Thistle Technology Group awarded Lanarkshire local television licence

The Thistle Technology Group Limited have been awarded the licence to provide a local television service for Lanarkshire.
The licence will commence on March 29 2003. The ITC received three applications for the licence, which was advertised last year. In considering the competing applications, the ITC applied their published criteria, which include the ability of each applicant to provide a genuine addition to the range of television services which is available in the locality, to meet the needs of tastes and interests not already catered for by existing services and the views of appropriate bodies.
Thistle have put forward programme proposals rooted in the local community, emphasising localness and community and exploiting links with the local authority, police and community services. The service aims to offer an increase in television programming not already available locally. Evidence was also provided of local support.
It was the ITC's view that by reference to the published criteria by which the applications were assessed Thistle's application had most merit.
(GB)