Jobs Boost in “Historic” TV Opportunitys

Added by Love Business East Midlands | 18 February 2014

UPDATED: 18 February 2014

A new TV station to be launched in Nottingham is set to give employees a chance to ‘make history’ - as it lines up 25 new jobs.

Notts TV - which is due to start broadcasting at the end of April, is celebrating a major boost of £133,256 from the Nottingham Technology Grant Fund (N’Tech). The N’Tech grant will support the recruitment of 25 full time equivalent roles as well as enhancing training, education, internship and apprenticeship opportunities. This grant will back the broadcaster in the first year of its 12-year licence.

The channel will be the first ever dedicated channel for Nottinghamshire and will be run by a consortium of Confetti Media Group, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham Post and Inclusive Digital.

Confetti’s Managing Director Craig Chettle described the N’Tech cash as ‘an incredible boost’.

Chettle said:

“Notts TV is more than just a TV channel. It’s an opportunity for people all over Nottingham to get involved in making history.”

“Alongside our partners, we'll be bringing you a TV station devoted to broadcasting a range of quality programmes into local homes. We couldn’t be more pleased with the news that we’ve been successful in our funding bid to N’Tech. This is an incredible boost and will support our successful launch and ongoing running of the station, including the creation of at least 25 jobs. 

“This is in addition to apprenticeships, internships and a variety of roles for freelancers; all benefiting the local economy. It’s an exciting time for the creative industry in Nottingham and we're really proud to be at the heart of it.”

The new station comes after Nottingham was one of the first cities in the country to land one of 19 licences issued as part of the Government’s strategy to deliver local TV services. It will be available on Freeview Channel 8, covering local news, sport and weather, while also producing a broad range of general programmes, including drama and lifestyle.  It will transmit seven days a week from 4pm-12pm, with longer hours planned in the next few years.

Programme content will be produced in Nottingham by members of the channel’s consortium, or commissioned from local organisations and producers.

The channel will initially be run from facilities and studios based at Confetti Media Group, Nottingham Post and Nottingham Trent University.

The channel also has a deal in place with the BBC, which will be supporting the station for the first year in exchange for news content. The government negotiated with the BBC to use £40million of the licence fee to support local television services. That amounts to £150,000 for Notts TV in the first year but the long-term aim is to generate income from advertising and sponsorship.

N’Tech grants are funded solely through the Government’s Regional Growth Fund (RGF).  Nottingham City Council secured RGF from the Government for grants to help fast track development of businesses based in the city. The funding can provide grants of £20,000 to £1million per successful company to support growth and expansion.

The N’Tech fund has so far had 32 successful applications across the digital content, life sciences and clean technology sectors and awarded grants to the value £3.4 million with 648 jobs created and safeguarded.
Councillor Nick McDonald, Portfolio Holder for Jobs and Skills at the City Council, said: “Nottingham is a city of great innovation, and creative industries are really helping drive the new economy here. Bold collaborations like Notts TV are taking place over the city, and over time they will fundamentally change both the business community in the city and the city itself. The training opportunities and jobs this will bring also ensure that we have a skilled local population which will draw further business from these sectors into Nottingham. We’re a city with a lot to say, and Notts TV will help amplify that - N’Tech was set up exactly to help these sorts of cutting edge projects.”

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