Bay TV, the winner of the local TV licence bid for Liverpool in February, says its development plans are well under way.
Bay TV’s Chris Kerr & Chris Johnson
Chris Johnson, the founder of Mercury Press and the man who will be running Bay TV Liverpool along with Chris Kerr, told Prolific North that the only major uncertainty was the timing of the station’s launch.
Comux, the company charged with installing the required new antennae on Winter Hill and at Storeton on the Wirral, is currently not able to confirm whether the upgrade will take place this summer which would enable the station to launch in the late Autumn. If Comux is unable to complete the work before October and the onset of winter, the launch will be delayed to the Spring of 2014.
Almost one million homes are expected to be able to receive the new station once works are complete.
Johnson said that the recruitment drive had already started and that they were seeking 22 new staff members to add to the existing two full time staffers at the company.
Of these, six will be video journalists along with three producers together with sales and related support and admin staff.
Local sales for Liverpool and Merseyside will be handled in-house said Johnson adding that regional and national sales will be managed by a sales representation house and he said Bay was currently exploring its options with several sales houses.
Bay has temporarily taken space in an office adjacent to Mercury Press but Johnson said they were looking for a new permanent home with between 3,000 to 4,000 sq ft of space.
Johnson and Kerr, speaking at a local TV conference this week in Liverpool which was supported by Prolific North, unveiled their new promotional video for the station.
