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April 16, 2012updated 14 Sep 2012 3:46pm

Sky beefs up North East news pilot with app launch

By Press Gazette

Sky News has beefed up its news site for the North East of England – Sky Tyne and Wear – by launching a new mobile phone app for the service.

The site launched in February and employs 14 full-time journalists.

According to Sky, just under a quarter of the website's 180,000 unique visitors in March viewed the site on a mobile device.

As well as providing a new way to access the site's news and sport content, the app also allows users to upload a photo, video or report.

Sky Tyne and Wear provides coverage of national events relevant to the North East, as well as local news reporting including coverage of Newcastle United and Sunderland AFC alongside non-league football and other sports.

Simon Bucks, associate editor at Sky, said: 'We are really pleased with the reception which Sky Tyne and Wear has had since launch. There is a great buzz about it in the area, and we are especially gratified that our videos have had 100,000 plus views.

'It confirms our belief that there is a real appetite for high quality video coverage of local news, sports and events. Our reporting of sport, especially at a grass root level has attracted a lot of interest and has been widely shared via social media.

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'This new iPhone app means people will be able to access the service more easily when they are on the move. It will also be even simpler for them to upload their own photos and videos."

Sky Tyne and Wear was set up by Sky to test the demand for a video-focused local news website and if successful could pave the way for more local news services being rolled out across the country.

The app is currently available to download for free on iPhone and is set to launch on Android soon.

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