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The four applicants for the local television multiplex operations

A brief overview of those bidding to provide the local television multiplex services.

A brief overview of those bidding to provide the local televisi
published on UK Free TV

The four applications are:



Avanti Local TV services Ltd

Unlike all the other bids, Avanti have taken a different approach to the bid. Rather than locate the transmitters to supply the local television multiplexes on existing broadcasting towers, Avanti propose the use of micro-sites with very low power transmissions (using a single frequency network) in each locality.

Whilst this method does seem to have certain advantages, Avanti have not yet secured the large number of sites, and to ensure that the "micro" transmitter sites appear in the correct angle for the rooftop aerials may prove problematic.

It is also unclear from their bid if they have correctly understood the use of "interleaved frequencies" for local television, as the proposed extended areas for coverage seem to imply the use of other frequency allocations.

The proposed system includes providing two semi-national services on all the local multiplexes.

Comux UK Ltd

The Comux UK proposal for multiplex services is a straightforward proposal that provides for a two semi-national channels to be distributed alongside the local services using existing Arqiva sites.

LMux Ltd

This bid is provided by the BBC, and proposes a straight-forward implementation of the Ofcom/Arqiva planned local television service using the interleaved frequencies.

The BBC point out that reuse of their existing "program information" infrastructure will allow for efficient use of the funds allocated for the local television project. The local multiplexes will be split between three channels, one providing the local licensed service and the other two semi-national channels.

Local TV multiplex Ltd

Local TV multiplex Ltd, proposed as a not-for-profit company owned by the lcoal television channels, names Arqiva and Satellite Information Services as "key partners". Like the other applications, the system proposed will integrate two "semi-national" channels into the local multiplexes, which will provide additional funding for the local television service infrastructure.

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Comments
Friday, 28 September 2012
D
Dave Robson
10:46 AM
Lewes

Brian

I think you will find that Avanti do understand the interleaved frequency issue. There's is a low power network with each cell covering a small area. Coverage extensions may well need to use alternative frequencies but these will be much easier to find at low power than was the case with the existing planning exercise based on the use of high power transmitters. They will also have less difficulty in international coordination since they will export less interference than currently assumed.

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Dave Robson's 2 posts GB flag
Dave's: mapD's Freeview map terrainD's terrain plot wavesD's frequency data D's Freeview Detailed Coverage
B
bored now
1:22 PM

Avanti - clearly incompetent
Comux - nod genuine difference from whats already done
Lmux - The BBC steals more public money for fanciful notion of no use or benefit to anyone when they cant even organise or even fill the channels they already waste money on
Local TV Multiplex - another con trick to provide what is already done

Just fix the appaling very expensive bad "service" you can't even get right now.

The entire concept is absurd hence the stupid and possibly fraudulent bids.

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bored now's 5 posts GB flag
M
Mike Dimmick
sentiment_very_satisfiedPlatinum

2:10 PM

@bored now: The BBC bid makes sense as the money for it has already been top-sliced from the licence fee. If the BBC win, they will be able to combine the management effort with their existing multiplexes, and not waste any more licence fee money than necessary (possibly allowing some of the ringfenced money to be diverted back to BBC content spend, where it belongs.) 

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Mike Dimmick's 2,486 posts GB flag
C
Charles Stuart
sentiment_satisfiedSilver

4:07 PM
Bristol

I really like the Avanti bid because it's brave, different, tries to make the best use of a system that supports SFNs and is thinking "out of the box". It would also give the greatest number of people the chance to access new services and give the local TV providers the greatest chance to cover their costs or make a profit (because they'd have a bigger audience). I hope that Avanti wins the contract.

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Charles Stuart's 159 posts GB flag
Charles's: mapC's Freeview map terrainC's terrain plot wavesC's frequency data C's Freeview Detailed Coverage
Saturday, 13 October 2012
Watlingfen
sentiment_satisfiedBronze

10:22 AM

Personally I feel local TV has come about 50 years too late in UK. Way back when ITA began we could have had home town ITV as well as regional. The money was around for commercial TV then. Now ITV has abandoned the regions to a one-size fits all (based on a copy-cat of BBC) cobble-up from a splendidly truly INDEPENDANT television network of individual companies ; To now bring in yet another coble-up of group-owned TV stations purporting to be 'local' seems a straight con organised by an increasingly out of touch Ofcom. Get these advertising/selling only channels cleared-off and put a few specific interest or hobby stations on NATIONALLY, maybe a free to air classic older movie channel - take sport off BBC1 and ITV1 and put it on a specific free to air channel so those not brain dead from football can watch normal programmes - then at least being mesmerized by 'travelling' adverts 'round the grounds of rugby, soccer, cricket etc can be tolerated by the viewer knowing he's paying for it not through his licence but the products advertised.
No sir 'local' TV was fine when from Anglia (Norwich), ATV/Central (Birmingham) etc,
on a home region basic. Bring back ITV regions - scrap the idea of home town TV - it's too late.
PS can this web-site please use UK English not US spelling.

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Watlingfen's 38 posts GB flag
Sunday, 28 October 2012
D
david
sentiment_satisfiedBronze

4:14 PM
Salisbury

does the bbc want to run every thing .why not make bid for itv and channel four And commercial radio the bbc is already to big it should not be wasting taxpayer money in empire building

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david's 66 posts GB flag
david's: mapD's Freeview map terrainD's terrain plot wavesD's frequency data D's Freeview Detailed Coverage

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