Channel M, is it all over?

According to a report on a website called How-do, after Friday, Channel M will reduce from 33 staff to just four, and will also no longer broadcast original programming. It's not clear what will be broadcast, but Channel M today, the flagship news show, is one of those to be axed.

Clearly this move has been on the cards since GMG sold its local newspapers, part of the MEN group, to Trinity Mirror, but not Channel M, which TM didn't want. Urbis, the home of Channel M, is due to become a football museum, and the channel no longer has back up from MEN media, as they're in different ownerships now.

The reduction in programming output has been a bad sign as well, with many staff losing their jobs.

The question is, does local television like this have a place in the UK? If so, what should be done to create it, and should channels start making original comedy and drama programming? Moreso, should channel M have covered Liverpool? Was just Greater Manchester too small?

Lastly, and this goes for what happened to Solent TV, how long before channel M goes off air?

Some insider info here, by a part-time worker at Channel M (formerly a staffer)

http://stevelangstaff.blogspot.com/2010/03/wednesday-17th-march-2010.html

I'm from Fife, but used to sometimes watch the rugby shows on Channel M, being a rugby union fan. Perhaps Channel M could've shown some old soaps, like Albion Market (who remembers that), or made it's own new soap, or drama series. Not cheap programming I know, but perhaps what viewers were looking for.

Biggest blunder they made was not to take part in the DSO of Winter Hill when it happened. It showed no commitment and removed an enormous chunk of potential viewers overnight. There's little or no hope of the local mux launching now imo.

Any potential buyer of the operation is at a very much disadvantaged as a result, as a continuing operation is far easier to buy than effectively a new start up (as it will be, if Ofcom consent to a transfer).

Already posted my thoughts on this in the first thread where it was discussed:-

http://www.tvforum.co.uk/forums/topic30846

Basically, shame, no surprise though, wonder what'll happen to the digital mux now.

From what I've heard is, bizarrely, they still plan to launch the Freeview MUX, showing a Channel M with archive repeats, traffic cams and Euronews, and three other shopping channels.

As I said in the other thread, the writing has been on the wall since the major cutbacks last year, and then to add more insult to injury the MEN Media Group gets sold off to Trinity Mirror, it's main source for the News operation. And to be fair to the main Manchester Evening News paper they gave Channel M plenty of mentions.

I don't think having all programmes Locally made didn't do them any favours financially, they had the mix right a few years ago where they had a decent amount of Local content and some imported programmes from the CHUM/CityTV operation in Canada, for which I think Channel M was trying to base itself on, which I do think could have worked, given more time, more money and I think most importantly a DTT presence.

Well, well, well, not the end of it after all if this is to be believed:

http://www.how-do.co.uk/north-west-media-news/north-west-broadcasting/channel-m-to-move-to-salford-and-plans-new-productions-201003197709/

Reading that article is making me think that Channel M is going back to how it used to be pre-2004, where most programmes where Salford University made a fair whack of their output, with no News programme or anything like that about. Good to see they've confirmed a launch on DTT, hopefully this might be the start of something new, shame they couldn't hung on with their current format a tad longer.

Did anyone watch it's "new schedule" yesterday?

It's a shadow of its former self, can't see it lasting much longer

I recall seeing a clip of a Channel M news open on YouTube, they used the same custom news theme that Citytv commissioned.

I'm not sure what the deal was when Channel M lost access to the CHUM programming, probably something to do with the new owners, even Citytv had to license back some of it's own former programming for a few months.

(To be honest though, the current Citytv is also a former shadow of the version that existed no more than 4 years ago. The City stations in Western Canada cut back local news programming again in January and only produce morning shows, the Toronto operation also dropped weekend and daytime newscasts). Gotta give Channel M some props for trying something different.