STV to launch hyperlocal pilot site in September

Scottish broadcaster STV will launch its first hyperlocal pilot site in September, as it continues development of its STV Local operation.

In November 2009, STV set live a network of news and information sites for more than 200 places in Scotland.

In its interim results released today, STV said it was "accelerating investment in our significant online and mobile initiative, STV Local", with hyperlocal website launches planned for the second half of 2010 and into 2011. The location of the first pilot site has not been announced

The existing websites have acted as a "proof of concept" and a way to gauge audience response and demand, a spokeswoman for STV told Journalism.co.uk.

The new sites will bring in user-generated content and more interactive features. Local community groups will be able to post updates directly to the sites, while user reviews will be a prominent feature. In May the broadcaster began a recruitment drive to find new network editors for the venture and an unspecified number of community editors to work from home to edit and provide content for individual sites.

The company says it wants to partner with other local content providers and work with community organisations in producing the websites.

Free daily newsletter

If you like our news and feature articles, you can sign up to receive our free daily (Mon-Fri) email newsletter (mobile friendly).