View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

UTV and NWN form Welsh news consortia pilot bid

By Oliver Luft

Northern Ireland’s ITV franchise, UTV, has forged a partnership with publisher NWN Media to bid for the chance to run a pilot project in Wales aimed at replacing current ITV regional news programming.

The Irish broadcaster and the publisher behind Wrexham’s Leader newspaper will apply for around £7m from the government to run the Independently Funded News Consortium (IFNC) pilot in Wales.

Welsh independent producer Tinopolis has already thrown its hat into the ring for the pilot in Wales, which is aimed at finding a permanent replacement for current regional news service provided by ITV.

Three IFNCs are being created by the government in Wales, Scotland and the Tyne Tees and Border area to develop sustainable multi-platform regional news.

As well as broadcasting on the regional news slots on Channel 3, the consortia will be expected to provide increased local news using multimedia technology.

The partnership between UTV and NWN aims to “create a dynamic cross-platform news force for Wales, delivering content for television, radio, newspaper and online services branded as Wales Live.”

The Department of Culture, Media and Sport announced last month that a series of pilot news consortiums, with the eventual aim of taking over the provision of regional broadcast news outside the BBC, would launch in April next year.

Content from our partners
MHP Group's 30 To Watch awards for young journalists open for entries
How PA Media is helping newspapers make the digital transition
Publishing on the open web is broken, how generative AI could help fix it

Despite strong opposition from the BBC, the government has said that top slicing the BBC licence fee could eventually fund the establishment of news consortia across the country if the pilots prove successful.

DCMS said pilots will be launched ahead of a planned national roll-out in 2013. It has appointed an independent panel to oversee the tendering and evaluation process.

Michael Wilson, managing director of UTV, said his partnership had established a website waleslive.tv so members of the public could tell the partnership what it wanted from the proposed pilot.

David Faulkner, managing director of NWN Media, said: “Our daily and weekly print titles already have a reputation for excellent grass roots content and a genuine local relevance in the towns and villages they serve.

“We believe in a modern multi-platform journalism that can keep those communities informed but also one that reflects the character and tradition of those communities.

“This partnership will reflect this ethos while at the same time offering content of unrivalled depth and range across all media.”

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

Select and enter your email address Weekly insight into the big strategic issues affecting the future of the news industry. Essential reading for media leaders every Thursday. Your morning brew of news about the world of news from Press Gazette and elsewhere in the media. Sent at around 10am UK time. Our weekly does of strategic insight about the future of news media aimed at US readers. A fortnightly update from the front-line of news and advertising. Aimed at marketers and those involved in the advertising industry.
  • Business owner/co-owner
  • CEO
  • COO
  • CFO
  • CTO
  • Chairperson
  • Non-Exec Director
  • Other C-Suite
  • Managing Director
  • President/Partner
  • Senior Executive/SVP or Corporate VP or equivalent
  • Director or equivalent
  • Group or Senior Manager
  • Head of Department/Function
  • Manager
  • Non-manager
  • Retired
  • Other
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
Thank you

Thanks for subscribing.

Websites in our network