BEGINS Brian Ferguson, in today’s Scotsman: “Urgent government action is needed to revive Scotland’s struggling screen industry, including the long-awaited backing of a permanent film studio, a damning parliamentary probe has found.
“Ministers have been urged to set up a new film industry taskforce, create new incentives to attract big-money film and television productions, provide clearer directions to public sector quangos and do much more to encourage the development of home-grown drama programmes.”
The story takes up almost all of page 17 in the print version of today’s edition.
Read more, here.
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SEVERAL well-known journalists at both The Herald and Scotsman newspapers (and their sister titles) are heading for pastures new today – or have done within the last couple of weeks.
As noted in the allmediascotland.com feature, Media Movers (here) they include, in alphabetical order, Stuart Bathgate, Gina Davidson, Sandra Dick, Cate Devine, Jonathan Jobson (actually not leaving for a little while yet), Bill Lothian, Colin Leslie, Hugh MacDonald and Alan Taylor.
And that’s just a selection.
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A NEW national institution “that would lead an ambitious charge to make [the UK] the most digital nation on the planet” has been called for by a co-founder of the travel website, lastminute.com.
Martha Lane Fox, now a crossbench peer and chancellor of the Open University, made the call while giving the annual Richard Dimbleby Lecture, broadcast on the BBC last night.
She concentrated on three issues in her speech: How can the internet be more deeply understood at all levels of society? How to get more women involved in technology? And how to tackle the ethical and moral issues thrown up by the internet?
View her speech, here, on the BBC iPlayer.
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A HEART-warming tale of perseverance (and an impressive response from a senior manager) is published by the BBC’s in-house digital magazine, Ariel.
If you believe you have talent but you feel too many ‘doors are being slammed in your face’, read on…
Here.
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MEDIA accreditation applications – to attend an ‘as live’ TV debate involving the Scots leaders of the political parties: Conservatives, Greens, Labour, Lib Dems, SNP and UKIP – are being sought by the BBC.
The event, taking place in Aberdeen a week tomorrow, is being broadcast at 2100 on BBC One Scotland.
And a media room will be open during the recording of the debate, a little earlier in the evening.
For more information, email here.
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BEGINS an announcement from STV: “STV has confirmed comprehensive General Election coverage, including a live overnight results programme hosted by political editor, Bernard Ponsonby.
“On the night of 7th May, Bernard Ponsonby will be joined in the studio by the leading psephologist Dr Rob Johns and a panel of senior politicians. STV journalists will be reporting from count centres across Scotland, from Lerwick to Dumfries.
“Working with ITN, STV will also bring viewers all the key developments from across the UK.
“The overnight programme will begin at 2155 and as polls close at 2200 STV will have the results of a UK wide exit poll, commissioned by ITV, BBC and Sky.”
Read more, here.
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HEADS up: there will be no Noon Briefing either this Friday or the following Monday – taking the Easter break.
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SEEN anything you think readers of www.allmediascotland.com should be made aware of? Then just send the weblink to here and we’ll do the rest. All suggestions gratefully received. We’re back at noon tomorrow.
