The defunct local television station Lanarkshire Television could soon have life breathed into it again as three companies vie for the terrestrial licence for the Lanarkshire area.
Bellshill-based Thistle Technology will go head-to-head with two English applicants for the licence, which was advertised in August.
Thistle, which currently holds the licence, is being widely tipped as the favourite to secure the licence for a second term, having previously run the station for two years.
However, the announcement comes almost one year after Lanarkshire Television was forced to close its doors after just two years on air.
The station, then run by John McKenzie, had been plagued by financial troubles from day one. However, LTV was not the only regional TV company to suffer last year, as the Local Broadcasting Group, which was set to launch stations in Perth, Stirling and Edinburgh, was also forced to call in administrators.
More recently, Channel 6, the Dundee-based local music television channel, had to write to shareholders and creditors to inform them that the liquidator had been drafted in, despite its popularity among local viewers, after the TV station failed to receive the necessary backing to make the service viable.
Thistle Technology hopes to be reappointed to the licence to provide the local TV service for Lanarkshire. However, Hampshire-based Radio Enterprises Limited and City Broadcasting from Cheshire have both applied for the licence too.
City Broadcasting, headed up by Phillip Reevell, has successfully entered the local TV market already, broadcasting a local student TV station, Channel M, in Manchester. Radio Enterprises is thought to be trying to enter the TV market for the first time. However, they are understood to have appointed a high-profile media consultant to help the bid, which is being led by Steve Harris.
The successful applicant will be awarded the licence on a four-year contract, although it will be subject to the continued availability of the frequency channel and consequently may be revoked if the channel is required for any higher priority use. The ITC hopes to announce its decision on the award of the licence by the end of the year.