Ten Alps piloting North online science channel

Feb 5 2010 by Iain Laing, The Journal

MEDIA production company Ten Alps is piloting an online science channel in the North East which will broadcast the success of the region’s most innovative businesses.

The London company, which was co-founded by Sir Bob Geldof, has won two years of production funding from regional development agency One North East to launch Newton HD in the region.

Ten Alps says it wants to create high- quality science programmes and an online space for scientists and the public to share research as well as populist science programmes that will appeal to families.

Ten Alps chief executive Alex Connock said: “Newton is a potentially ground-breaking online science project with blue-chip partners and it’s an ideal media property to develop in the North East, given the regional focus on science, and the degree to which it has not benefited from media investment in line with other regions. Ten Alps believes in the North East as a talent base for creative industries and this is a great step for us.”

He expects the channel to be self- financing after the two-year pilot period, from revenue streams including programme sales, sponsorship, online advertising, content syndication and events.

The company developed the plan alongside the Science Museum, the Royal Institution and the Open University and will work with Newcastle Science City to highlight research in the region and will work closely with its universities.

Ten Alps says a “large proportion” of the programming will originate in the North East.

It will employ around five key staff in Newcastle and use the talents of local freelance production staff, but says it will also make programmes around the world.

Coppock said he aimed to build on the project to launch a production unit called Ten Alps Science which will run Newton and provide broadcast TV programming for a UK and international market.

One North East head of business investment Dr Simon Goon, said: “The considerable rise in popularity of on-line television in recent years with highly successful innovations like You Tube and i-Player demonstrates that there is an appetite for the type of service Ten Alps provide.

“Newton HD will develop an on-line platform in North East England to showcase scientific endeavour aligned with the Government’s ambitions to raise awareness of the Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) agenda.”

Screen agency Northern Film & Media helped bring the project to the region. Its chief Tom Harvey said he was “proud to have played an important role in securing this innovative project for the region.”

Ten Alps, which has offices in London, Manchester and Singapore, is also part of a consortium, along with Journal publisher Trinity Mirror and the Press Association, bidding to provide the region’s commercial television news.