KMTV, serving Kent.
Birmingham TV, serving Birmingham, Walsall, Wolverhampton, Solihull and the Black Country.
Bristol TV, serving Bristol.
Latest TV, serving Brighton, Hove, Shoreham, Worthing and surrounding area.
Leeds TV, serving Leeds.
Liverpool TV, serving Liverpool, Merseyside and the surrounding area.
Local TV, Local TV operates channels in various areas.
London Live, serving London.
North Wales TV, serving Mold and surrounding areas.
Notts TV, serving Nottingham and the surrounding area.
NVTV, serving Belfast.
Sheffield Live, serving Sheffield.
Teesside TV, serving Middlesbrough.
That’s TV Scotland, serving Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Ayr and Dundee.
Tyne and Wear TV, serving Newcastle.
Local TV on Sky
Some local stations are also available on satellite on Sky and are free-to-view (encrypted) on Sky channel 117.
You can access other Local TV channels anywhere in the country on Sky through Manual Tuning.
Frequency: 11538
Polarization: Vertical
Symbol Rate: 22000
FEC: 5/6
Standard: DVB-S MPEG-2
Manual Tuning Instructions:
- Press Services
- Press Down
- Select “Add Channels”
- Press down
- Enter frequency (11538 )
- Set Polarisation (Vertical)
- Set Symbol Rate (22000)
- Set FEC (5/6)
- The standard should be set to DVB-S
- Modulation should be QPSK
- Press the yellow button
- Scroll down the channels and highlight the relevant station and press Yellow
- Repeat for any other channels to add
- On your remote control press select – the channels are now stored
- To view channels press services
- Press down
- Select “Other Channels”
Please note: When viewing in Manual mode, you will not be able to record programmes or use series-link programmes. Only Now and Next information is available via the Electronic Programme Guide (EPG).
