Changes to the local democracy reporter contracts announced last week will mean 70 local authorities will be covered by a different local news publisher from July.

As reported by HTFP last week, the BBC has revealed the successful bidders after the contracts were retendered following the expansion of the scheme from 150 journalists to 165.

HTFP has now analysed the list of new contract holders published by the BBC last week, compared to the original list announced in December 2017, showing the extent to which contracts have switched between different companies.

A number of independent titles have won contracts at the expense of bigger publishers following the move, although many changes involve switches between the ‘big three’ of JPIMedia, Newsquest and Reach plc. A full list of the changes can be found below.

The BBC decided earlier this year to offer an increased number of contracts featuring fewer councils in each tender, while some of the changes have been brought about as a result of the BBC ‘bundling’ some local authorities with different neighbouring councils.

Among the smaller companies to benefit are two broadcasters – Notts TV, which won the right to cover Nottinghamshire County and Nottingham City councils from Reach plc, while Radio Exe was awarded the contract for Devon County, Plymouth and Torbay councils at the expense of the same publisher.

However in a reversal of the trend, Reach gained the right to cover North East Lincolnshire and North Lincolnshire councils from hyperlocal publisher Stonebow Media after the contracts for Lincolnshire were divided into two – although Stonebow retained its contract to cover the rest of Lincolnshire and thus kept its two existing reporters employed under the scheme.

Reach also gained the contract for covering Tower Hamlets, Newham and Barking & Dagenham councils from the London Evening Standard.

Newsquest lost the contracts to cover six London councils to Social Spider CIC, as well as Caerphilly County and Newport City councils to Caerphilly Observer publisher Caerphilly Media Ltd, while JPIMedia lost its contract to cover Brighton and Hove City Council to independent outlet Brighton and Hove News.

Other notable switches include Iliffe Media winning the contract to cover Suffolk County Council from Archant.

And Newbury News and Media Ltd won its first LDR contract, taking over coverage of West Berkshire Council from Newsquest.

The BBC has moved to reassure those affected by the contract changes after concerns were raised by local democracy reporters including Joseph Anderson, who is currently employed by JPIMedia in Edinburgh, where Reach has won the new contract.

Joseph posted on Twitter after the changes were announced: “I know a lot of my fellow LDRs are a little worried about what to do with the contracts changing hands.”

In response, a BBC spokesman told HTFP: “Local Democracy Reporters (LDRs) are employed directly by suppliers not the BBC.

“The responsibility for the transfer of any reporter to a new supplier because of a contract change is a matter for the suppliers. We will, however, do all we can to make sure this change is as smooth as possible for reporters involved.

“A contract change is not a reflection of the previous work of a reporter but an assessment of the evidence put forward by a bidding company.

“In a very small number of cases, where like-for-like reporting roles may not be available, suppliers are seeking alternative options.”