Broadcasting to up to 320,000 people across Norwich and parts of Norfolk, the TV station will be covering everything from news and sport to business, current affairs, local entertainment, technology and leisure.
Part of community media group Archant, Mustard TV is the second local channel, and the first totally new one, to go live in the UK, following the series of licences awarded by broadcast regulator Ofcom.
Mustard TV, which has been on air as an IPTV channel since January 2013, will launch at 5:30pm with the inaugural broadcast of Mustard News, followed by the short welcome programme This is Mustard TV. Prime time programming includes Archive Half Hour, a local history series featuring archive footage from the East Anglian Film Archive and narrated by The Bill’s Graham Cole, and The Mustard Show, a daily magazine programme presented by Darren Eadie and Beth Davison. Wildlife programme Wild East will focus on local flora and fauna, and promises to be another highlight of Mustard’s original programming, says Archant.
Fiona Ryder, Managing Director of Mustard TV, said: “We want to redefine what people think of as local television. We hope to engage the community in ways that other stations covering wider patches just can’t.
“We will put Norfolk and Norwich at the heart of everything we do, celebrating the best of our county and concentrating on the issues that really matter to our communities. As well as being informative and entertaining, Mustard TV will provide a new voice for the people of Norfolk.
“We named the channel Mustard TV as a nod to the Colman family. Jeremiah Colman was one of the founders of Archant and is of course famed for producing Colman’s Mustard in Norwich. As the owners of over 130 local newspaper and magazine titles, plus associated digital channels, Archant has a wealth of experience in local media, serving many communities right across the UK for almost 170 years.”
Across the country, the new Local TV channels will offer a new source of local information and accountability to communities. They will also offer new employment opportunities for experienced broadcasters, young entrepreneurs and those looking to start work in the TV industry. For many businesses, they will also provide access to a local TV advertising network.
