A NEW, interactive hyperlocal television channel has been launched in Ayrshire to provide a daily diet of news, views, sport and entertainment via the web.
Ayrshire.tv is part of a network of online URTV social media television stations planned for towns and communities across the UK.
The new station, which has started in Ayr with plans to roll out to the rest of the county over the next few weeks, follows the highly successful launch of Helensburgh.tv which began broadcasting to the home town of television pioneer John Logie Baird on 26 January 2011, the 85th anniversary of the inventor’s first public demonstration of television.
“The land of Wallace, Bruce, Burns and numerous other Scottish heroes is an ideal location for URTV to pioneer the birth of social media television,” said Jo de Sylva, director of URTV and an award-winning former BBC radio and television presenter.
“The communities of Ayrshire have often been forgotten by traditional television or painted in a negative light. Ayrshire, with all its history, sport and vibrant communities has a lot to shout about and celebrate. It is a gateway to Scotland, the heart of links golf and famous around the world as the home of Robert Burns.”
Helensburgh.tv, which has been serving a population of around 25,000, has broken even on running costs after just eight months as a result of advertising and the support of the local community.
“We have proved there is a demand for hyperlocal television and that it can be financially viable, even in an area which is a fraction of the size of Ayrshire,” added de Sylva.
“Community groups, individuals and authorities across the county have embraced the URTV concept as we have helped provide a platform for ordinary people and local organisations previously unheard of.”
She added: “URTV provides news, views and entertainment to local communities at a level most traditional broadcasters cannot compete with. Increasingly, people are getting information online and they want news delivered in video formats that can be downloaded to a variety of mobile devices and digested at home, at work and on the move.
“The network has recruited a team of experienced reporters from the national press and broadcasters from the BBC and commercial channels along with highly-skilled IT people to work with a new generation of multi-media journalists to provide good quality hyperlocal news and entertainment.”
URTV has been at the forefront of pioneering commercially viable hyperlocal broadband television for local communities and is the first social TV network in the world to develop an iPhone application for viewers to contribute local news and advertisements via video.
The easy to use newsgatherer app is free to download from the Apple iTunes store and provides a direct line to a network of hyperlocal TV channels so viewers can submit their own video news, comments and classified advertising.
The iPhone app is helping to revolutionise classified advertising as anybody selling a car, boat, house or even just making a personal announcement can now submit a 30 second video direct to a local and worldwide audience.
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For more information on URTV please visit http://ayrshire.urtv.co.uk or contact Peppercorn PR on 0845 217 8757.
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Contact: Peppercorn PR
Phone: 0845 2178757
Email: news@peppercornpr.com
Website: http://www.ayrshire.urtv.co.uk
