That's Manchester

That's Manchester is a local television station serving the Greater Manchester television market in England. It forms part of the wider That's TV network, a group of local and nationally distributed channels built around regional broadcasting licences, entertainment programming, music video blocks and advertising or teleshopping output. The station broadcasts from studios at The Flint Glass Works in Ancoats, Manchester, and uses a localised signal from the Winter Hill transmitter. Its principal terrestrial outlet has been Freeview channel 7 in the Greater Manchester area; the station has not generally been distributed through satellite or cable services. The service emerged from the United Kingdom's 2010s expansion of local television. Greater Manchester had previously been served by Channel M, a locally focused channel that operated from February 2000 until its owners judged the service commercially unviable and closed it in April 2012. In 2013, Ofcom awarded the new local television licence to Your TV Manchester, which had also secured licences covering Preston and Blackpool. That operator did not launch within the period required by the regulator, and the licence was subsequently taken over by That's TV. Ofcom granted That's Manchester a ten-and-a-half-year licence in May 2015, followed by a soft launch at 9 p.m. on 31 May 2015. In its early period, the station offered a recognisably local schedule. Its main news output, Manchester Headline News, was supported by current-affairs and community programmes including Now We're Talking, Advice Show and The Big Debate. Other programmes included the student-oriented Student Speak, arts and culture programme That's Chatty, and specialist formats such as That's Pride and The Geek Show. These programmes reflected the station's original local-service remit, but most were discontinued in 2017. The channel's schedule subsequently became increasingly aligned with the wider That's TV network. A single local news bulletin was repeated during evening and overnight hours, while daytime schedules included teleshopping, older films and, for a period, programming supplied through a classic-film arrangement. After that arrangement ended, the network used a combination of shopping, reality programming and music-led output. By 2020, the Manchester service had been reduced largely to a short local news slot at around 6 p.m., with networked music-video blocks branded That's 70s, That's 80s and That's 90s occupying substantial parts of the schedule. The station also carried TJC, The Jewellery Channel, during some morning periods. Seasonal and music programming became a prominent part of the brand's later identity. In late 2020, a temporary That's Christmas presentation replaced the usual music-video block with a retro Christmas party format, after which the service adopted a That's New Year presentation before returning to decade-themed music blocks in 2021. In October 2021, the station began carrying the That's TV Gold schedule with local opt-outs for weekday evening news and a late-night rolling-news service. A Manchester Music Marathon was introduced as a local music slot in October 2021. That's TV has also developed additional services on the Greater Manchester local multiplex. These have included That's TV 2 MCR, That's TV 3 MCR and regional versions of music channels. The portfolio has changed frequently, with channels such as Classic Hits MCR, That's 80s MCR, That's 60s MCR, That's 90s MCR and That's Dance MCR appearing at different times. This wider multiplex activity makes That's Manchester both a local news outlet and part of a broader regional distribution and programming strategy. The station's continuing local opt-outs and Freeview presence indicate an active licence-based service, although its schedule and channel configuration have been subject to repeated network changes.

