Good to see it getting a slot on Freeview, considering it's been promoted as Free to Air 39 for several years now and that must confuse some people. Although having the channel on Sky is the way most watch the station AIUI. At the moment we get a watchable picture of Channel M on Analogue in Warrington, although it's snowy, there's no hissing, but we can get it on Virgin anyway.
If anything this guarantees that the channel will be round for the next few years at least and the amount of Local programmes have increased year on year now. When they added it on Cable in 2004, there was a 30 minute recorded News bulletin daily and the rest of the output was from CHUM in Canada or Local informercials. All the CHUM programmes have gone, and there is 6 hours of Live TV from the News team every day. (6am-9am, 12-12.30pm, 5pm-7pm and 9-9.30pm)
Quite excellent for a Local channel with limited resources and the backing of the MEN.
Here's a channel that's doing seven hours of local news (that's including the only local breakfast show in the country, but also the 12.30 and 21.30 news repeats) a day.
Not the same generic graphics taken off the shelf from ITV plc or the BBC. So at least that's something different to talk about.
Available throughout western Europe on satellite.
A real trailblazer that's got more professional as time has gone by. If its business model succeeds, it could be the way forward for local television in the UK.
Yet there's very little discussion about it here. I find that odd.
I am more interested in thinking would Channel M be able to sell some of its bandwidth on the mux to others?
Would that be profitable.
I guess that depends how much they're getting it for and how far the signal will travel. At the moment on Analogue the signal is quite strong around Manchester and AIUI most of the western half of Greater Manchester. As I said I'm in Warrington, and we can pick it up albeit with heavy snow, but watchable. Although it appears the signal maybe greater, who knows how far.
I bet they'll flog it off to a shopping channel or something on the lines of.
I've always thought a Local channel for Liverpool would be a good idea, but since Channel One disappeared, the idea has never took off.
I'm not sure how much use a Manchester wide multiplex would be for TV channels, but I expect local radio stations to be interested in the available bandwidth. Given that Channel M is owned by Guardian Media Group, which also owns Century and Smooth Radio, I wouldn't be surprised if they are carried alongside Channel M.
I'm not sure how much use a Manchester wide multiplex would be for TV channels, but I expect local radio stations to be interested in the available bandwidth. Given that Channel M is owned by Guardian Media Group, which also owns Century and Smooth Radio, I wouldn't be surprised if they are carried alongside Channel M.
They also have Rock Radio on 106.1FM in the Manchester area aswell as Century (soon to be Real) and Smooth.
Dreadful news for the channel, must be a major blow to current live output especially News, so from looking at that it's pretty much safe to say that the Breakfast programme will be going, good to see they're keeping the teatime News, I think if they lost that they may aswell just pull the plug permanently. Considering it was going so well for them as they really gave the live local output a good effort in recent years.
When they arrive on DTT they may receive a welcome boost in viewers, but nothing's guaranteed.
Anyone going to get up early to watch the last-ever Channel M Breakfast tomorrow?
Interesting experiment. But it just didn't pay off. A few "last-evers" on Channel M at the moment.
Is it tomorrow? Jesus I thought it was June. Shame they're getting rid of the Breakfast show, it had potential, but it can feel rather slow at times, although the News, Travel and Weather is a very handy service, although I'm sure no-one will miss the constant mention of the GMPTE travelline. I take it we're back to EuroNews on monday?
The listenings for Channel M next week, basically no Breakfast Show and no Late News, with EuroNews now being broadcast from 11pm to 9am, which shows how much they really are cutting back, as usually they didn't start EuroNews until about 3am most nights. They should show the Frank Sidebottom Testcard during those times though.
The end of the Breakfast Show is on the website, not much of a send off other than the presenters over Thanking the viewers and others for watching and contributing.
