STV news staff eligible for TUPE moves to 'Scotland First'

The consortium was one of three appointed to handle the IFNC pilot scheme for new local and regional TV news services when the current Channel 3 licences expire in 2013.

These consortia will receive Government funding of £47m in total over two years and will provide local news content in the television slots currently occupied by ITV and STV regional news and across the web, mobile, and other new platforms.

A spokesperson for STV confirmed to The Drum that “Staff within our news service will have the entitlement to transfer to the new provider."

STV formed a consotium with ITN and Bauer Media, to bid and is now considered a 'reserve bidder' should the winning consortium's plans fall through.

Mark Wood, chairman of SNC described the decision as “a unique opportunity to change the nature of news provision for the people of Scotland for the better.”

He added: “Our radical plans will stimulate interest and debate around news 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 which are important to them. We will give Scotland the service it deserves.”

The winning consortia were:

Scotland: The Scottish News Consortium (newspaper groups Johnston Press, Herald and Times Group, and D C Thomson along with independent TV production company Tinopolis).

Wales: Wales Live (UTV, the current Channel 3 licence holder in Northern Ireland together with NWN Media, a regional newspaper print and publishing company).

Tyne Tees/Border: News 3 (Trinity Mirror, Press Association and independent TV production company, Ten Alps).