Channel 6 strikes university partnerships
Channel 6, the company bidding to run local television across the UK, is to work with Sunderland and Cardiff universities as it gets ready to launch.
It will also be teaming up with Skillset, the training body for the creative industries, to "explore partnerships and collaborative opportunities" with more than 20 UK media colleges and universities.
Richard Horwood, chief executive of Channel 6, said the network is keen to work with universities because they have "state-of-the-art studios and production facilities, highly motivated students and well-qualified graduates".
He said: "Many of them are already in the forefront of developing plans for local TV in their areas. They are key local partners, and we are looking forward to collaborating with them. We are also talking to other institutions, and welcome interest from any media school keen to get involved.
“Over the next few months we will be sitting down with our partner colleges and universities to discuss in detail how we can collaborate most effectively. We’ll be looking at issues like access to studios, production, and post-production facilities, providing internships for undergraduates and jobs for graduates, maybe even setting up our local affiliates on campus. Depending on the business model we agree, our partner universities could participate directly in the profitability of the local affiliate.”
Graeme Thompson, dean of the Faculty of Arts, Design & Media at the University of Sunderland, added: "We were early supporters of the Channel 6 model and are looking forward to exploring how the best use can be made of our exceptional facilities and well-trained students.