Talks between ITV and the BBC about sharing regional news are said to have hit the rocks.
The two sides signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding in March to share facilities and some non-exclusive footage in a deal that ITV believes could save up to £7m a year by 2016.
But the head of ITV News, David Mannion, has told MediaGuardian.co.uk: “There are some severe difficulties in finding a way to partner with the BBC. It operates in a pretty old-fashioned way.”
A BBC executive said problems had arisen because ITV’s national news is heavily reliant on its regional news operation – and under the provisional agreement none of the material shared by the BBC can be broadcast nationally.
The FT, meanwhile, reports that the BBC has questioned Ofcom’s estimates on the cost of sustaining regional news – describing the £80m to £100m a year price tag as a “fantasy”.
The corporation’s own research suggests a figure in the region of £30m to £50m is more likely.
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