What News Edit and Packaging Costs, and What Moves the Price

Cutting to your house style means we match your pacing, caption layout, lower-thirds, audio levels and running order conventions. The first time we do this takes longer, because we need your style notes and a few past bulletins to work from. After that it is routine, and the cost of the first job usually settles to a lower figure on repeat work.

Delivery format matters too. A single file in your standard broadcast format is straightforward. Several versions of the same report, such as a full package, a short web cut and a clip for the bulletin opening, each need their own export and check. File naming and hand-over to your ingest also take a little time, so tell us early how your newsroom receives material and we will price it as part of the job, not as a surprise afterwards.

A written quotation for editing sets out the editor's time, the number of versions, the delivery format and the turnaround you asked for. It also states what would change the figure: extra rushes arriving late, a second round of changes after sign-off, or a request to move the deadline forward. These are the common reasons a final invoice differs from the first estimate, so we write them down at the start.

You will find current figures on the prices page, and the process is the same as for our other services: an enquiry through the contact page, a written quotation or confirmation, then an invoice paid by bank transfer. Cancellations and refunds follow the payment and refund policy. We do not ask for payment through the website, and the quotation is the document you can hold us to.

Not every item needs the full treatment. A holding clip for a developing story can be cut quickly and plainly, then replaced by a fuller package once more is known. A lead report for an evening bulletin deserves more time on sound, pacing and checking. Deciding in advance which kind of job you are ordering keeps the cost in proportion to how the piece will be used.

As autumn news picks up and newsrooms run thinner on staff, I see more requests for fast, plain cuts alongside the longer pieces. Both are legitimate. If you are unsure which suits a story, ring the office and describe it; Rhys can usually tell you in a few minutes whether it is a short job or a long one, and what will drive the figure either way.