THE Daily Record and Sunday Mail newspapers are seeking applications for voluntary redundancy – on ‘enhanced terms’.
Confirmed a spokesperson at publishers, Media Scotland (a division of Trinity Mirror): “Media Scotland has the country’s biggest combined print and digital audience.
“While print circulations and advertising revenues are declining, we are seeing positive growth in digital. We need to restructure our business so we can invest and take advantage of that growth.
“I am keen to ensure this is done in the most open way possible so we are announcing a voluntary severance scheme which will allow those who wish to apply the opportunity to request to leave their employment on enhanced terms.”
There is no official word on numbers or types of posts that the newspapers might most want to dispense with.
It is understood Media Scotland manager director, Allan Rennie, is to address staff at 2pm today, and there is to be a NUJ chapel meeting tomorrow at 3pm.
Update: Among the subsequent coverage is an article on holdthefrontpage.co.uk.
* * *
STV has posted a nine per cent increase in its revenue and a 21 per cent fall in its net debt.
Says the Glasgow-based broadcaster this morning, in its financial results for last year, revenue was up from £102.7 million in 2012 to £112.1 million last year. Over the same period, net debt fell from £45.3 million to £35.7 million.
And as speculated at the weekend, a dividend was being issued for the first time in several years.
Read more here. And also here, about a new commission received by STV’s production arm, to part-make 25 episodes of a new quiz show, The Link, for BBC One.
* * *
A LECTURE on why we might need religious TV and radio programmes is being given in Edinburgh by the head of religion and ethics at the BBC, Professor Aaqil Ahmed.
It is taking place at the University of Edinburgh on the tenth of next month.
Says some promotional information: “Professor Aaqil Ahmed has had over a decade at Channel 4 and the BBC deciding what people watch when it comes to Religion on the box including the acclaimed series ‘The Life of Muhammad’ (2011), and ‘The Ottomans: Europe’s Muslim Emperors’ (2013), and will set out why he feels religion on TV is more important today than it ever has been.”
For more information and to book a free ticket, click here.
* * *
A PHOTOGRAPHY competition about football matches involving the Scotland men’s team has seen a Glasgow-based photographer take two of the three prizes on offer.
The competition – backed by car manufacturers, Vauxhall, which sponsors each of the four ‘home’ nations – saw Sammy Turner, of Glasgow ‘visual communications agency’, SNS Group, win the Best Individual Photo category plus the inaugural Scotland Supporter Photo of the Year award.
The main prize – Vauxhall Scotland Photographer of the Year 2013 went to North-east of England-based Lee Smith, of Action Images.
For more information, click here.
* * *
THE ‘veteran’ football broadcaster and pundit, Archie Macpherson, is launching his first novel – according to an interview in today’s Herald, here.
* * *
NEARLY three-fifths of Twitter’s 15 million UK users are said to follow at least one national newspaper brand or journalist and are twice as likely to tweet as those who don’t, according to new research – reported in The Guardian, here.
* * *
THE Daily Record last night ambitiously streamed on its website the away friendly football international between Poland’s men and Scotland’s – which ended 1-0 for Scotland.
And Aidan Smith, in The Scotsman, today reviews how it went – including, unfortunately, initial screen freezes.
And Richard Rooney – in The Courier, here – is no kinder in his verdict.
* * *
A NEW website is reportedly to be designed for NHS Borders, by Glasgow-based digital agency, Dog Digital – says The Drum marketing and media magazine.
* * *
BBC Scotland’s former HQ at Queen Margaret Drive, in Glasgow, is set to be ‘transformed into bespoke homes’ – says an advertising feature in today’s Herald.
* * *
TWO media vacancies have been posted on allmediascotland, each by Police Scotland. For more details, click here.
* * *
SEEN anything you think readers of www.allmediascotland.com should be made aware of? Then just send the weblink to info@allmediascotland.com and we’ll do the rest. All suggestions gratefully received. We’re back at noon tomorrow.
PS Your Noon Briefing is a relatively new venture for allmediascotland.com. We are no longer going to report news, story-by-story. Instead, we are going to find content we hope will be useful, in the belief it will prove to be a more comprehensive service.
