New opportunities for PR teams to generate broadcast coverage

Did you know that more than 20 new TV channels are due to take to the air in the UK this year?

We’re not talking about more such as Dave+2 or BBC4+1, or Ancient History Today, Hits 24 or Darts TV.

We mean genuinely new channels that are not aimed at a specialist interests.

They are all new local TV channels and so far they seem to be almost secret TV channels. The first one went  on air in Grimsby and North Lincolnshire late last year and one of the larger stations London Live will be launched on 31 March. The channels are on Freeview.

Neither of these has created great awareness and anticipation among its audiences, even though for example London Live is backed by the Evening Standard.

PR Teams

The PR and advertising sectors, each forever looking for new media outlets especially broadcast, for their clients,  could be eagerly pursuing extra TV opportunities. But so far so little awareness appears to have been generated around the launches that potential audiences scarcely seem to know that they are there or coming, certainly not ready to watch them regularly.

Local TV should be an exciting new prospect for the public, PR and advertisers. With so many channels across the country, they offer a new way to reach audiences with local and localised national news. But unless they do attract reasonable audiences and interest, they are in danger of coming and going without most of the audience ever knowing.

CL