Channel M I have to say is getting better and better, since the day the channel arrived on Sky, it breathed confidence into what was a half decent channel, okay the budget is low, but they're doing a smashing job and putting alot of effort into it.
I haven't had chance to watch a full edition of the 9pm Channel M News, I'll make sure tonight, as it looked good from last night when I tuned in, the 9pm bulletin I think is what Channel M are supposed to be doing, as they've borrowed the Local format from the Canadian CHUM Group.
I've been watching the channel for the last two years and have seen it grow and grow, and it's getting better and better, it's becoming very respectable, I'd like to see this format of Local TV being applied to other UK cities, as it's good to see this considering the decline of it on ITV.
I caught a bit of Channel M News earlier and the presentation and programme style is very good for a small local TV station - very professional.
The only other RSL station I have seen to compare it to is Channel 9 in the Derry area, and its news service was alright for being produced on a tiny budget, and it is locally very popular as the viewers in the North West often feel they are poorly served by BBC NI and UTV, but I imagine Channel M may have a larger budget for local news production and it appears to be used very well.
I caught a bit of Channel M News earlier and the presentation and programme style is very good for a small local TV station - very professional.
The only other RSL station I have seen to compare it to is Channel 9 in the Derry area, and its news service was alright for being produced on a tiny budget, and it is locally very popular as the viewers in the North West often feel they are poorly served by BBC NI and UTV, but I imagine Channel M may have a larger budget for local news production and it appears to be used very well.
Well Channel M's main owner is the Guardian Media Group who run it as a not for-profit service, they also work strongly with Salford University and as I said the Canadian Broadcaster; CHUM.
Channel M has been on the air since 2000, but has only started to make some impact in the last year or so I would have thought, considering the fact they've been advertising their presence on Sky being rather crucial to get audiences to the channel, as with many RSL's the the Terrestrial picture is rather weak compared to the main five channels. I seem to remember last year they mentioned that they've signed a long term contract to be at the Urbis Centre, as for sometime the Studio of the programme was always being moved, first the Triangle on Exchange Square, then The Print Works just across the street and then Urbis which is on the opposite side of the Street, so if you know Manchester well, they didn't move very far at all.
Up until the last week or two I was probably the only person I knew who watched Channel M, but they've just started a new weekly magazine about Manchester City FC, which has got my mates talking about it, and is genertating interest on the Channel M's Forum.
I wasn't certain whether or not the Guardian Media Group were still involved with Channel M.
Yeah, know Manchester pretty well, and the Urbis site suits the station as a great location for the news - it adds impact to the news intro titles as well, reminds me a bit of the old News at Ten titles where the camera zoomed in on the ITN building...
Some caps from tonight's 9pm edition so far, my TV Card died on me at 9pm so I didn't get the opening titles, but as said, it was very News At Ten, it looked better in a Night time view...
The 9pm bulletin is very different to the one's that are shown at 5pm, due to the fact there are two presenters, the main story was shown in-depth, and there seem to be more two way interviews between the presenters and any people who have to be interviewed, something which doesn't occur within the 5pm edition. Though if you're watching you can hear some extra music in the background as there is an Xfm gig going on at Urbis.
Plus Andy Crane and Heather Stott get on really well, considering the fact that Channel M News has only been associated with Andy Crane..
I've caught Channel M a few times, it's actually very good. Like poeple have said, i can see Channels like this taking over ITV regional news totally eventually.
I really do like Andy Crane. Apart from the obvious i've seen him more recently on Channel M and heard him on LBC. He's a very good presenter/broadcaster .
Well Channel M's main owner is the Guardian Media Group who run it as a not for-profit service, they also work strongly with Salford University and as I said the Canadian Broadcaster; CHUM.
Actually, they don't have much to do with Salford university now since the Guardian/Manchester Evening News took a much more controlling interest in it.
By the day Channel M is getting more and more CityTV like now, they've changed the opening titles for the 9pm edition, and they're using different music for the first time in ages, though it's the music used by CityTV in Canada, it is quite nice, they've also added a News At Ten style bong at the end of it too. I'll try and get caps tonight if I'm in, but if not it's worth a look.
