Your Noon Briefing: BBC talent, Hot Rum Cow, etc

BEGINS an announcement from the BBC: “The BBC Academy is running a Talent Day in Glasgow geared towards helping experts from black, Asian and minority ethnicity (BAME) communities to maximise broadcasting opportunities.

“The Expert Voices: BAME Talent Day which takes place on 12 March at BBC Scotland’s centre at Pacific Quay, Glasgow, is part of an industry-wide drive to find new, diverse on air talent to better reflect the broadcaster’s audiences.”

Read more, here.

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BEGINS The Scotsman: “A young Scot who set up World Whisky Day, a fast-growing global brand which he created in his student bedroom just three years ago, has sold the business to a [Scots[ publishing firm.

“Blair Bowman, 24, is reaping the rewards from a concept he launched while studying ­Hispanics in Aberdeen in 2012.

“Edinburgh-based Hot Rum Cow, a drinks magazine set up by White Light Media, has purchased the assets of World Whisky Day (WWD) from Mr Bowman for an undisclosed sum – though economists believe such a takeover could run into six figures.”

Read more, here.

And also here, on the website of White Light Media.

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THE funeral of former Daily Record chief reporter, Gordon Airs, is scheduled to take place on Friday.

Affectionately known as ‘Porridge’, on account of him spending a night behind bars for refusing to name the source of a story, he died at the weekend, from cancer.

His death was noted yesterday, on allmediascotland.com – here.

Says a note from his son, on Facebook: “The funeral service for Gordon Airs has been confirmed for 4pm on Friday, February 20, at Woodside Crematorium in Paisley, followed by drinks and buffet at Kilmacolm Golf Club from 5pm. All welcome (no flowers though thanks!). Please share for all who may wish to come… look forward to seeing you all.”

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FREEDOM of speech is to be the subject of a debate among members of the National Union of Journalists, next week in Edinburgh.

The Edinburgh Freelance branch of the NUJ has secured several speakers on the topic – for what is a members-only event on Monday evening – including Rosalind McInnes, author of Contempt of Court in Scotland and Scots Law for Journalists and a full-time media lawyer for BBC Scotland; political commentator, Michael Gray, of The National; Simon Barrow, who runs Ekklesia, a think-tank dedicated to issues of religion in society; and Iain Macwhirter, newspaper columnist.

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BEGINS Gerry Braiden, in The Herald: “Plans to build a major film studio in Lanarkshire have been branded ‘hard to comprehend’, as civic and business leaders attack the Scottish Government over the move.

“With expectation mounting Cumbernauld is on the cusp of being confirmed the site for the new studio, the leader of the country’s biggest council has attacked arts minister, Fiona Hyslop, for not locating the facility in Glasgow.”

Read more, here.

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INTERESTED in film? Check out the allmediascotland.com spin-off, twitter.com/allFilmPR – comprising alerts to media releases about film posted on the site.

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THE Press and Journal newspaper is seeking a picture editor – as advertised here on the allmediascotland media jobs board and repeated on our twitter feed, allmediajobs.

When replying to a vacancy being advertised on allmediascotland, feel free to say where you saw it.

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WIDELY reported – including here (The Scotsman) and here (The Herald): the dramatisation of the JK Rowling novel, A Casual Vacancy, attracted a bigger TV audience on Sunday evening than a rival drama also making its TV debut, Indian Summers, on Channel 4.

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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.