[OLD BOY]

Nobody in this country seems to know how to make local TV pay. Even London Live, which stood the best chance of being profitable, is struggling.

This should come as no surprise, given that practically all the programming is boring. The first rule of television is that you need content that will attract a decent sized audience.

To my mind, the BBC, with its public broadcasting remit, should make its local material available for the commercial TV stations to use. The commercial broadcasters should supplement the local programming with a variety of other programmes that could be acquired by a body that is set up to provide content nationally to all local broadcasters. Added to which, local channels could put on programmes about buying houses, sponsored by local estate agents, provide music video programmes sponsored by local music retailers and so forth. Local presenters could link the programmes with some interesting local chat and news developments - it could actually work quite well. It would be a great platform for local politicians and for local authorities to publicise new schemes, services and so forth.

If that doesn't work, maybe the government should just give the whole thing to the BBC with a cash injection for their additional expenditure.