Your Noon Briefing: RTS Scotland Awards, Edinburgh International TV Festival, etc

POLITICAL correspondents, Bernard Ponsonby (of STV) and Brian Taylor (of BBC Scotland), are going head-to-head for the Television Journalist of the Year title at an awards ceremony celebrating the best of Scots TV programmes.

It’s a two-horse race for the title in this year’s Scotland Awards being run by the Royal Television Society, which has just issued its shortlist.

The winners will be revealed on the 20th of next month, in Glasgow.

Read more, here.

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THE controllers of the main UK broadcasters are to be questioned in what is being described as a ‘leaders-style debate’ at the upcoming Edinburgh International Television Festival, which is, this year, celebrating its 40th birthday.

Says the festival organisers, the debate will be a first for the event and will involve Danny Cohen, Jay Hunt, Ben Frow, Peter Fincham and Stuart Murphy.

The debate is one of several innovations being launched by the festival, which, yesterday, announced its schedule.

Read more, here.

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THE director of Scots PR company, Zude PR, was among the fastest one per cent of runners during the London Marathon at the weekend.

Finishing 369th, David Sawyer completed the course in two hours: 42mins: 14 seconds.

But the former head of the Glasgow office of PR agency, Weber Shandwick, just missed out on his target, a sub-two hours: 40mins.

He writes about the race, here.

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THE Herald’s foreign editor, David Pratt, today writes about attending a retreat – at the weekend, in Dorset – aimed at foreign correspondents who have witnessed traumatic events.

He remarks: “From across Europe war reporters, foreign correspondents and other news professionals – along with mental health experts and educators- came together under the auspices of the Dart Centre for Journalism and Trauma, a project run by the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in New York.”

Read more, here.

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STARTS pressgazette.co.uk: “Google has offered €150m (£108m) in funding to help news publishers across Europe ‘develop more sustainable models for news’.”

Read more, here.

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THE Scotsman reports: “Media coverage of the SNP has become increasingly negative as the general election draws closer, according to a new report.

The research, carried out by Loughborough University’s Communications Research Centre, between March 30 and April 22, was conducted as part of the third instalment in a series of reports scrutinising national news coverage of the general election campaign.”

Read more, here.

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ALSO reports The Scotsman: “The Scottish Professional Football League has struck a six-match deal with BT Sport to screen this season’s play-offs.

“The broadcaster has agreed to show both legs of the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final, while BBC Scotland will provide live radio commentary and TV highlights.”

Read more, here.

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BEGINS an announcement from the Scottish Football Association: “The Scottish FA is pleased to announce the appointment of Gary Hughes as the second non-executive appointment to the board of directors.

“Gary, 53, is operating executive with Apax Partners LLP, an independent global investment management company. He also holds non-executive directorships with J Sainsbury plc, a FTSE50 public company, Premier Farnell and Smart Technologies inc, is deputy chairman of The People’s Operator and is a senior independent chair of SECC Limited.

“In his earlier career, Gary also served as group finance director for Scottish Media Group from 1996-2000.”

Read more, here.

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A SALES executive is being sought by BQ Scotland magazine – as advertised here, on the allmediascotland.com media jobs board.

And repeated on twitter.com/allmediajobs.

Please do mention allmediascotland.com when replying to job adverts you see on the site.

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THE website, media.info writes: “Capital FM’s breakfast show with Des and Jennie have scooped Best Radio Show at the Scottish Comedy Awards in Glasgow.

“Voted by more than 200 Scottish comedians, promoters, producers and journalists, Des and Jennie’s show beat three BBC Radio Scotland programmes.”

Read more, here.

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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 on tomorrow.