Firms apply to run local TV in Bangor, Mold and Swansea

A broadcasting watchdog has received bids from companies to operate local TV stations in north and south west Wales.

Ofcom has announced applications have been made for licences in Bangor in Gwynedd, Mold, Flintshire and Swansea.

There was just one applicant for the Bangor licence, but two bids each for Mold and Swansea.

The UK government has said there is demand for more local programmes than those offered by BBC or commercial TV.

Bangor and Mold were named on a list of sites for local TV announced by the Department for Culture Media and Sport in 2011.

Bay TV, bidding in Bangor, Mold and Swansea, plans a daily schedule of at least an hour of news a day, as well as features, sport, arts and university programmes.

Chris Johnson, managing director of Liverpool-based news agency Mercury Press, is behind it.

In the bid for Bay TV Gwynedd, it said: "We shall be able to devote attention to stories and issues that would be overlooked or ignored by the regional stations. We shall carry news about local societies and clubs, highlight local planning issues, showcase local bands and give a voice to small communities."

'Truly local station'

The focus of its Swansea bid was to create a station that was "truly local TV which is relevant to the people of Swansea and Llanelli".

Bay TV Clwyd would be run from Liverpool but include some programmes provided by Glyndwr university.

Serch TV is also bidding for Mold and said it can go to air by the end of this year.

It in its bid document it would deliver "high quality local production and local programming" with subjects ranging from arts to farming.

"Citizen journalists will help us to report on the varied interests of the community thus providing a platform that will reflect the people and cultures in the area" the bid said.

Love Swansea has also made a bid for the city's local station and said it can broadcast around parts of Gower and Llanelli from September.

"Not only will our programming be relevant to the local area but in direct response to survey feedback it will focus on the micro-communities that make up the area," the bid said.

Made TV Ltd was unveiled as the winning bidder to run the new local station in Cardiff last year.

Last year, Ofcom announced it had awarded 19 licences in the first phase.