"The huge increase in viewers and readers seeking information about the terrible floods in Cumbria over the last week is a clear demonstration of that. Its importance to local democracy, coupled with the acute challenge being faced by commercial news companies, means there is a need for Government support.""The huge increase in viewers and readers seeking information about the terrible floods in Cumbria over the last week is a clear demonstration of that. Its importance to local democracy, coupled with the acute challenge being faced by commercial news companies, means there is a need for Government support."
The words of the culture secretary Ben Bradshaw who has announced today that Border and Tyne Tees are to be the first region to conduct the pilot experiment for local news.
The panel will then select bidders wanting to form independently funded news consortiums to provide regional ITV1 news bulletins and other content for the area to go forward to the second stage after Christmas with the submission of final tenders by the end of February 2010.
