Sky Tyne and Wear

Didn't realise Sky had dipped their toes into local news, beginning with a pilot in the North East:

http://tyneandwear.sky.com/

http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=1&storycode=49116&c=1
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/media/news/a376131/sky-tyne-and-wear-service-launches-mobile-app.html

They currently employ 14 full time journalists for the service, so seem to be taking it seriously. It'll be interesting to see if it develops into a nationwide local service, and whether like in Australia they transfer it to TV with a Sky News Local type service - though I suspect they'll concentrate on developing it online.

I'm amazed no one has noticed this before.

I believe that any successful online TV service will be small on demand videos made available online.

I'm sure these could be made into Smart TV apps which could possibly allow live streaming to TV screens of big local events, but I don't know too much about Smart TV apps. I believe local video services have a future not sure it's the governments idea for Local TV. I believe these will mainly be small groups similar to community radio, as well as local news papers.

Yeah its been running ages. Loads of adverts in bus stops and billboards around Newcastle a few months ago when it launched.

Has it been mentioned on here before?

I wonder where the BBC's local TV service would be like now, in world where it got the go ahead and without cutbacks.

It's been mentioned before, but can't say if it was on here or DS?

Sky News featured a report on air from the website a few weeks about, i think to do with the Sunderland car plant. It's been mentioned a few times on air.

Hopefully they will create more local sites like this.

I've had a few dealings with them covering stuff for programmes I'm working on - seems like a decent operation.

I think it would improve Sky News' news gathering immensely in the UK. Remember the Cumbrian shootings last year? It took Sky News forever to get up there (nearest reporters were in Manchester), and there was a map on screen for ages. The BBC however, had a BBC Local Radio guy on the scene fairly quickly.

Before anyone says it, I am aware Cumbria isn't covered by Tyne & Wear!

And why Tyne & Wear? Newcastle represents the highest proportion of Sky subscriptions per head in the UK.

It's also a decent website - obviously less content but so much easier to navigate around than the main Sky News website, though I did have some trouble playing some of the vids.

Actually thinking of transferring it to TV and it wouldn't even need a multiscreen operation like Sky News Local in Australia - they could go the on demand route with updates either through Anytime TV or Anytime+ (or what ever it is called now). If by chance any of the local TV networks ever get off the ground running Sky is putting itself in a position where it could provide some kind of local news service to them - though obviously costs would soon add up for such a service.

Fascinating.

Can't believe this appears to have escaped our attention for so long.

As you say, a really well put-together website. Definitely something to keep an eye on.