News UK To Launch New Channel TalkTV
News UK is to launch a new channel, talkTV, in early 2022.
The channel will be streamed live and made widely available on all platforms including linear TV and OTT with content available across social media as well as News UK’s own websites and apps. Everyone in the UK will be able to access the channel, live or on-demand, either on their television or on any personal device, News UK said today.
talkTV will offer a mix of programming from News UK’s stable of brands, with hourly news bulletins, sports and entertainment shows as well as current affairs, debate, opinion and documentaries.
New format shows will be introduced using talent from News UK’s own brands – talkRADIO, talkSPORT, Virgin Radio, Times Radio, The Sun, The Times and The Sunday Times.
News UK will hire new talent to join a schedule of prime time programming for the evenings.
Rebekah Brooks, chief executive of News UK, said: “We are committed to providing choice for television and streaming viewers and bringing the best of our journalism to the screen. Taking advantage of modern technology, we can produce high quality shows at low cost.”
Scott Taunton, chief executive of News UK Broadcasting, said: “talkTV will provide a rich mix of entertaining and informative shows that no other service provides.
“News UK’s brands already engage millions of people through print, digital and audio and we are using those brands to create video programming. We have some of media’s biggest names on our radio stations and in our newspapers, as well as some of the most articulate thought-leaders who reflect many different viewpoints. Some of the most talented people in news, sports and entertainment journalism will be taking part as contributors or creating original content for talkTV.”
News UK has invested in new TV studios in its HQ in the News Building in London Bridge. Scott Taunton recently expanded his remit beyond radio and audio and was appointed chief executive, News UK broadcasting and is leading the talkTV launch.
The new TV studios are providing live news bulletins for talkRADIO from the studios in London Bridge.
talkRADIO TV has soft launched on connected TV platforms and is streamed live through the talkRADIO TV app. It is available on Samsung TV Plus, Apple TV, Rakuten, Samsung TV Plus, Roku, YouTube and on Amazon Fire TV. There is a free talkRADIO TV app and a livestream on talkRADIO.tv. Its roster of presenters includes Julia Hartley-Brewer, Mike Graham, Trisha Goddard, Rob Rinder and Jeremy Kyle who started on Monday this week.
There will be further announcements as the plans evolve.