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Ofcom has awarded licences to run local TV services in Maidstone and Basingstoke on digital terrestrial TV (DTT) 

The licences are awarded to:

Maidstone
Channel name: KMTV
Website: www.kentonline.co.uk

Basingstoke
Channel name: That's Basingstoke
Website: www.thatstv.com

The awards follow legislation enabling Ofcom to issue local TV licences. The channels will be broadcast on DTT by the local multiplex, a discrete amount of spectrum reserved for local TV broadcasting on DTT.

Ofcom has now awarded 30 local TV licences, as well as the multiplex licence. The first local TV channel began broadcasting on DTT in Grimsby on 26 November 2013.

In June 2013, Ofcom started the second phase of local TV licensing by inviting applications to run local TV services in seven local areas. In September 2013, Ofcom invited applications for further 11 local TV locations, including Maidstone and Basingstoke.

Ofcom estimates that the local TV licences could reach approximately 175,000 homes in Maidstone, Kent, and 63,000 homes in Basingstoke, Hampshire. The exact coverage at these locations will be confirmed with the local multiplex licensee.

Statements setting out the main reasons for the award of these local TV licences are published on the Ofcom website.

ENDS

NOTES FOR EDITORS

1. Ofcom has provided technical assistance for local TV coverage planning and is overseeing the licensing of local TV services. This follows the Government's policy statement in December 2011, and our public consultation that closed on 19 March 2012.

2. Digital UK, the organisation responsible for the management and allocation of channel numbers on DTT, has reserved channel numbers for new local TV channels. These will be carried at channel 8 (England and Northern Ireland) and channel 26 (Wales and Scotland).

3. Full contact details for the current applicants, along with details of their application are available here.