If I were a betting man i'd say that VM are to add more BBC local radio stations to the EPG.
Before the advent of NGTV, some areas had their own BBC local radio station on the EPG. After the introduction of NGTV, we all got BBC Radio London on channel 937.
There are currently 40 local BBC radio stations; i'm not sure how many are now IP delivered
Benefits for VM are that there would be no carriage costs on either side for these channels and that it would be a USP because Sky doesn't have them and (I think) Freeview only carries your own local station.
Benefits for VM customers would be that we wouldn't need to go via the Tune In app, "ex-pats" could keep up to date with their old home and that we would be able to record programmes, create series links etc.
Now that ViLoR is being rolled out across the UK (making local radio IP based), it's probably much easier for VM to pick up all the feeds off the internet wherever their headend/s are.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/academy/technol...30802172702565
Perhaps there are 16 stations running on ViLoR and VM are to initially add these; this would also tie in with these "test" channels being placed in an area usually used for internet based services like apps & BBC Red Button streams.
Edit: 18 BBC local radio stations currently use ViLoR. As 2 may already be on the EPG and delivered by traditional means eg London and one of the Nations, maybe that's why they only need to create another 16??
A more worrying thought as the world seems to become more unstable/unsafe is that local radio will probably be best placed to broadcast news, information and advice than any other medium (including the TV Wartime Broadcasting Service). Maybe it's thought that underground cable is less likely to be impacted by severe weather, war, terrorist attacks etc. Let's hope to God that VM don't know something we don't!!!
Bit of a jump there, so I'm off to bed
