News Bytes: PA’s Local Video News Bid; Imagine Fashion Launch; Buck Magazine Shuts

imagePA’s local news talks The Press Association is in talks with regional news groups about forming part of the consortia Ofcom has suggested could take over local, commercial TV news provision when ITV (LSE: ITV) stops its local daily bulletins in 2012. The company is in talks to begin a pilot scheme in the north of England and would also be interested in providing video news for other regions. MD Tony Watson says: “We will be meeting this week with other possible partners in the proposed pilot…At this early stage it will be about seeking commitments from the participants and getting a feel for what we can each bring to the party.” Via Guardian.co.uk.

— Meanwhile, less than a month after launching a re-vamped, pre-packaged video newswire service for regional newspapers, PA says it has received a thumbs-up from its clients. Both Trinity Mirror (LSE: TNI) Regionals and Manchester Evening News publisher MEN Media have taken up the service as part of its six-month free trial — TMR web publishing director Richard Ayres says he’s looking forward to seeing the results of the trial, while MEN editor Paul Horrocks says it “fits perfectly” into his paper’s operations. What neither says is whether he would be willing to pay for the service and, if so, how much…

Imagine Fashion launch: Is it a good time to start an ad-funded, online-only fashion title in the UK? Perhaps it will be a better economic environment in December when web and mobile “video magazine” Imagine Fashion launches. The title will show a stream of fashion vids, advertorials and video blogs and is edited by Amber Gordon, a contributing fashion editor of the Financial Times‘ How To Spend It supplement. Marketing agency BLM Red has been appointed to promote the launch via online paid search, SEO, social networking and outdoor ads. Via Marketing.

Buck magazine shuts: Just over six months after its launch, men’s magazine Buck has closed its print edition and gone online-only. The site promises to soon have its own video fashion shoots and style maps, but folding its print edition so early doesn’t bode too well for a standalone site. From Private Fraser.

Bonnier’s US acquisitions: Swedish magazine publisher Bonnier is hoping to buy five US titles from Hachette Filipacchi. More at our sister site paidContent.org.

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