Kent’s local TV station, KMTV, has had its licence renewed for another nine years, allowing it to continue to champion hyperlocal stories which matter.
Channel director Andy Richards explained the way the broadcaster is structured and financed allows staff to cover issues that other larger corporations might not.
The KMTV team, when it launched in 2017
He told KentOnline: “People think it is about getting the best clickbait, but certainly for KMTV, it is not. It is about getting out and telling a great story.
“The high-profile stories are all really important, but it is these hyperlocal stories we are really proud of.
“We can do something that would not get big numbers online, but is important to the communities we serve, like going to a village fete.
“Larger broadcasters might not have the resources to cover these types of stories, but we can bring them to people’s attention.
“We want to champion those types of stories, and that is an important part of what we do. We can fill that gap that might not be picked up by others.”
KMTV’s Andy Richards, Louisa Britton and Josie Hannet are pictured when the station launched
KMTV is jointly owned by the University of Kent and the KM Group, part of Iliffe Media, and is one of 34 local TV stations across the country.
It holds a Local TV Licence, meaning it is required to air a certain number of hours of local programming daily and produce shows relevant to its area.
It was first awarded the licence by broadcast regulator Ofcom in 2014, with the hopes of being up and running the following year.
The station, which is based in a purpose-built studio in the university’s Medway campus, finally launched in July 2017 at 5.30pm with its first news round-up, Kent Tonight.
It has been broadcasting across parts of Kent ever since, but is hoping to expand its reach to the entire county within the next year by using new technology.
The licence was due to expire this year, but following the government’s decision to extend the local TV licences, it has been renewed by Ofcom until 2034.
Speaking last year, then media minister Julia Lopez said that despite changing technology and shifting viewing habits, people were still tuning into their local TV providers for their news.
The government’s renewal also looked to ensure that access to the local stations remained free.
Andy explained that KMTV’s figures show that most of their viewers (28%) are in the lowest socioeconomic tier, and said in many cases, they likely can only afford a TV licence.
He added: “They are turning to TV for their news, so it needs to be free and available for them in some way. They need a trusted place to get their content.
The station also offers training opportunities for new journalists
“There are some really deprived communities, which is why it is really important that there is local media like ourselves to go and speak to them and hear from them.
“Kent really is in the heart of so much, whether it is politics, Lower Thames Crossing, or Dover, but because we are in the south east, we sometimes get forgotten.
“The eight years we have been operating have been unprecedented. It has been fascinating, with the likes of Brexit, Covid, and Trump, and we have had some huge highlights.”
Many of the local TV services also support journalism through training programmes provided in production, news reporting and technical roles, which is something KMTV is proud to champion.
With its relationship with the University of Kent and its prestigious Centre for Journalism (CfJ), the station trains BBC apprentices, takes on work experience students, and offers a year in television placement.
Andy said: “We feel like it is an important thing for us to do. It is important that there is an opportunity to train people in the community.
“We provide training in a professional environment with opportunities for students, while being a trusted source of information.”
Last year, the University of Kent revealed it would be slashing several courses, including journalism, due to financial challenges.
Andy explained that when the CfJ shuts, Kent will be without any journalism training programme, but the news also left KMTV in limbo over its future.
But, in September, the University of Greenwich, which shares the Medway campus, announced it will be merging with the University of Kent and confirmed its intentions to keep KMTV.
Andy hopes the “super” university will help breathe new life into the service, and is now also looking to expand its training programme.
He added: “This new phase of KMTV is to increase our training provision by getting our own NCTJ accreditation so we can train all sorts of people at different levels.”
However, Andy was quick to highlight that it is not “student TV”, and although there are many opportunities for students and apprentices, all its full-time staff are fully qualified and paid journalists.
He added: “One of the things we are super proud of is what people go on to do from KMTV. Around 80% of our full-time staff have gone on to work for ITV and the BBC in a non-entry-level job.”
Former staff include senior reporter for the BBC South East investigations team, Josie Hannett, who said: “I would not be where I am today without KMTV.
“It is an amazing place for journalists at the start of their broadcast career to really build on their skills and learn the ropes in reporting.
“I would not be where I am today without KMTV…”
“As a former KM apprentice, being able to work at a TV station gave me invaluable experience to be able to go on to work for huge media organisations, including Sky News and now the BBC.
“There is nowhere else that would give you the opportunity to be a producer of a news programme or an on-air reporter fresh from an apprenticeship or university. At KMTV, you just get on with it.
“I am so pleased the licence has been extended, and I am excited to see the upcoming talent we have in Kent.”
KMTV alumni also include Joy Anokwuru, who shares celeb interviews and news on the social media app, and who was also recently crowned TikTok Creator Rising Star, a category for breakthrough creators to watch.
Joy Anokwuru won the TikTok Creator Rising Star award. Picture: James Robinson Photogapher
Speaking previously, she said her internship at KMTV six years ago was “integral” to her career progression.
She added: “KMTV gave me such a big push into the industry. I went from being an intern to a producer to presenting the news broadcast.
“It gave me all the skills that I needed, from learning what goes on in the gallery to controlling the cameras to presenting on-screen, it really did give me all kinds of skills.”