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BECTU assesses government's decision on IFNCs

 It is unbelievable that the expertise of ITN, a quality news provider, backed by talent which has been serving the regions affected tirelessly for years, should fail to be recognised by the selection panel

The union has put on record its shock that bids submitted by ITN, part-owned by ITV plc, were not better received.

"It is unbelievable that the expertise of ITN, a quality news provider, backed by talent which has been serving the regions affected tirelessly for years, should fail to be recognised by the selection panel" said David Beevers, supervisory official.

The Scottish News Consortium, a partnership between Johnston Press, Herald and Times Group, D C Thomson and Tinopolis, has been selected to operate services currently provided by Scottish TV and Grampian.

Wales Live brings together UTV, and regional publisher NWN Media and has won the bid to provide a pilot service in place of ITV Wales.

News 3, a group which combines Trinity Mirror, the Press Association and Ten Alps, has been selected to operate a service for Tyne Tees/Border.

Staff at the three regional news services affected will no doubt be re-examining the successful bids in search of a rationale for the decisions and they will also be trying to look ahead at what the future might hold with any new service. That said, it is clear that there is a major question mark over whether the successful bids will get off the ground.

The Digital Economy Bill is currently making its way through parliament and measures therein will determine the availability of public funds to support the IFNCs; in addition the outcome of the general election will impact on the proposal at a fundamental level as the Conservatives are opposed to pilots funded by public money.

Read commentary from the Press Gazette; read the Media Guardian's coverage and access the DCMS statement.

"Our members in Scotland, Wales and the North of England will be deeply unsettled by today's announcement; it falls to BECTU, working with the NUJ, to provide support through this period and to make sure, if the proposed pilots do get off the ground, that jobs and conditions of service are protected," said David Beevers.

Only last week, Archie Norman, chairman of ITV, suggested a welcome u-turn on its company's commitment to regional news, after years in which previous executives cut funding and jobs and insisted that the regional news network was either too expensive or not a good fit with the company's future plans.

BECTU officials are making arrangements to meet with members in the coming days.