Манчестерлік «Channel M» телеарнасының тарихы

Television station based in Manchester, England
the British TV channel

Channel M was a regional television station in England which broadcast to the Greater Manchester area between 2000 and 2012. The station, originally Manchester Student Television, was owned and operated by the GMG Regional Media division of Guardian Media Group.

Originally an RSL station, Channel M was at first primarily available free to air on analogue terrestrial TV in parts of Greater Manchester. The channel began broadcasting in 2000. At this time the channel was free to air in Manchester. In 2004, Channel M launched on the NTL (now part of Virgin Media) digital cable platform, around Greater Manchester, mid Lancashire and Cheshire. In April 2006 Channel M launched on digital satellite, the first RSL channel to do so, where it was broadcast free to air across Western Europe from Astra 28.2°E and was available on Sky. The channel was removed from Sky channel 203 and Virgin Media channel 878 on 1 September 2010. The channel became the first broadcaster in the region to offer its programmes on demand via broadband TV on its website, which closed down in late March 2010. In January 2009, the broadcasting regulator Ofcom announced that Channel M would receive a licence to broadcast on Freeview after digital switchover. On 2 December 2009, Channel M ceased broadcasting on analogue UHF channel 39 (615 MHz). Around this time, the station announced plans to launch on Freeview (digital terrestrial television); broadcasts began on Monday 12 April 2010.

Originally, the main sources of programming were CHUM, Euronews, Channel M's in house productions and the University of Salford with Interference, Gloves Off and Hitting Home, a documentary series These were made in house by students and staff at the university. Canada sourced output was gradually replaced by in house Channel M Productions as the station developed more local programming, particularly following the station's launch on digital satellite services in April 2006. Major cutbacks saw most of the station's non news output axed in May 2009. Remaining GMG production ceased on 19 March 2010, leaving the station with a schedule of archive and acquired output.

The history of Channel M can be traced back to the 1996 Broadcasting Act which made provision for six local Restricted Service Licences (RSL) to be issued around the UK. The Manchester RSL was awarded to the University of Salford in 1997 and the channel began life as Manchester Student Television (MSTV), operated by a consortium that included the university and Guardian Media Group, amongst others. All partners started producing content in the autumn of 1998, and this was stockpiled in advance of launch on 14 February 2000. Programming produced by the University of Salford continued to be broadcast on the station until shortly before its closure. Featured programming included Reel North (short films), Zeitgeist (arts magazine), Grey Matters (studio debate), Hitting Home (documentary) and Wildtrack (wildlife documentary), four of which won a total of nine Royal Television Society awards. Interference, an arts show, helped launch careers of presenters and comedians, including OJ Borg and Jason Manford. Gloves Off was a student debate programme that ran for four years.

From 2004 until July 2009, the station's flagship programme was the 5pm weeknight edition of Channel M News (produced in conjunction with the Manchester Evening News), which later expanded to include breakfast, lunchtime and late evening bulletins as well as a weekly review programme and occasional live specials. Until May 2009, GMG also produced entertainment programmes including the weekly entertainment round up City Life, the comedy talk show Frank Sidebottom's Proper Telly Show, and regular music coverage. Programming such as the weekly music show City Life Social and video/computer game review series Re:Loaded helped Channel M to gain viewers nationally. City Life Social, The Great Northern Music Show and In Session were Channel M's main music programmes, often presented by Gerry McLaughlin with Clint Boon as a stand in host. These programmes usually featured live, acoustic or "unplugged" studio and outside broadcast performances from alternative and indie bands. A company review carried out by the Guardian Media Group before the announcement recommended that the station should focus on news and general sport programming. Channel M also ceased all of its stand alone entertainment, sport and features programming as well as the weekday breakfast show (which was, for a short time, replaced by live footage of the area's traffic cameras accompanied by a simulcast of Real Radio North West) and the lunchtime and evening news bulletins. News and sport coverage was incorporated into Channel M Today which launched on Monday 13 July 2009, broadcast on weekdays from 4pm to 7pm and presented by chief news anchor Andy Crane, alongside a rotating team of sports and features presenters. In February 2010, the station's owners Guardian Media Group were reported to be in talks with staff regarding options for Channel M's future after the company sold off 32 of its regional newspaper titles, including the Manchester Evening News, to Trinity Mirror for £44.8 million. The following month, the station announced its remaining in house regional programmes, including the flagship magazine show Channel M Today, would cease production by Friday 19 March 2010. Several ex GMG employees later secured consultancy positions working on Salford University productions at the IMC. The station then broadcast a mix of archived programming, original output from Salford University and simulcasts of Euronews and Real Radio North West, The station's owners said UK government plans for localised television services would not allow the station to run a commercially viable service in the future. The channel ceased broadcasting on Freeview the same day, leading to three redundancies. By 2023, That's Media Group, the parent of That's TV, had acquired the Freeview capacity that had been created for Channel M and was using it to broadcast music videos.

Channel M programmes were short listed for RTS North West Awards on numerous occasions since 2001 and won a total of eight times once for GMG produced output (Andy Crane) and seven times for the University of Salford. In addition to programme awards, the station's website won the RTS Best Online award in 2008.