That's York

About That's York

Overview

That's York is the local television service for York and the surrounding areas of North Yorkshire, operated by That's TV as part of its UK-wide network of local stations. Broadcasting on Freeview channel 8 in the York area, it began on 26 June 2017 after That's TV bought the York local TV licence from the 'Hello York' consortium in October 2016. The service provides local news for York within the network's schedules of classic entertainment and music.

The channel's history reflects the consolidation of local television, as the original York licence-holder gave way to the That's TV network before the service had launched under its own identity.

Licence history and Hello York

The York local TV licence was originally won by the One & Other TV Consortium, with the working title York Channel, expected to launch between October 2014 and January 2015. The consortium, led by the York independent publisher One&Other, was the sole bidder for the licence and planned a mix of local news, current affairs, entertainment and culture programming on Freeview channel 8.

In October 2016, That's TV bought the licence for the York local TV service, formerly held by 'Hello York', and the group also bought out Cambridge TV at the same time. The acquisition brought the York licence into the growing That's TV network.

Launch and broadcasting

That's York began broadcasting on 26 June 2017. Broadcasting on Freeview channel 8 in the York area, it gave the historic city its first dedicated local television service within the That's TV network.

The service carries local news for York within the network's schedules, which combine local opt-outs with national programming of classic British television series, vintage entertainment and music. The That's TV website carries a dedicated York section with local news for the city and surrounding areas.

Regional production centre

In July 2019, when That's TV consolidated its 20 local studios into seven regional production centres, York was announced as one of the remaining centres, alongside Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester, Cambridge, Salisbury and Swansea. The decision made the York station a hub for the network's northern region.

The centralised production model produces local bulletins for the network's stations from these regional centres, with the York centre serving Yorkshire and the North East.

Compliance findings

An Ofcom investigation into That's TV's local news provision found that the broadcaster had barely provided any locally filmed news stories in some of its licence areas. For the entirety of 2022, the York service featured only two locally filmed news stories, alongside similarly low figures in Aberdeen, Dundee, Ayr, Carlisle and Scarborough.

Ofcom found the company in breach of its licence conditions, with the investigation concluding that local TV viewers were more likely to see vintage TV re-runs and old music videos than news from their area. That's TV responded by appointing new roving reporters to cover local areas, some of whom did not assume their roles until 2024.

Licence renewal

Ofcom has renewed the York local television licence for That's TV Channels Limited (L-DTPS100089), extending the station's future on Freeview. The renewal decision assessed the licensee's application and record before granting the extension.

The renewed licence secures That's York's place on Freeview channel 8 in the York area for the next decade, within the That's TV network's national schedules.

York's media landscape

York's media is served by the BBC and ITV regional news, The Press newspaper and BBC Radio York. That's York provides the city's dedicated local television service on Freeview channel 8.

The historic city's news agenda spans heritage and tourism, the universities, the rail industry and development in one of England's most visited cities, giving the local television service a distinctive range of stories.

The road to launch

The York local TV licence had a long road to the screen. It was originally won by the One & Other TV Consortium, led by the York independent publisher One&Other, which was the sole bidder for the licence. The consortium announced the working title York Channel and expected to launch between October 2014 and January 2015, with plans for a daily mix of local news, current affairs, entertainment and culture programming on Freeview channel 8.

The service did not launch under its original owners. In October 2016, That's TV bought the licence for the York local TV service, formerly held by 'Hello York', at the same time as it bought out Cambridge TV. That's York began broadcasting on 26 June 2017, giving the historic city its first dedicated local television service within the That's TV network, on Freeview channel 8 as originally planned. The launch completed a process that had begun with the original licence award several years earlier, bringing local television to a city that had waited longer than most for its service to reach the screen, and completing the That's TV network's coverage of Yorkshire.

Ofcom's localness ruling

An Ofcom investigation into That's TV's local news provision put the York service under the spotlight. The regulator found that for the entirety of 2022, the broadcaster had filmed only two news stories in York, alongside similarly low figures in Aberdeen, Dundee, Ayr, Carlisle and Scarborough, where in one case no locally filmed stories were produced at all during the year.

Ofcom found the company in breach of its broadcast licence conditions, concluding that local TV viewers were more likely to see vintage television re-runs and old music videos than news from their area. In its defence, That's TV said it had appointed new roving reporters to cover its local areas, though some did not assume their roles until 2024, and it welcomed what it called regulatory clarity on its localness requirements. The findings formed part of a wider regulatory reckoning for the local TV sector, as Ofcom examined whether the channels were delivering the local news output that their licences required of them.

York's media and heritage

York is one of England's great historic cities, its news agenda shaped by heritage and tourism, the city's two universities, the rail industry centred on the city's railway heritage and modern operations, and the development pressures facing one of the country's most visited destinations. The city's media landscape includes The Press newspaper and BBC Radio York alongside the BBC and ITV regional television news.

That's York provides the city's dedicated local television service on Freeview channel 8, the slot reserved for local TV in Yorkshire. Within the That's TV network's schedules of classic entertainment and music, its local bulletins cover the stories affecting the city and its surrounding areas, from the historic centre to the suburbs and villages of the Vale of York. The channel's licence has been renewed by Ofcom (L-DTPS100089), securing its Freeview channel 8 slot and its place in the That's TV network for the coming years, and keeping York's local television service on air for its communities across the city and the surrounding Vale.

How to watch

That's York is available on Freeview channel 8 in the York area, broadcasting 24 hours a day with local news for the city within the That's TV network's schedules.

Local news and information for York is available through the channel's broadcasts and through the That's TV website at thats.tv, which carries a dedicated York section.