That's Manchester was created during the United Kingdom's national programme for introducing local television services. Its immediate predecessor in the Greater Manchester market was Channel M, which broadcast a locally focused service from February 2000 until April 2012. Channel M's owners concluded that continuing the service was not economically viable. The later local-television licensing process therefore sought to restore a dedicated local outlet under a new regulatory framework. In 2013, Ofcom awarded the Greater Manchester licence to Your TV Manchester. The company had also won licences for Preston and Blackpool, but it did not launch the Manchester service within the two-year period stipulated by Ofcom. The licence was subsequently taken over by That's TV. In May 2015, Ofcom granted the new service a ten-and-a-half-year licence, and That's Manchester soft-launched at 9 p.m. on 31 May 2015. The station operates from The Flint Glass Works in Ancoats and transmits to the licence area from Winter Hill using a directional local signal. Its main terrestrial outlet has been Freeview channel 7. Unlike many broader television networks, it has not been carried as a conventional satellite or cable channel. Its early schedule was built around local news and public-interest programming. Manchester Headline News served as the principal news brand, while Now We're Talking, Advice Show and The Big Debate provided current-affairs and discussion formats. Student Speak focused on student-related or youth-oriented issues, That's Chatty covered arts and culture, and specialist programmes included That's Pride and The Geek Show. Most of these programmes were removed in 2017, and the service moved toward a network-oriented schedule. During the following years, the channel combined a repeated local news bulletin with teleshopping, older films, reality programming and music. A classic-film arrangement supplied part of the earlier entertainment schedule, but after that arrangement ended the network increasingly relied on shopping and music-video programming. By 2020, local output had largely been reduced to a ten-minute news slot at approximately 6 p.m., with networked decade-music blocks under the That's 70s, That's 80s and That's 90s labels. TJC was also simulcast during some morning periods. The station has repeatedly used temporary or thematic branding. In November 2020, That's Christmas replaced the usual music-video slot with the Retro Disco Christmas Party, a sequence of seasonal songs and party music associated with the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. The service later used That's New Year branding before returning to the decade-based music presentation in 2021. From October 2021, That's Manchester carried the That's TV Gold schedule while preserving local weekday evening news opt-outs and a late-night rolling-news slot. The same period saw the introduction of Manchester Music Marathon, a local music programme placed within the broader entertainment schedule. That's TV has also used the Greater Manchester local multiplex for additional regional services. In August 2022 it took over a Freeview slot formerly associated with Country Music Entertainment and launched Classic Hits MCR. That service was rebranded That's 80s MCR in January 2023 as the network developed decade-themed music channels. Further changes in 2024 brought services including That's TV 2 MCR and That's TV 3 MCR, along with regional variants of That's 60s, That's 90s and That's Dance. The portfolio has continued to change, with later line-ups including That's Melody MCR and That's Oldies. These developments place That's Manchester within a flexible multi-channel operation whose local identity is maintained principally through its licence, regional news opt-outs and occasional Manchester-focused music programming.

• 2024

  Regional multiplex portfolio expands

  [1]That's Manchesteren.wikipedia.org

  That's TV introduces or refreshes additional MCR services, including That's TV 2 MCR, That's TV 3 MCR and several music channels.

• 2022

  Classic Hits MCR launches

  [1]That's Manchesteren.wikipedia.org

  That's TV takes over a Greater Manchester Freeview slot and launches a regional classic-hits music service.

• 2021

  Manchester Music Marathon appears

  [1]That's Manchesteren.wikipedia.org

  A Manchester-focused music block is introduced within the channel's increasingly music-led schedule.

• 2020

  Local output becomes primarily a short news slot

  [1]That's Manchesteren.wikipedia.org

  The service is largely reduced to a brief local news bulletin alongside networked music, shopping and entertainment programming.

• 2017

  Original local programme slate is reduced

  [1]That's Manchesteren.wikipedia.org

  Several current-affairs, cultural and specialist programmes are dropped as the channel moves toward a more networked schedule.

• 2016

  Regulatory notice over technical performance

  [1]That's Manchesteren.wikipedia.org

  Ofcom places the station on notice over persistent technical issues affecting its programming.

• 2015

  That's Manchester launches

  [1]That's Manchesteren.wikipedia.org

  That's TV takes over the licence, receives regulatory approval for a ten-and-a-half-year term and soft-launches That's Manchester on 31 May.

• 2013

  Your TV Manchester wins the local licence

  [1]That's Manchesteren.wikipedia.org

  Ofcom awards the new Greater Manchester local television licence to Your TV Manchester, which subsequently fails to launch within the required timeframe.

• 2012

  Channel M closes

  [1]That's Manchesteren.wikipedia.org

  Channel M ends its service after its owners determine that continued local broadcasting is not viable.

• 2000

  Channel M begins broadcasting

  [1]That's Manchesteren.wikipedia.org

  Channel M starts a locally focused television service for Greater Manchester, later becoming the principal predecessor to the area's next local television licence.

A Greater Manchester local television service combining a limited local news and community remit with entertainment, music-video, archival television and commercial programming supplied through the wider That's TV network.

