±«Óãtv

The ±«Óãtv today launches ±«Óãtv Newswire as its single multimedia news agency, bringing together teams supplying content to the ±«Óãtv's news output teams.

It will coordinate incoming video, audio, copy and user generated content both from internal sources and around the world, and is designed to improve efficiency, create a more joined-up approach and give a higher profile to strong editorial content from news programmes right across the ±«Óãtv.

It will also improve current links with Global Newswire at Bush House, with the best international content forming part of the Newswire service.

From today news output teams will be able to get hold of ±«Óãtv Newswire's published content via a single multimedia feed. Audio and video clips, cue material, transcripts, video picture sequences and UGC comments and case studies will all be made available as soon as they are available, following clear editorial standards.

When the multimedia newsroom was created in 2007, combining the strengths of the ±«Óãtv's TV, radio and online platforms, the different teams handling raw incoming material for the rest of News were first brought together.

Now to maximise the value of the work of these specialised teams, it's become essential to create a single feed of the best material available for ±«Óãtv News outlets – which Newswire will now provide, no matter in what form the material originates.

Sam Taylor, Editor of ±«Óãtv Newswire, said: "Our audiences are consuming news in an increasingly multimedia way. It's ±«Óãtv Newswire's job to make sure the best news-making content is available to all ±«Óãtv news output editors, irrespective of the platform they work on, or the original source of the material.

"By providing this shared multimedia service on the main stories each day, programme teams are able to spend more time working on the distinctive journalism and storytelling their particular audiences demand."

Notes to Editors

On Tuesday 20 October, ±«Óãtv Newswire will replace Mediawire – which was established as a central production team within the multimedia newsroom in 2007.

The renamed department is being reorganised to bring its specialist teams into a more streamlined single operation, with a clearer identity, and a single high-profile means of publishing its material.

The team already has a strong track record, ensuring newsmaking interviews on ±«Óãtv outlets reach a wider audience, and finding and verifying vital user-generated content on some of the biggest stories of the last two years.

The relaunch will introduce new publishing standards, to help ensure accuracy and transparency. All Newswire content will be clearly sourced, with timestamp, copyright and editorial information.

The ±«Óãtv Multimedia Newsroom was announced in October 2007 as part of the ±«Óãtv's Delivering Creative Futures plan. It went live officially in April 2008, and the Head of Newsroom is Mary Hockaday.

±«Óãtv News Publicity