Solent TV has agreed a deal with Sky to be broadcast on satellite, giving it a potential audience of millions.
From January 15th, the company will become the first community station on Sky, largely as a result of a low percentage of islanders currently able to the receive the terrestrial and cable signal that the channel broadcasts on.
The deal comes less than a year after Solent TV previously pulled out of a similar agreement just weeks before going on air. In February, the company was set to be broadcast when, when it had to pull out due to insufficient funds.
The technical solution to put Solent TV on Sky is now set to become a test-bed for other local stations, and is expected to inspire other community shows to use satellite distribution.
Approximately 750,000 people across the south of England can currently access Solent TV, yet the Island’s unique topography has prevented some viewers receiving a sufficient signal. This move now means that all islanders will soon be able to keep up to date with all the latest happenings.
Having recently launched a new service enabling customers to watch TV on their mobile phones, this is clearly a very exciting time for Solent TV, with the deal meaning people all over Europe could soon be tuning in. In addition to these mediums, the station also has a hugely popular website which receives 4.5 million hits a month, illustrating how Solent TV is fast becoming a reliable and interactive source of local news.