A former editor of ITV News has joined press publisher Trinity Mirror’s bid to run regional TV news in the North East.

Nigel Dacre, brother of Daily Mail chief Paul, has signed up to the team which also contains newspaper publisher the CN Group, news agency the Press Association and Bob Geldof’s production company Ten Alps.

The consortium is hoping to run a pilot regional TV news project in the Tyne Tees and Borders area as outlined in last summer’s Digital Britain report.

It is up against two other consortia, one of which contains press publishers Newsquest and Johnston Press.

Licences for the three Independently Funded News Consortia, also being run in Wales and Scotland, will be handed out next month with the eventual plan being to run Channel 3 news when ITV’s licence expires in 2013.

Nigel, who is also a former chief executive of multiplatform channel Teachers TV, has joined through his new media company Inclusive Digital. He is providing overall co-ordination of the bid.

He said: “I have enormous respect for the three companies in the consortium, and I am looking forward to working with them during the tender process.

“It’s a fascinating opportunity to play a role in the development of a completely new approach to regional news – one which brings together local journalism, TV production, and the latest digital developments in an exciting and ground-breaking way.”

Also joining the consortium is Tom Gutteridge, who founded one of the first UK independent TV production companies Mentorn, and Newcastle-based production company Standing Stone, of which Tom is chairman.

Tom is managing the TV programming side of the bid.

He added: “I’ve been involved in many groundbreaking new concepts in television in my career but this has to be one of the most daunting.

“Redesigning local news coverage is like reinventing the wheel. But the opportunity to be part of a team creating a whole new multi-platform offering for the North East and Cumbria is incredibly exciting.”

CEO of Ten Alps Alex Connock said: “We are really privileged to be working with both of these executives.

“Nigel has a superb understanding of both live news and multiplatform and we have worked together successfully a great deal in the past.

“Meanwhile, we have wanted to work with Tom on creating popular factual TV programme formats for at least a decade, and this is the perfect opportunity.

“Plus as a resident of Northumberland, Tom also has the North East in his DNA, which is an enormous plus.”

Comments

Mr Nobody (05/02/2010 11:21:34)
Johnston Press can barely run a newspaper – let alone a TV news bulletin.