Ten Alps, Trinity Mirror and PA consortium to bid for ITV News pilot

Ten Alps, Trinity Mirror and the Press Association have joined forces to pressure the Government to choose the North East for its regional news pilot.

Just a few days after the Department for Culture Media and Sport said that independently-funded regional news pilots could go ahead next year, the 3 media companies have gone public on the consortium.

While Scotland and Wales have been confirmed as pilots areas, the DCMS hasn’t chosen the English pilot region yet.

“The North East region is home to 2.4 million adults meaning it is large enough to host a fully robust pilot of scale, while also being compact enough to launch quickly and cost effectively,” said Trinity Mirror chief executive Sly Bailey.

“The area is highly representative of Britain with its mix of urban centres and rural communities. We are convinced that our plans for the North East are the ideal blueprint and will offer crucial learning experiences to the industry ahead of the full national roll-out of local news consortia.”   

The statement from the consortium said that by teaming up they could call on the “Press Association’s expertise in covering and commissioning content, Trinity Mirror’s on-the-ground news-gathering strength and Ten Alps’ award-winning programme-making skills.”

PA and Trinity Mirror had already been talking about a joint news gathering operation in Liverpool with the formation of a “public service reporting unit” to provide news coverage of local public institutions.

“The consortium partners have a clear view of our respective roles and how we would dovetail together. We are all very excited about the potential for creating something original and fresh that isn’t just about a TV show but spans a range of online channels as well,” added Ten Alps chief executive, Alex Connock.

Further partners are expected to be announced shortly.

The DCMS said it would be aiming to reveal the identity English pilot region before Christmas.

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