Channel M

Channel M
Launched	14 February 2000
Closed	16 April 2012
Owned by	GMG Regional Media (Guardian Media Group)
Picture format	576i 16:9 (SDTV)
Country	United Kingdom
Formerly called	Manchester Student Television
Availability (at time of closure)
Terrestrial
Freeview	Channel 200 (Manchester only)

Channel M was a regional television station, serving Greater Manchester. The station, originally known as Manchester Student Television, was owned and operated by the GMG Regional Media division of Guardian Media Group.

Originally an RSL station, Channel M was primarily available free-to-air on terrestrial in parts of Greater Manchester.

In 2004 Channel M launched on the NTL (now part of Virgin Media) digital cable platform, around Greater Manchester, mid-Lancashire & Cheshire. In April 2006 Channel M launched on digital satellite, the first RSL channel to be do so, where it was broadcast free-to-air across Western Europe from Astra 28.2°E and was available on Sky. The channel was removed from Sky channel 203 and Virgin Media channel 878 on 1 September 2010.

The channel became the first broadcaster in the region to offer its programmes on demand via broadband TV on its website, which closed down in late March 2010.

In January 2009, the broadcasting regulator OFCOM announced that Channel M would receive a licence to broadcast on Freeview after digital switchover. On 2 December 2009, Channel M ceased broadcasting on analogue terrestrial television UHF channel 39 (615 MHz) as part of the digital switchover. Around this time, the station announced plans to launch on Freeview (digital terrestrial television); broadcasts began on Monday 12 April 2010.

Originally, the main sources of programming were CHUM, Euronews, Channel M's own in-house productions and the University of Salford. The Canadian-sourced output was gradually replaced by in-house Channel M Productions as the station invested and developed more local programming, particularly following the station's launch on digital satellite services in April 2006. Major cutbacks saw most of the station's non-news output axed in May 2009. Remaining GMG production ceased on 19 March 2010, leaving the station with a schedule of archive and acquired output.