The Scottish News Consortium (SNC), which includes Herald & Times Group, has been selected by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to produce news on a trial basis for the third television channel in Scotland, with plans to lead “the biggest shake up in news in Scotland for decades”.
The SNC comprises three newspaper companies -- DC Thomson, Herald & Times Group and Johnston Press -- as well as television production company Tinopolis. The consortium beat STV’s own bid, which also included Bauer Media and ITN, for the trial contract.
The DCMS said the winning consortium, which has 1,000 editorial staff across Scotland, had set out “an imaginative and innovative cross-platform approach to news provision adding the reporting resources of its partner newspapers and a new website to a strong TV proposition.”
It will now proceed with plans for the two-year pilot operation, and will share part of £47 million in public money made available to support regional news.
The consortium concept was adopted in the Digital Britain White Paper in 2009, after concerns that local news bulletins had become too expensive to produce for broadcasters.
The Scottish pilot is one of three in the UK, along with others in Wales and Tyne Tees/Borders, and if the pilots are successful, the idea could spread to other areas of the UK.
Mark Wood, chairman of the SNC, said: “We have a unique opportunity to change the nature of news provision for the people of Scotland for the better, and we are confident that we will.
“Our radical plans will stimulate interest and debate at local, regional and national level. We will build on the proud tradition of independent thinking in Scotland by listening to and engaging with the people, so that the issues and stories we cover are ones that are important to them. We will give Scotland the service it deserves.”
Tim Blott, managing director of Herald & Times Group, said: “I am delighted that the Government has recognised the strength and uniqueness of our bid and we look forward to working with our partners and the Scottish public to create a new and dynamic television news service.”
Last night a spokeswoman for STV, which still holds the broadcasting licence to the third channel, said: “STV will now look to engage with the SNC to discuss the continued provision of a high-quality news service to STV’s viewers.”
The consortium’s news service will work under the name ScotlandFirst, and will consist of a fully integrated television and online service with a number of new features.
There are plans for 50 video journalists based around the country in the news offices of consortium members.
The ScotlandFirst website will encourage audience interaction and will link its readers to a network of more than 130 local and regional news websites.
The consortium plans to make news accessible to a young audience with the use of social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, and by working with schools to encourage pupils to run their own newspapers and websites.
Another innovation will be News from Your Neighbourhood, a two to three-minute slot produced by local people to allow them to talk about things that matter to them.
The final stage in the process before ScotlandFirst can begin its service is for the consortium to agree separate contracts with both the DCMS and STV.
The Conservatives have said they may dismantle the consortium idea if they win the General Election. However, Richard Hooper, chair of the selection panel, said: “Given the political uncertainties, my colleagues and I were particularly impressed by the sustained enthusiasm and resource commitment of the bidders and the momentum that has built up to deliver innovative multi-platform, multi-layered news in Wales, Scotland and the Borders/Tyne Tees region, competing with the BBC.”
Ben Bradshaw, the Culture Minister, said: “This is an important step towards our goal of ensuring choice for people who value high-quality, independent local news.”
