That's Solent
CountryUnited Kingdom
Broadcast areaSouthern Hampshire
NetworkThat's TV
Programming
Language(s)English
Ownership
OwnerThat's Media Ltd
Key peopleDaniel Cass
Sister channels
List
  • That's Cambridge
  • That's Cumbria
  • That's Hampshire
  • That's Lancashire
  • That's Lincolnshire
  • That's Manchester
  • That's Norfolk
  • That's North Yorkshire
  • That's Oxfordshire
  • That's Salisbury
  • That's Scotland
  • That's Surrey
  • That's Swansea Bay
  • That's Thames Valley
  • That's York
History
Launched26 November 2014 (2014-11-26)[1]
Links
Websitewww.thats.tv/solent
Availability
Terrestrial
FreeviewChannel 7

That's Solent is a local television station on the south coast of England, owned and operated by That's TV.

Background

That's Solent is a local TV channel, that according to Ofcom (the UK telecoms regulator), broadcasts to Portsmouth including Gosport, Fareham and parts of the Isle of Wight, Southampton, Eastleigh and Winchester. Ofcom granted a licence to That's Solent on 14 August 2014 with a commencement date of 26 November 2014 and the licence, subject to conditions, will remain in force until 25 November 2025.[2] [3]

The original plan was for That's Solent to be launched on 26 June 2014, however this was postponed until 22 October 2014. The station finally went live on 26 November 2014.[1][2][4]

In March 2016, the station was placed on notice by Ofcom over persistent technical issues in its programming, along with its sister stations, That's Manchester and That's Oxfordshire.[5]

In July 2018, former That's Solent journalist Dale McEwan reported his own experiences of working for the station. He listed poor pay and exhausting hours among his concerns.[6] He also revealed that That's Solent sent 1,207 stories to the BBC in year one (November 2014 to November 2015) but the BBC used only 114 (9.4% of stories), equating to a cost of £1,315.79 per story.[6] The National Union of Journalists in Scotland said it was "deeply concerned" by McEwan's revelations and news that That's TV was launching five stations in Scotland.[7]

Company

That's Solent Limited was licensed by Ofcom in 2012 after a bidding process. That's Solent Ltd is owned by SIX TV Ltd, trading as That's TV, with That's Media Ltd as the ultimate parent company.[8][9]

Broadcasting and reception

That's Solent is broadcast from the Rowridge transmitting station on the Isle of Wight and covers the area around the Solent and Southampton Water. It broadcasts on Freeview channel 7 and is also available on Wightfibre. The studios are based in Cosham, Portsmouth.[10]

Programming

The channel features a Monday to Friday evening news programme called Solent Headline News.

It also broadcasts a talk show Talk Solent which features discussion of local news and stories making the headlines.[11]

The channel is backed by Newsquest and Johnston Press, who own the Southern Daily Echo and Portsmouth's The News, who will provide the local news content for the channel.[12][13]

In 2017 That's Solent simulcast Talking Pictures TV during the day,[14] but following the expiry of this agreement at the end of the year,[15] the channel started to screen a mixture of public domain films and cartoons from the Timeless catalogue in its place.[16] This ended in February 2019 and daytime hours are now given over to simulcasts of the TJC and Ideal World home shopping channels.[17]

See also

Notes

    References

    1. 1 2 "That's Solent TV station begins broadcasting on Freeview". Southern Daily Echo. 27 November 2014. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
    2. 1 2 "Copy of That's Solent Broadcasting Licence" (PDF). Ofcom. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
    3. ↑ "That's Solent wins Local TV license for Southampton". Isle of Wight News. 26 October 2012. Retrieved 4 August 2013.
    4. ↑ "About Us". That's TV. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
    5. ↑ OFCOM Broadcast Bulletin - issue 301
    6. 1 2 "Selling Scotland's local television to That's TV is a travesty". Bella Caledonia. 30 July 2018. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
    7. ↑ "NUJ voices concern over That's TV". National Union of Journalists. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
    8. ↑ "Ofcom awards local TV licence to Southampton company backed by Johnston Press and Newsquest". Press Gazette. Retrieved 4 August 2013.
    9. ↑ "That's Solent licence application" (PDF). Ofcom. Retrieved 4 August 2013.
    10. ↑ "Predicted That's Solent Coverage". Recombu. Retrieved 4 August 2013.
    11. ↑ "That's Solent". That's TV Ltd. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
    12. ↑ "New local TV channel". ITV. Retrieved 4 August 2013.
    13. ↑ "Rival publishers collaborate over local TV bid". Hold The Front Page. Retrieved 4 August 2013.
    14. ↑ "Talking Pictures TV agrees major distribution deal". TalkingPictures.co.uk. 4 January 2017. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
    15. ↑ "Talking Pictures TV shifts away from local TV - a516digital". a516digital.com. Archived from the original on 4 January 2018.
    16. ↑ "Timelesstelevision.biz - timelesstelevision Resources and Information".
    17. ↑ https://www.a516digital.com/2019/02/local-channels-give-way-to-teleshopping.html
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