A new era begins with the launch of Mustard Online
Thursday, January 31, 2013
7.39 AM
Today marks a new era in local television broadcasting with the start of the county’s first dedicated web TV station which will deliver a unique new service for you, the viewer, and which promises to put the community at the heart of everything it does.
Mustard TV - the story so far
September 2012 and Norwich is chosen to be the heart of a TV revolution after Mustard TV wins the licence from Ofcom to broadcast local news and programmes to 250,000 viewers living in and around the city.
The decision is the start of a journey which promises to bring a new form of television to viewers, while also building on the proud traditions of more than 160 years of journalism from the Eastern Daily Press and its sister title the Norwich Evening News.
Since the announcment was made, journalists in the newsroom steeped in the traditions of print and online journalism, have been equipping themselves with the new skills needed to tell their stories on screen - with the new channel at the vanguard of a TV revolution promising to bring an innovative mix of local news and programming.
Supported by community publisher Archant, publisher of the EDP, Mustard represents part of a multi-media evolution into a business producing a vibrant mix of newspapers, websites, magazines and social media sites.
But that is not all as Mustard TV will also boost Norwich’s creative media industries and help produce the television producers and journalists of the future here in the city, by offering a platform for them to develop their skills through its partners City College Norwich and Norwich University College of the Arts.
If you want to watch the news affecting Norwich and the surrounding area, find out how your local sports team is doing, or even see what there is to do, then Mustard Online is for you.
Mustard Online will bring you an array of videos aimed specifically at viewers in and around the city, but there will also be plenty to interest viewers living beyond the city in the rest of the county.
The new service will tap into more than 160 years worth of local experience with reporters and photographers from your EDP contributing to the news, sport and feature items you will see on screen.
Whether you are sitting at your computer, using your laptop, tablet computer, or mobile phone, you simply have to log on to www.mustardtv.co.uk and start watching.
Starting online, viewers will be given a taste of things to come ahead of the launch of a dedicated freeview channel later in the year.
But that’s not all - because we also want you to share your stories with us.
Fiona Ryder, managing director of Mustard TV, said the aim was to create television with the local community at its heart.
“I have been passionate about local TV for years,” she said. “It has been tried before and has never really worked because stations have not put the communities they serve right at the heart of their proposition.
“Previous attempts have tried to be replicas of mainstream broadcasting channels. We now have the opportunity to do something completely different and our aim with Mustard Online is to produce engaging videos that our audience will want to share across the web.
“It works just like video players such as Youtube,” she added. “Everything is ranked by category, it’s really easy to use and you can find some great videos.”
So what can you see?
News forms a key part and in the coming days viewers will also be able to see a sports fanzine with the EDP’s Michael Bailey.
“It’s a collection of short video clips, featuring local news, sport, features and entertainment through a brilliant new website that’s been developed here,” Ms Ryder added. “Most excitingly, we have asked local sports clubs to get involved in terms of sending in local reports about their team.
“We are primarily focused on Norwich, so there will be a strong Norwich flavour, but we are also going to be producing material for and about people in the wider area.”
Bob Crawley, publishing director Archant Anglia, said the newsroom was excited to be part of a new era for local journalism.
“Seeing our journalists rise to the challenge of telling stories through video, as well as the written word, has been very exciting,” he said. “Already more than 30 of our team have been through a TV news presenting training course and the results have been first class, with some great video shot in Norwich and Norfolk.
“There has been a great deal of enthusiasm from the EDP and Evening News teams and I am looking forward to seeing Mustard TV online becoming an important part of local people’s news and entertainment viewing habit.”
Mustard was born following Ofcom’s decision to award a local television licence to a bid which was supported by Archant, publishers of your EDP, and partners including City College Norwich, Norwich University College of the Arts, and businesses such as Jarrold.
Ms Ryder said that plans are already in place to create new channels for other aspects of Norfolk life such as the local music scene, the business community, comedy, culture and live-streaming of news stories and events.
Towards the end of the year Mustard TV will begin broadcasting on freeview channel 8 and will be on air from 6am to midnight, seven days a week.
Richard Avery, digital director, Archant Anglia, said Mustard TV would also be at the heart of the EDP24 and Evening News 24 websites.
“Mustard TV will feature on the EDP website so users will be able to see video clips of local news, sport and features via their favourite local news site,” he said.
Mustard chairman Johnny Hustler said viewers could look forward to local television which was relevant to their lives.
“We are delighted to have been given this opportunity to extend the valuable service we have been providing to the people of Norwich and Norfolk for the past 160 years through our printed and digital publications such as the EDP and Evening News,” he said.
“We look forward to producing a station which will highlight a wide range of local issues, stimulate well-informed debate and motivate local people to engage.”
•www.mustardtv.co.uk