UTV LAUNCHES BID FOR BORDER / NORTH EAST REGIONAL NEWS
UTV is putting in place a dynamic cross platform proposal to deliver comprehensive news coverage in the North East and Border areas in response to the Government's recently announced Independently Funded News Consortia (IFNC) pilot project for this region.
Three IFNCs are being created by the Government in the Tyne Tees and Border area, Wales and Scotland to develop sustainable multi-platform regional news. As well as broadcasting on the regional news slots on Channel 3 (ITV and stv), the winning organisation will be expected to provide increased local news using multi-media technology.
Michael Wilson, Managing Director, UTV Television said: “All regional news is not the same in terms of quality. UTV is the UK's leading regional television news provider with an unrivalled standard of journalism and of high quality production through our news coverage in Northern Ireland. It is that experience online, on television and on radio that we intend to bring to our proposed BORDER LIVE and NORTH EAST LIVE news services. UTV’s pedigree in regional news production is second to none.
“We’ve set up www.border-live.tv and www.northeast-live.tv to attract feedback from local people on how they would like their news to be produced, gathered and delivered in the future. This type of feedback is extremely important to ensure our proposed service is relevant and specifically targeted to each area.”
“UTV Live is the most watched regional news in the whole of the UK. We are very proud of this achievement and our considerable experience in regional news broadcasting. In fact UTV Live’s audience share in 2008 was 35.9% well ahead of the regional BBC Northern Ireland news share of 28.4%. To put this in context North East Tonight delivered a share of 16.8% while ITV Lookaround delivered a share of 24.1%.
“I grew up in the Durham watching Tyne Tees news, my first job as a journalist was at Metro Radio and I know how important high quality local news is to the audience in the North East. It is vital for the plurality of journalism that there is a strong alternative to Look North.
:-(
A former member
I don't think there will get the go ahead as STV was the scottish side of the operations ( along with many in area)
thus having Cumbria news on its own will not cover the cost
Just to be clear, I'm not for one minute mocking the poor family who's daughter is fighting in Afghanistan over Christmas, but the production team responsible for organising this. Surely it would have been more sensible to film the family speaking to their daughter/sister at home where they could have struck meaningful conversations rather than the inevitable awkwardness we got here.
Just to be clear, I'm not for one minute mocking the poor family who's daughter is fighting in Afghanistan over Christmas, but the production team responsible for organising this. Surely it would have been more sensible to film the family speaking to their daughter/sister at home where they could have struck meaningful conversations rather than the inevitable awkwardness we got here.
Yeah... I thought they kept repeating themselves.. and they could of recorded this earlier.. then after the recorded bit Pam and Tim could have spoken to them after..
Nice to see more and more of Tim presenting again! Fiona doing a report from Kirkcudbright tonight too!
Strange moment this morning at Border got Granada Weather at 11.25am
JJ
jjne
I have to say that I back the UTV bid for the NE&Borders news 100%. A proper regional broadcaster of distinction with backing behind it, and a proven track record in its own region, is the perfect replacement for the two distinguished broadcasters these areas used to have.
And a bloody nose to that bunch of bar-stewards in London to boot.