Birmingham TV
A local television station serving Birmingham and surrounding parts of England's West Midlands.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Birmingham TV is a British local television service serving Birmingham, the Black Country, Wolverhampton and Solihull in the West Midlands. The service operates under Local Television Limited and belongs to a wider group of regional local-TV stations. Its present identity is the latest stage in a sequence of ownership, branding and programming changes that began with the launch of Big Centre TV in 2015. The station was created after the collapse of City8, an earlier proposed local television service for the Birmingham area. Kaleidoscope TV Limited secured the relevant Ofcom licence in November 2014 and launched the channel as Big Centre TV at 6 p.m. on 28 February 2015. The launch was associated with Kaleidoscope co-founder Chris Perry and television executive Mike Prince, who served as director of programming and chairman. The original operation was based at the Goldmine Centre in Walsall, where it also worked with a studio school that provided students with opportunities for practical experience. Big Centre TV initially combined local news and features with archive and nostalgia programming. Its launch-night schedule included an introduction to the station, a special edition of The Midland, an episode of Crossroads, an ice-hockey match and locally oriented feature programmes. During its first months, the schedule drew on archive titles such as Ivor the Engine, Terrahawks and Out of Town, alongside entertainment and nostalgia formats including The David Hamilton Show, The Ads Show, Crossroads Check-In, Tiswas Pies Again and The Long Lost Shows Show. The channel also opened a satellite studio at Edgbaston Cricket Ground to support sports coverage. The launch attracted criticism over dated news reports and technical faults, including sound and camera-quality problems. The station acknowledged the difficulties as normal early-stage problems for a new broadcaster and asked viewers to give it time to develop. Its plans to repeat Crossroads also generated a dispute concerning payments to former cast members, and the repeats were discontinued in September 2015. In October 2016, Made Television announced the acquisition of Big Centre TV, subject to regulatory approval. Big Centre TV ended its original broadcast identity on 4 November 2016 and relaunched as Made in Birmingham on 8 November. The channel later expanded its distribution to satellite platforms, while also carrying substantial acquired programming through arrangements involving Sony Pictures Television and channels including TruTV and CBS Reality. In July 2017, the Birmingham operation moved from Walsall to studios and offices on Bridge Street near Birmingham's Gas Street Basin. A restructuring of the Made network in late 2017 reduced the amount of locally produced material and resulted in reported staff redundancies. Local news production was temporarily transferred to Leeds and was subsequently discontinued as a distinct programme in February 2018. In January 2018, the service ceased its separate digital-satellite feed and became part of a generic Made Television network feed containing limited local-news blocks. The brand returned to Birmingham TV on social media and online in August 2018, was renamed Local TV Birmingham in 2021, and received Ofcom approval in January 2022 to close its Birmingham offices and operate through a remote-production model. Content could then be sent electronically to Local Television's broadcast centre in Leeds for playout. In October 2023, the service adopted the TalkBirmingham name and carried much of the schedule of News UK's TalkTV, while retaining scheduled opt-outs for local news. It reverted to Birmingham TV approximately six months later, in the context of TalkTV's closure. The station's contemporary role is therefore principally that of a regulated local television outlet within a networked operation, combining limited Birmingham-area news, sport and features with programming supplied by its parent network or external partners.
History
The Birmingham local television service emerged from the development of Britain's local-TV licensing framework. City8 had proposed a Birmingham-centred station but entered administration after failing to secure adequate funding. In November 2014, Ofcom awarded the relevant licence to Kaleidoscope TV Limited. The successful bidder had only a short period of notice before the regulator's announcement, and the station was initially associated with the Kaleidoscope TV name. The service launched as Big Centre TV at 6 p.m. on 28 February 2015. Chris Perry, a Kaleidoscope co-founder, helped launch the station, while former ATV announcer and television executive Mike Prince acted as director of programming and chairman. Its Walsall base at the Goldmine Centre was located alongside a studio school, allowing students to obtain work experience. The opening schedule combined a station introduction, local news, archive material, entertainment and sport. The first bulletin received negative criticism for using reports that predated the launch and for technical issues affecting sound and camera focus. The station defended the performance as an expected early-stage difficulty. Big Centre TV's early editorial identity relied heavily on local-interest, nostalgia and archive material. It showed programmes including Ivor the Engine, Terrahawks, Out of Town and surviving episodes of the Midlands soap Crossroads. It also developed original or locally packaged formats such as The David Hamilton Show, The Ads Show, Crossroads Check-In, Tiswas Pies Again and The Long Lost Shows Show. Crossroads repeats became controversial because of disagreement over royalties payable to former performers; the channel stopped showing them in September 2015. In April 2015, the station announced investment from Canadian media company Trek 2000 and later created a satellite studio at Edgbaston Cricket Ground for sports coverage. Made Television announced in October 2016 that it had agreed to acquire Big Centre TV, subject to Ofcom approval. The station ceased under its original name at midnight on 4 November and relaunched as Made in Birmingham at 6 p.m. on 8 November 2016. Satellite distribution followed in January 2017. The channel later carried blocks of programming from TruTV under a supply arrangement with Sony Pictures Television, and the wider Made network subsequently simulcast CBS Reality for much of the day. In July 2017, the operation moved from Walsall to Bridge Street in Birmingham, near the Gas Street Basin and other major broadcasters' local facilities. The Made network was reorganised in late 2017. Local programming was cut, around ten employees were reportedly made redundant, and the Birmingham news operation was moved temporarily to Leeds. The dedicated local news programme was abolished in February 2018. In January of that year, the station had already stopped its separate digital-satellite service and joined a generic Made Television feed, which included a limited daily local-news block covering several licence areas. The service's online and social-media identity changed to Birmingham TV in August 2018. The station was renamed Local TV Birmingham in 2021. In January 2022, Ofcom approved a request to close the Birmingham offices and make the remote-production system permanent. Under that model, material could be produced remotely and transmitted electronically to Local Television's Leeds broadcast centre for playout. This reflected the service's increasing integration into a networked local-TV structure rather than a fully self-contained Birmingham newsroom. On 18 October 2023, the service adopted the TalkBirmingham name and aligned its schedule with News UK's TalkTV. TalkTV programming occupied most of the day, while the Birmingham service retained local opt-outs, including scheduled news bulletins. The station later returned to the Birmingham TV name as TalkTV was being closed. Its historical development illustrates the financial and operational pressures facing UK local television: successive changes in ownership and branding, reliance on archive or networked programming, reductions in local production and a shift from dedicated premises to remote network operations.
