Two leading executives from the worlds of live news television and multiplatform production have joined the bid team of Trinity Mirror, Press Association and Ten Alps in bidding for the English regional Independently Funded News Consortium contract to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
Nigel Dacre, former editor of ITV News and former Chief Executive of multiplatform channel Teachers TV, has joined through his new media company Inclusive Digital. He is providing overall coordination of the bid.
Tom Gutteridge, founder of Mentorn, one of the first and most successful UK independent TV production companies, is joining along with new, Newcastle-based production company Standing Stone, of which he is Chairman. He is managing the TV programming side of the bid. Tom is also Chair of the Skillset North Media Industries Panel.
Alex Connock, CEO of Ten Alps, 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."
Nigel Dacre 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."
Tom Gutteridge said: "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. I grew up with the regional news in the North East, and one of my first jobs as a BBC News Trainee was in the television newsroom in Newcastle. 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. We hope our plans, if successful, will form the blueprint for local news provision throughout the UK."
