Rodney Hearth. Picture by Jennifer Burton.
BEMBRIDGE businessman Rodney Hearth has played a part in what he hopes will be a TV revolution — one that may bring local TV back to the Island.
Mr Hearth’s TV channels are featured on a new set-top box system he said would revolutionise both broadcasting and viewing. On the Island, with its poor reception areas, Mr Hearth said it was particularly valuable because the box, which is the size of a cigarette packet, turns the TV into a powerful media player which can be linked to broadband wirelessly.
"It does not need a TV aerial or dish and that wipes away the reception difficulty faced by TV12 and its successor station, Solent TV," said Mr Hearth. "I would be very interested to know what the Island thinks about having its own TV station back — one that this time can not only be watched all over the Island but all over the world. I have studio facilities available, I just need to know it will be supported."
The TV executive 20 years ago established a broadcasting company near Barcelona and in 2006 set up the UK Entertainment Channel, UK Arts Channel and the UK Concert Channel, based on the Island.
Mr Hearth’s programmes have been used in the development of the Netgear Digital Entertainer Live set-top box. The box brings a TV service to living rooms provided by Brighton-based Global Digital Broadcast TV and Verismo Network’s VuNow service.
The internet service is one of several on the market, or planned, but Mr Hearth said it was the best technically and for content, combining a range of free-to-air channels with website access, including YouTube.
VuNow is planned to be free for a trial period and subject to annual, paid, subscriptions in the future.
Reporter: richardw@iwcpmail.co.uk