BBC 'community news' pilot launches in West Midlands

The BBC's pilot for its new local television 'community news' service was launched in the West Midlands on 1 December.
The initial nine-month pilot scheme will exploit the latest broadcasting technology to create differing local television news content for six different areas of the West Midlands.
Covering Birmingham, the Black Country, Coventry and Warwickshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire, Stoke and Staffordshire, and Shropshire, the BBC Local TV will bring the very best news stories, entertainment, travel and weather from each area in 10 minute bulletins broadcast every hour on digital satellite and available on demand for broadband users.
A team of specially trained video journalists are based in each area with one journalist dedicated to producing community content - as each service includes content generated by individuals and organisations from the locality.
Via BBCi on digital satellite, viewers can access the service by pressing the red button on their remote control and broadband users can visit bbc.co.uk/localtv.
The material will be available in separate 'chunks' on the site, as well as a combined 10-minute bulletin.
David Holdsworth, Head of Regional & Local Programmes, BBC West Midlands and Project Manager for the pilot said: "We know there's a strong demand for a more local television service, but until now the technology has not allowed us to deliver it.
"It's particularly exciting that local people will be able use their own cameras to help film the community part of the bulletins too."
On completion of the pilot scheme, a rigorous independent public value test will be conducted, including an assessment of its market impact in the West Midlands and detailed scrutiny by the BBC's Board of Governors.
Subject to this appraisal, the BBC then hopes to introduce around 60 similar services across the UK as a key part of its Out of London strategy.
This strategy was first outlined in Building Public Value, the BBC's manifesto for the next Charter period published in June 2004.
(SP)