The BBC's Local TV trial is to be expanded to include non-exclusive video content from the Press Association, it was announced this week.The Local TV pilot features community footage compiled by BBC reporters in nine regions across the West Midlands. The new deal with PA will provide additional local news, sport and entertainment footage every day for the project's 10-minute bulletins.
The reports are accessible online and through the BBC's digital satellite service during the nine-month trial.
PA's footage is produced by seven staff at its Birmingham bureau where journalists have been retrained to produce video reports as well as text news.
"The BBC wants to ensure a wide spread of local stories from the West Midlands area and PA is very good on the ground at a local level - as demonstrated by our print newsgathering experience," said a spokesperson for PA.
Asha Oberoi, PA's head of multimedia, added that local video comtent is set to revolutionise news services.
"By multiskilling our bureau, we have been able to produce additional layers of new content and our intention is to develop this model across all our bureaux within the UK," he said.
The Local TV project will be rolled out to a further 60 regions across the UK if approved by BBC governors.
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