Business Support for Brighton TV Station
Businesses turn out to show their support as a TV channel for Brighton & Hove nears reality. Frank le Duc reports.
Dozens of business leaders showed their support for Latest TV, Brighton’s proposed new terrestrial TV station, at an event held at the Latest Musicbar in Kemp Town. Bill Smith, managing director of the Latest Group of companies, said: “The good news is that it’s not a dream – Brighton will have its own TV channel.
Look out, Channel 4 – we’re coming!” He was one of the speakers in a presentation which included some of the city’s top creative talent.
Angi Mariani, business development director of the Latest Group, said: “Our content will include local news, sport, the arts, culture, politics, homes and people – and we will be proud to work with top local companies, such as BTV Post and Baby Cow Productions, and others to develop new programmes which we can broadcast locally and in time sell nationally and internationally.”
Latest TV has led the successful bid for a TV licence for Brighton and Hove, gathering cross-party support from local MPs, Brighton and Hove City Council, Juice FM, Wired Sussex and the wider business community. Brighton and Hove is now on the shortlist of 20 with the biggest cities in Britain, including London, Glasgow, Manchester and Birmingham.
Latest TV has been built up from the team that bring you Latest Homes and Latest 7, the largest weekly city magazine in Europe, produced in Brighton and read by 100,000 people. Latest TV already produces the hit online TV show, Brighton Lights, which has been presented by Val Aviv for the past two years.
Val compered the business presentation at the Latest Musicbar where the speakers included Phélim Mac Cafferty, the deputy leader of the council, James Carroll, managing director of Touch Fantastic, and Paula Seager, MD of Natural PR, with a warm up act from the world’s oldest comedienne, Lynn Ruth Miller, star of Britain’s Got Talent and one of the key presenters on Latest TV.
The TV channel, which is expected to go live next year, is offering businesses the opportunity to partner the station during its first year. Those wishing to support the channel can contact Angi Mariani on 01273 818150 ext 120 or by emailing angi@thelatest.co.uk.
