The antenna for Norwich's newest TV station has just been installed, marking a major landmark in Mustard TV's journey to bring a new form of local television to viewers in and around the city.
Measuring more than 100 metres high, the antenna was put up at Tacolneston at the weekend. It plays a key part in paving the way for Mustard TV – the fledgling broadcast division of EDP and Norwich Evening News publisher Archant – to go live on Freeview next year. The station already broadcasts online.
Mustard TV managing director, Fiona Ryder, said: 'It is the start of the preparations for digital terrestrial television and will enable us to broadcast on channel eight to people in the greater Norwich area. We plan to launch the Freeview station in spring next year.'
The station will broadcast to 110,000 homes in Norwich and the surrounding area, going as far as Dereham, Cromer, Attleborough and Loddon. It will include a mix of local news and magazine shows.
'We will have news on the hour, Monday to Friday, from 5pm through to 10pm. There will be a flagship magazine programme Monday to Friday, a political debate once a week dealing with the latest issues, and some other local programmes currently in development,' Ms Ryder added.
'We are on target for our launch date. It is a very exciting time. We are in the process of building the team and finalising the technical infrastructure.'
She said Mustard TV was expected to be run by a team of 15 people, plus freelance presenters, and that some students from Norwich University of the Arts and City College Norwich would also be involved.
She added: 'We are part of a new network of local TV channels and that is very exciting. It is the biggest change in broadcasting for years.'
Mustard TV launched online in January and is among 19 new independent Local TV channels nationwide granted a licence by Ofcom.
Chris Romilly, chief technical officer for Comux which is delivering the Local TV technology, said the antenna serving Mustard TV was the first to be installed for the local channels.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here