James Dickman, the familiar face on London Live, delivered an emotional farewell during his last broadcast on the station.
Since 2014, London Live has been a staple of Sky and Freeview, bringing its unique mix of sitcoms, documentaries, and traditional news to those living within London’s unique postcode patch.
However, with a change in ownership this month, Local TV Ltd. took over from founder Evgeny Lebedev, and the channel experienced an abrupt shutdown.
In an emotional farewell on January 13, James signed off to viewers for the final time. He said: “That’s it for this evening. But also, this is it for me tonight. This is my last show on this news programme at this channel. Over seven years, it’s been a privilege to inform you and, at times, give you a little bit of joy, I hope, every weekday evening.”
He said candidly: “It’s not news to anyone that local reporting is on life support. The need for it in a modern world – for better or for worse – seems more and more by the day to be surplus to requirements. I believe it is for the worse.
“The importance of stories that affect our communities and the individuals within them cannot be underestimated.
“The seemingly inconsequential at first glance, the often downright bizarre, are things that would be overlooked by so many others. They’re often, though, the first key in the door that opens to shine a light on something much larger that affects us all,” reports the Mirror.
The broadcaster ended his heartfelt farewell by saying: “These small stories can remind us perhaps more acutely than things only visible in a bigger picture of what it is to be human, and what it is to believe in something bigger than yourself. Something needed now more than ever in such difficult times.
“So, I wish you the best of luck, and I hope you have the courage to never lose hope. Good evening, goodbye, I’ll see you again I’m sure.”
Earlier that day, news about London Live’s impending shutdown surfaced on X, previously known as Twitter.
The channel expressed its sentiments in a statement: “We want to update our loyal followers that very sadly London Live will be closing down. The TV channel will no longer be on air from 12am on 20th January and the final news programme will be on 16th January at 6pm.
“We want to thank you for following and supporting us over the last 10 years. We have loved helping to share the stories that matter in London, making sure the voices that count are heard. In our biased opinion, London is the best city in the world, made up of brilliant people. Thank you for being a part of our journey. The London Live Team x”.
Simon Thompson, a voting member of BAFTA and the Critics Choice Awards, reposted the statement and shared his personal connection: “I was part of the London Live launch team. I produced the nightly entertainment show London Go, the show that launched the channel. It was an honor to make broadcasting history and we did it more than once in the first year. I feel for those impacted by this. A real shame.”