On Local TV Channels and Frank Sidebottom Doing The Test Card

So, somebody with a bit of money to burn is trying to start up *another* London-wide TV channel. This time it's called London Live, and it's run by the people behind the Evening Standard.

Yes, it's a new era, and yes something something a quantum leap in local broadcasting something, but it's all been done before and it always goes the same way. London's had something called Channel One before, and other cities have tried much the same. The only problem is that while media people throw money at these projects, they forget one crucial fact: 99% of viewers are quite happy with BBC/ITV/C4/C5/Sky, thank you very much.

Best of luck to them, but this is why it'll struggle: No matter how much money they spend on London Live, it will never be as good as the test card for Manchester's Channel M.

And they closed down, too. Poor, dead Frank Sidebottom.