• Local television news

  Manchester Headline News

  The station's principal local news programme during its earlier schedule. It formed the core of the service's Greater Manchester editorial remit before the original local programme slate was reduced. Later local output was generally presented as a short evening bulletin and recurring opt-outs from the wider That's TV schedule.

• Television programming · 2015

  Local current-affairs and community programming

  The early station schedule included discussion and community-oriented formats such as Now We're Talking, Advice Show and The Big Debate, as well as Student Speak, That's Chatty, That's Pride and The Geek Show. These programmes gave the channel a broader local identity beyond news, but were dropped in 2017.

• Music television

  That's 70s, That's 80s and That's 90s

  Networked music-video blocks built around decade-specific popular music. They became a major part of the Manchester schedule after the service reduced its original local programming and were periodically replaced or supplemented by seasonal presentations and other That's TV music formats.

• Local music television · 2021

  Manchester Music Marathon

  A Manchester-focused music slot introduced in 2021. It provided a localised feature within the station's predominantly networked entertainment schedule and was positioned between repeat entertainment programmes.

• Regional entertainment channel · 2024

  That's TV 2 MCR

  A sister service on the Greater Manchester multiplex launched in January 2024. Its initial schedule included repeats of Home and Away, Humans and Prisoner: Cell Block H, but the schedule was quickly revised toward archive television, sitcoms, reality programming and music videos.

• Regional television channel · 2024

  That's TV 3 MCR

  A Greater Manchester multiplex service added as a placeholder in June 2024. Available programming and long-term editorial positioning are not clearly documented in the supplied reference material.

• Music television · 2022

  That's TV regional music channels

  A changing group of Greater Manchester services using decade and genre identities, including Classic Hits MCR, That's 80s MCR, That's 60s MCR, That's 90s MCR, That's Dance MCR, That's Melody MCR and That's Oldies. Their channel numbers and exact availability have changed over time.

• 2020Retro Disco Christmas Party

  Greater Manchester

  A seasonal schedule presentation under the temporary That's Christmas identity, combining Christmas standards with 1970s, 1980s and 1990s Europop and party music.

  Outcome. The seasonal presentation was followed by a temporary That's New Year identity before the station returned to decade-themed music blocks.

  Source

• 2024

  Expansion of MCR sister channelsProduct launch

  Background

  That's TV had secured additional 24-hour local-multiplex capacity in Greater Manchester.

  Action taken

  The operator introduced or refreshed That's TV 2 MCR, That's TV 3 MCR and several regional music services.

  Aftermath

  The Greater Manchester portfolio became a multi-channel collection with frequently changing entertainment and music schedules.

  Source

• 2022

  Launch of Classic Hits MCRProduct launch

  Background

  That's TV obtained a Greater Manchester Freeview slot previously associated with Country Music Entertainment.

  Action taken

  The operator launched Classic Hits MCR and later rebranded the service as That's 80s MCR.

  Aftermath

  The move expanded the operator's regional music-channel presence beyond the main That's Manchester service.

  Source

• 2020

  Shift toward a networked music and commercial scheduleStrategy

  Background

  By 2020, the service's schedule had become substantially less locally produced.

  Action taken

  The channel retained a short local news slot while using decade-themed music blocks and teleshopping for much of the remaining schedule.

  Aftermath

  That's Manchester became more closely aligned with the national That's TV programming model.

  Source

• 2017

  Reduction of original local programmingStrategy

  Background

  The station had initially offered several local current-affairs, community, cultural and specialist programmes.

  Action taken

  That's Manchester dropped most of those formats and concentrated local output more heavily on news.

  Aftermath

  The channel increasingly used networked entertainment, teleshopping, older films and music programming.

  Source

• 2015

  Takeover of the Greater Manchester local television licenceStrategy

  Background

  The original licence winner, Your TV Manchester, did not launch within Ofcom's required period.

  Action taken

  That's TV took over the licence and developed the That's Manchester service, which received a ten-and-a-half-year licence from Ofcom.

  Aftermath

  The station soft-launched in May 2015 as part of the national local-television rollout.

  Source

1. 1That's Manchesteren.wikipedia.org
2. 2That's TV Manchester official websitethatstv.com