Media Guardian - 18.07.05
BBC plans for 'ultra-local' TV 'threaten regional press', local newspaper have warned. The Newspaper Society said the BBC's planned expansion into the local and regional media, announced as part of its charter review process, could undermine regional newspaper growth for the next 10 years.

Media Week - 19.07.05
NS accuses BBC of 'distortion' after the Corporation's plans to expand into regional media. In a 63-page submission to the Government review of the BBC's Royal Charter, the NS argued that the BBC's plans to expand its "Where I Live" websites threaten the livelihood of the regional press.

Hold the front page - 19.07.05
Regional press at risk from BBC after planned expansion into local and regional media, the Newspaper Society has warned.

Marketing - Ray Snoddy column - 20.07.05
Auntie threatens the neighbourhood - BBC's annual report says little about their existing commercial activities which compete with the private sector nor about the areas it plans to target next. BBC dismisses its county magazines as 'local initiatives' rather than a move onto regional press turf. Cites regional press concerns about ultra-local TV damaging their "unique" local offer.

Media Guardian - 20.07.05
Trinity swells online property brief by buying the owner of the smartnewhomes.com website. Local classifieds are "rapidly" migrating to the internet, the Newspaper Society said on Monday in its submission to the green paper review of the BBC's charter.

Press Gazette - 22.07.05
Ultra-local BBC news puts regionals 'at risk'. This is the view of the Newspaper Society, which this week issued a stark warning to the Government as it prepares the BBC Charter Review white paper.

BBC Radio 4 - The Message - 22.07.05
While ITV is cutting its commitment to regional broadcasting the BBC is poised to exploit ITV's current long-term retreat from the regions by introducing what it calls "an ultra local news service". Three-way discussion with Ian Davies, Archant Media Group, David Holdsworth, BBC Head of Regional & Local Programmes for West Midlands, Stewart Davies, Professor of Television Journalism at City University.

The Observer - 24.07.05
The BBC cannot avoid battle with Murdoch Inc, but why try to take on the entire regional press? As many as 60 new BBC digital TV stations providing local news and services are planned. Why should viewers pay licence fees to stunt newspaper prospects?

Media Week - Maggie Brown column - 26.07.05
We're being wooed by multi-media choice - Murdoch's portal acquisition of MySpace.com points the way towards the future shape of our media consumption with a host of platforms. The Newspaper Society brought out its biggest guns to attack the BBC for its move into ultra-local media, which the NS sees as occupying its territory. Big issue about public funds but no one sector can be secure for ever.

Financial Times - 27.07.05
A submission by the Newspaper Society related to BBC charter renewal cites an experience by an unnamed regional newspaper group that tried to set up a meeting in January, only to be scheduled for nine months after the initial request.

Retail Newsagent - 29.07.05
The Newspaper Society has complained to the government about the threat posed by the BBC's planned expansion into local and regional media. Publishers say the plans, announced this month as part of its charter review process, could hot regional newspaper growth for the next 10 years.

The Drum - 29.07.05
Local and regional newspapers in Scotland are up in arms over the BBC's plans to develop even more localised programmes. But Mike Wilson believes that instead of getting all defensive, local and regional titles should rely on their loyal readers to get through. The Observer - Letter from Lord Puttnam of Queensgate - 31.07.05 Peter Preston in his article, 'Beeb threatens your local', is far too quick to side with the Newspaper Society in their opposition to the BBC's proposals for ultra-local television.

Media Guardian - 16.08.05
The BBC unveiled details of five 'ultra-local' TV news services in the West Midlands yesterday which, if successful, may be replicated in more than 60 areas around the UK.

Financial Times - 29.08.05
The BBC has revealed ambitious plans for making more of its programmes available online and signal a more aggressive approach to allowing commercial transactions on its website. This is likely to alarm commercial rivals, such as the Newspaper Society, who have already complained about the BBC's impact on their market.

Press Gazette - 09.09.05
Many local newspaper bosses are concerned about the BBC's plans for tightly targeted pilot news services in the West Midlands, including Belfast Telegraph editor Ed Curran, Hull Daily Mail editor John Meehan and Yorkshire Post editor Neil Hodgkinson.

Press Gazette - Letter from Steve Eggington, former head of ITV News - 16.09.05
Last week's feature on ultra-local TV shows a frightening ignorance of how broadband is going to transform modern communications. If local newspaper don't recognise this, and don't start to compete in the local TV market, they are in trouble.

Press Gazette - Letter from John Meehan, editor Hull Daily Mail - 16.09.05 Clarification of his argument in last week's article on his objections to the BBC's unfair, publicly-funded competition against local publishers.

Press Gazette - 23.09.05 BBC - we are not an 'ultra-local' threat to newspapers.
Andy Griffee answers concerns of regional newspaper editors that their patches are under attack.

Press Gazette - Letter from Lynne Anderson - 23.09.05
In answer to Steve Egginton's letter, regional newspaper publishers are well aware that local TV is going to happen - that is why they are investing and innovating in this area. Our concern is that a publicly funded broadcaster could undermine innovation in commercial publishing operations and distort investment decisions through unfair resource to scale economies, branding, cross-promotion and privileged distribution.

The Times - 12.10.05
An absurd licence fee request from the BBC is impossible to justify, and the Culture Secretary should look at their plans with extreme suspicion. Having moved into education publishing, magazine publishing and manifold merchandising, the BBC should not be encouraged to marginalize local newspapers by providing, courtesy of the licence fee, "ultra-local" news services.

Media Guardian - 18.10.05 - Steve Busfield at the Society of Editors Conference in Windermere
BBC director of nations and regions Pat Loughrey has attempted to placate newspapers over the corporation's plans for a new generation of local TV services. Mr Loughrey promised the new tier of local TV programmes would be less text-dependent and were "not TV versions of local newspapers".

Broadcastnow.co.uk - 02.12.05

The BBC has launched its local TV news pilot in the West Midlands - supplying on-demand news services aimed at city and county level. 

 

Newswatch - 02.012.05Ian Davies, director of group business development for Archant, representing the regional press in a debate on the BBC's plans to "go local". 

 

The Observer - 19.12.05

The BBC's plans to move into the local market, the internet and radio has the potential to seriously harm the newspaper industry.

 

Press Gazette - 13.01.06
Maggie Brown - The BBC: Invading hordes or local heroes? The Newspaper Society has issued a call to arms against its local TV services, but with more jobs and more news on offer, shouldn't journalists be supporting the Beeb's plans?