STV launches STV Edinburgh

RNS Number : 2556B

STV Group PLC

15 February 2011

 



Tuesday 15 February

STV launches STV Edinburgh as roll-out of local websites continues across Scotland

STV has today announced the launch of STV Local in Edinburgh (www.stv.tv/edinburgh) as it continues to expand its network of hyper-local websites for cities, towns and communities across Scotland. The continued roll-out is an extension of STV's commitment to delivering high quality public service content and a more local news service across all platforms.

STV Local, which launched in September last year, is now live in six local authority areas in Scotland - North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire, Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Moray and Edinburgh - with 19 individual community sites in local authorities covering a third of Scotland's population. The network of websites will be rolled out across the whole of Scotland over the next 18 months.

STV Edinburgh features three main sites, covering North, West and South East Edinburgh and reaching a total population of just under 500,000. Within each of the main sites, users can access hyper-local content about their own communities.

Offering a truly interactive service for communities across Edinburgh, STV Local is engaging with local businesses, organisations, public bodies and people who want to discover and share information about their area. Over 300 active contributors across Scotland are now engaging with their local sites, posting news stories, reviews, pictures, events listings and other content.

A brand new mobile site (m.local.stv.tv) also launched today, makes it even easier to engage with STV Local by enabling anyone with an internet enabled mobile phone to enjoy full access to the service via their handset or mobile device.

STV Local is working closely with independent and community based media outlets in Edinburgh to deliver rich and current content across the city, offering a platform for sharing information and access to a wider audience.

Alistair Brown, Head of Digital at STV, said: "Edinburgh is our largest launch area yet, and we're very excited to be live in Scotland's capital. The response and level of engagement from local communities so far shows that there is a real appetite for local content, both from our STV Local editorial teams and from community contributors.

"We are already engaging with community groups and public bodies as well as local media organisations to bring the best possible content to the people of Edinburgh. Our ambition is for STV Local to act as a platform for local people to share news and information about their communities and help draw attention to what is happening right across the city."

STV is committed to delivering local news across all platforms and today's launch follows the broadcaster's recent announcement of an extra 30-minute news programme, produced and presented from Edinburgh and tailored to the news requirements of viewers in the city.

Rob Woodward, Chief Executive at STV, said: "STV Local is an extension of our commitment to investing in high-quality public service content and a more locally focused news service. We continue to make our content available whenever and wherever our audience wants it, and with the new STV Local mobile site it will be even easier for people on the move to access local news, weather and information about their area."

Investing extensively in editorial content, STV has recruited a network of professional journalists and editors dedicated to STV Local, providing employment opportunities across Scotland. Shaun Milne, previously Consulting Managing Editor of news agency Deadline News, has been appointed as Regional Editor for Edinburgh, and will be working closely with a team of dedicated community editors to deliver compelling local content for people in the city.

STV press contacts

Anna Hendry, 0141 300 3830 or [e-mail]

Kirsten Blackie, 0141 300 3587 or [e-mail]

Notes to Editors

STV Local sites and regional/community editors

Edinburgh

www.stv.tv/edinburgh                          Shaun Milne, [e-mail]

www.stv.tv/edinburghnorth                 Ally Tibbitt, [e-mail]

www.stv.tv/edinburghsoutheast         Rebecca Gordon, [e-mail]

www.stv.tv/edinburghwest                  Catie Guitart, [e-mail] 

Aberdeen City                                    Kris Gilmartin, [e-mail]

www.stv.tv/aberdeencity                     Danny Law, [e-mail]

Aberdeenshire                                                

www.stv.tv/aberdeenshire                  Kris Gilmartin, [e-mail]

www.stv.tv/stonehaven                       Jenny Hill, [e-mail]

Moray                                                 

www.stv.tv/moray                               Kris Gilmartin, [e-mail]

www.stv.tv/buckie                               Sam Hampton-Smith, [e-mail]

www.stv.tv/elgin                                  Stuart Crowther, [e-mail]

www.stv.tv/forres                                Stuart Crowther, [e-mail]

www.stv.tv/lossiemouth                      Stuart Crowther, [e-mail]

South Lanarkshire

www.stv.tv/southlanarkshire               Jonathan Rennie, [e-mail]

www.stv.tv/cambuslang                     Nicola Dowds, [e-mail]

www.stv.tv/eastkilbride                       Kayleigh McLeod, [e-mail]

www.stv.tv/hamilton                            Gillian Provan, [e-mail]

www.stv.tv/rutherglen                         Nicola Dowds, [e-mail]

North Lanarkshire                              

www.stv.tv/northlanarkshire               Jonathan Rennie, [e-mail]

www.stv.tv/airdrie                               Kenny McKay, [e-mail]  

www.stv.tv/bellshill                              Nicola Dowds, [e-mail]

www.stv.tv/coatbridge                                    Kenny McKay, [e-mail]

www.stv.tv/cumbernauld                    Allison McCallum, [e-mail]

www.stv.tv/motherwell                        Jamie Borthwick, [e-mail]  

www.stv.tv/wishaw                             Jamie Borthwick, [e-mail]

About STV Local

STV Local is a network of 'must visit' hyper-local websites for local communities across Scotland. Covering every aspect of life and community, STV Local sites offer a range of information relevant to local communities, including up-to-the-minute news, events listings, ratings and reviews, hyper-local weather updates, traffic information and a business directory.

Working closely with content partners in the communities, the sites feature information from local authorities, sports organisations, theatre groups, schools, bloggers, church groups and other community members, making STV Local a truly interactive experience and offering a platform for users to inform, discover and share everything that's going on in their community.

About STV Group plc

STV Group plc is Scotland's digital media company and pre-eminent media brand, incorporating broadcaster STV; production companies STV Productions and Ginger Productions; and digital businesses including STV Jobs and website, www.stv.tv.  STV reaches 4.2 million people every month and is Scotland's most popular peak time TV station. STV's content team produces a range of material for STV; and delivers commissions for key broadcasters such as Taggart for ITV1 and UKTV and Antiques Road Trip for BBC2. stv.tv is the most popular commercial website in Scotland, with continued growth in traffic. STV's digital channels attract over 2 million unique users per month. STV's website - stv.tv - is home to the STV Player and comprehensive news, sport and entertainment services.

For more information on STV Group plc, please visit www.stv.tv and www.stvplc.tv.

 

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