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.
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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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