Local TV in London will have a completely different look and feel from Monday morning, with a pseudo-national network taking over.
- Back-to-back Judge Judy and true crime programmes fill new London TV channel’s schedules.
- London TV available on Freeview, Sky satellite and Virgin Media in the capital.
- Loss-making London Live sold just before it had to submit detailed financial information to Ofcom.
Viewers tuning in to Freeview channel 8, Virgin Media 159 or Sky channel 117 in the London region may be surprised at what they see from Monday 20th January.
London Live is handing over the reigns to London TV after last week’s sudden announcement confirming the end of London Live.
Unlike the previously standalone London Live, the new London TV is part of a chain of local channels operating in cities including Birmingham, Cardiff and Liverpool. Viewers in the capital will now see a pseudo-national network of programmes.
Judge Judy and crime reality shows already shown elsewhere
As a result, daytime TV viewers of the channel may be surprised to find back-to-back episodes of Judge Judy, the US courtroom-based series that ran from 1996 until 2021.
On London TV’s launch day, Judge Judy will fill five hours of its schedule (9am-2pm).
Outside of local news bulletins, the new London TV will be simulcasting either True Crime or True Crime Xtra, channels already available to Londoners on all major TV platforms.
London-specific content comes in the form of a new two hour news block making its debut on Monday night between 6pm and 8pm. A replay of the evening news goes out at 6am the following morning. An updated bulletin then runs from Tuesday 21st January between 7am and 9am and from 1pm and 2pm. Unlike London Live, which screened non-news programmes about London, including Secrets of London and London Districts, all local programming is contained in the daily news blocks.
London TV’s standardised schedule
True Crime, plus local news: The standard operating model for all channels owned by Local TV Limited. That’s the company behind London TV, owned by newspaper executive David Montgomery’s Montgomery Media. Under Montgomery’s ownership of Local TV Ltd since 2017, all channels have seen their original local output heavily stripped back in favour of a single pseudo-national spine of programmes.
The channels started simulcasting True Crime and True Crime Xtra after a previous deal to simulcast Talk TV ended when Talk TV switched to streaming only in 2024.
It’s a far cry from the original plans for local TV. Since the first of the channels launched on Freeview during 2013-14, almost every local TV channel has applied to Ofcom for a “variation” in programme commitments, watering down promises of local programming beyond news.
Ofcom to review local channels financial position
London Live is understood to have been racking up substantial debts for owner Evegny Lebedev, who recently radically restructured his London media business, turning the Evening Standard newspaper into a weekly publication.
Lebedev agreed a deal with Local TV Limited just ahead of its broadcast licence expiring, saving the Russian-born member of the House of Lords from submitting detailed financial plans as part of licence renewal.
All local TV licencees must apply to Ofcom to have their licences renewed by the end of March, or face closure in November, when existing licences expire. According to information issued by the broadcast regulator, each licensee must disclose to Ofcom financial information relevant to the financial sustainability of the licensee and its ability to deliver its proposed service over the next licence period. Local TV operators must also submit unabbreviated accounts for the last three years.
The takeover by Local TV Limited means the company goes ahead of rival local TV operator That’s TV in terms of potential audience reach. Although That’s TV holds more local TV licences, after acquisitions in recent years, many of its local outlets are focused on smaller towns and cities including Carlisle, Guildford, Swansea and York.
More news for London?
That Londoners can enjoy a longer evening news block on the new London TV compared to London Live is likely to be a side effect of the impending licence renewal application.
Ofcom has previously warned local TV operators about not meeting local news commitments. Last month it was revealed that rival local TV operator That’s TV when through a whole year without filming any news reports in broadcast areas covered by its local channels. Ahead of licence renewal, both That’s TV and Local TV Limited are currently screening extended blocks of news in early primetime hoping to avoid more trouble with Ofcom.
However despite this, there’s little evidence that local channels are making significant inroads in attracting viewers to local news. BBC and ITV regional news programmes continue to dominate viewing, with most local TV services choosing to run their local news at the same time as the BBC and ITV.
It’s also unclear if local TV operators will continue to dedicate as much screen time to local news once licences are renewed.
By: Marc Thornham | Image: Composite. Judge Judy: CBS