WHILE BROADCASTING giants BBC and ITV are widening the regional focus of their TV and radio coverage, a gap is being created for new ventures to exploit.
So says the man who is heading the launch of a new TV channel for Milton Keynes and the surrounding area. MK City TV has begun broadcasting this month from studios in Central Milton Keynes and promising to maintain and enhance coverage of local news and events, along with film and game reviews and interviews with businesses and leading local figures.
“There is not enough truly local coverage in the middle part of the country and that has created a gap,” says MK City TV chief executive and founder Simon Ram pictured above. “Our aim is very clear; to bring a comprehensive news coverage and to give everyone the opportunity to promote themselves across Milton Keynes and the wider region.”
MK City TV is the ninth such online TV channel Mr Ram has been involved with, joining others in Monaco, Los Angeles and South America. It is the first to broadcast scheduled programming rather than on-demand viewing and is set to be a forerunner for the national Channel 6 venture he plans to launch next year.
Because of the reduction in truly local coverage by the terrestrial broadcasters, the area is crying out for a new dedicated channel, he says. “We want to try to put investment into Milton Keynes and hopefully we can do that,” said Mr Ram. He also sees the channel as an opportunity to keep bright young media talent in the city rather than bid them farewell as they seek opportunities elsewhere.
MK City TV launched on June 1 with a team of 15 producing programmes around the clock. Mr Ram is forecasting revenue of £1.7 million in the channel’s first year, accelerating as its reach extends. He says the venture is backed by investors experienced in the media industry, including himself having worked as an actor and in PR and who now also runs his own film production company ArchAngel Films.
“I was raising money for film and I have been thinking about TV for a while,” Mr Ram said. Channel 6, his national TV offering, is in the pipeline for broadcast next year. “MK City TV will be a template for that,” he said. “The challenge now is to make it work. There is money in the business, there are no debts and our aim is to make the business profitable so the company can put money back into the community and create employment. We want to make a difference.
“I am really excited about this. Once people have seen the channel, they will see what we are doing and hopefully they will want to work with us.”
Should MK City TV succeed, Mr Ram wants it to become the forerunner to more stations around the mid-England region. “We want to fill the gap left by others and leave a legacy for future generations,” he said.
