London Live, the capital’s dedicated local television channel, has announced it will cease broadcasting this month after a decade on air. The channel, which launched in 2014 under the ownership of Evening Standard proprietor Evgeny Lebedev, will air its final news programme on January 16th, with the channel going dark permanently at midnight on January 20th.
The closure comes shortly after the channel’s acquisition by Local TV Ltd earlier this month, marking the end of Lebedev’s involvement with the broadcaster. London Live was established as part of a government initiative to create a network of local television stations across Britain.
In a farewell message to viewers on Instagram, the channel expressed gratitude to its audience: “We have loved helping to share the stories that matter in London, making sure the voices that count are heard. In our biased opinion, London is the best city in the world, made up of brilliant people.”
The station, which has been available on Freeview and Sky platforms, was created under legislation designed to boost local television coverage. Its closure raises questions about the viability of dedicated local TV channels in an era of digital media and streaming services.
London Live’s demise marks another significant change in the capital’s media landscape, following years of transformation in how Londoners consume their local news and entertainment. The channel’s final week of broadcasting will bring to an end ten years of local programming and news coverage focused exclusively on London and its communities.