In a speech in Parliament yesterday Mark called for a new Edinburgh TV channel on Freeview as part of a network of local TV stations across the UK.

Mark said:
“The switchover to digital offers the opportunity to create, as part of that change, new, genuinely local TV stations delivered by organisations based in their community, focusing on local issues. This could mean Edinburgh TV, or a Fife TV, or a TV serving the Scottish Borders. They would be a form of public broadcasting and could be linked with local radio and newspapers to share stories.”

He was speaking during a  House of Commons debate on local and regional news. Local TV already exists in many countries and there is evidence of strong public demand here. In this country there are regional TV channels and regional opt-outs but these often cover a very large area and cannot truly be said to be local. A study last year by the Scottish Broadcasting Commission found a strong demand for genuinely local TV.

 Mark concluded:
"The present debate on Scottish Broadcasting, the problems facing local papers and the changeover to digital all make this a good time to introduce licences for local public TV which will meet that public demand."

Foir the full text of the speech, click here.