- 2024
Return to Birmingham TV
[1]The service reverted to the Birmingham TV identity ahead of TalkTV's closure.
- 2023
TalkBirmingham rebrand
[1]The service began carrying most of its schedule from TalkTV while preserving daily local-news opt-outs.
- 2022
Remote-production model approved
[1]Ofcom approved closure of the Birmingham offices and permanent remote production linked to Local Television's Leeds broadcast centre.
- 2021
Rebrand as Local TV Birmingham
[1]The service adopted the Local TV Birmingham name.
- 2018
Separate satellite service ends
[1]The station joined a generic Made Television network feed on digital satellite, retaining only limited local-news output.
- 2018
Birmingham TV branding introduced
[1]The online and social-media identity changed from Made in Birmingham to Birmingham TV.
- 2017
Move to Birmingham city-centre premises
[1]The operation moved from Walsall to Bridge Street beside the Gas Street Basin.
- 2016
Relaunch as Made in Birmingham
[1]Made Television acquired the station and relaunched it under the Made in Birmingham brand in November.
- 2015
Big Centre TV begins broadcasting
[1]The station launched from Walsall on 28 February with local news, archive programming, features and sport.
- 2015
External investment and sports expansion
[1]Trek 2000 invested in the station, which later opened a satellite studio at Edgbaston Cricket Ground.
Products and positioning
A regulated local television service focused on Birmingham and neighbouring West Midlands communities, supported by networked programming from Local Television Limited and external content partners.
Television programming · 2015
Local news
Local news has remained the station's principal regulated editorial obligation, although its scale and production arrangements have changed substantially. In its early period, the station produced dedicated local bulletins and programmes. After the Made network restructuring, output was reduced to scheduled blocks of recorded local news, sport and features. Under the TalkBirmingham arrangement, local bulletins were scheduled as opt-outs from the predominantly networked TalkTV service.
Local news programme · 2015
The Midland
The Midland was a local news programme associated with the original Big Centre TV launch. A special edition formed part of the opening-night schedule, helping establish the station's editorial focus on Birmingham and the wider West Midlands.
Television programming · 2015
Archive and nostalgia programming
Big Centre TV initially differentiated itself through archive and nostalgia content. The schedule included titles such as Ivor the Engine, Terrahawks, Out of Town and Crossroads, as well as locally packaged programmes including The David Hamilton Show, The Ads Show, Crossroads Check-In, Tiswas Pies Again and The Long Lost Shows Show. Much of this material was later phased out as the service became more integrated into network operations.
Television programming · 2023
Networked TalkTV programming
During the TalkBirmingham period beginning in October 2023, the station carried most of the TalkTV schedule and inserted Birmingham-specific news bulletins at designated times. This represented a network-affiliate model rather than a fully local schedule.
Brand decisions
2023
Rebrand as TalkBirminghamOtherBackground
The service aligned itself with News UK's TalkTV television channel.
Action taken
From 18 October 2023, most of the schedule consisted of TalkTV programming, with local Birmingham news opt-outs.
Aftermath
The identity was temporary and the station returned to Birmingham TV roughly six months later as TalkTV closed.
2022
Adopt permanent remote productionStrategyBackground
Remote working introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic provided an alternative to maintaining a dedicated Birmingham office.
Action taken
Ofcom approved closure of the Birmingham offices and the transfer of production to a remote model, with material sent electronically to Local Television's Leeds broadcast centre.
Aftermath
The station became more closely integrated with Local Television's centralised technical and operational infrastructure.
2017
Integrate the station into a more networked scheduleStrategyBackground
The Made Television network restructured its operations amid pressure on local-TV production.
Action taken
Local output was cut, some production was transferred to Leeds, and the service carried substantial acquired programming, including scheduled blocks from TruTV and later CBS Reality across the network.
Aftermath
The dedicated local news programme was discontinued in February 2018, leaving a smaller block of local news, sport and features.
2016
Acquire and relaunch the station as Made in BirminghamM&ABackground
Made Television had previously sought to operate the Birmingham local-TV franchise and later announced an agreement to buy Big Centre TV.
Action taken
The station ended the Big Centre TV identity in November 2016 and relaunched as Made in Birmingham.
Aftermath
The service became part of the Made network, expanded its use of acquired programming and later experienced reductions in dedicated local output.
2015
Launch Big Centre TVProduct launchBackground
Kaleidoscope TV Limited needed to launch the Birmingham-area service by the Ofcom deadline after winning the licence in late 2014.
Action taken
The station began broadcasting on 28 February 2015 from Walsall with local news, archive titles, features and sports coverage.
Aftermath
The opening received criticism for technical problems and the use of older news material, but the service continued operating and later attracted outside investment.
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