Eight consortia make it through for Independent news scheme
The first phase of the selection process to deliver the Independently Funded News Consortia (IFNC) pilots has been completed with eight consortia’s making the next phases.
The first phase of the selection process to deliver the Independently Funded News Consortia (IFNC) pilots has been completed with eight consortia’s making the next phases.
Three of these bids come from Wales – ITN with Newsquest, Northcliffe Media, Tindle, Boomerang and ITV Wales news Staff, who are up against a bid from Tinopolis and another from UTV with NWN Media Ltd.
Scotland has two successful bidders with Johnston Press alongside the Herald and Times Group, Tinopolis and DC Thomson up against STV, ITN and Bauer Media.
Bidding for the Tyne Tees/Borders contract are ITN with Johnston Press, Newsquest, Metro Radio, University of Sunderland and ITV Tyne Tees and Borders news staff; Trinity Mirror with the Press Association and Ten Alps, and finally, UTV.
13 bids were assessed by the independent selection panel, chaired by Richard Hooper, which included bids from Trinity Mirror’s partnership with MacMillan Media.
Hooper said: “Let me be clear about what we are looking for: quality news reporting with a mix of local, regional and national (in the case of Wales and Scotland) audiences firmly in mind; genuine innovation, not just business as usual; strong multiplatform applications working together across the web, local newspapers, local radio and television where appropriate, utilising each different medium’s special characteristics; and finally, a revenue generation model that aspires to longer term sustainability.”
The initiation to participate in the next phase will be sent to the eight successful consortia on 14 January.