After thirty years at the BBC working as a Journalist, Radio Producer and Presenter, Television Director and Series Producer of BBC Scotland’s long running countryside magazine, “Landward”, I have decided to harness three decades of experience to offer a broad range of communications and public relations services to individuals, organisations and companies across the country.
I love Scotland, its landscape and the amazing array of world-class food and drink produced in every corner of the country. I have spent my working life telling stories about Scotland, its people, places and produce through a range of media.
I now want to help YOU tell YOUR story and have it heard by YOUR target audience.
There are more media outlets now than ever before. But that doesn’t make it any easier to get your story or message out to your target audience.
I can help you devise a communications strategy and tailor your story to suit different media outlets. I spent fifteen years as a Television Producer commissioning thousands of stories that came to me from a range of sources. I know what journalists, producers and editors are looking for and how to get it to them.
Facing the media in any of its forms can be one of the most daunting experiences imaginable. But it doesn’t have to be that way. With an understanding of how to conduct yourself, the language to use and the key messages to convey, it can be an enjoyable experience and enhance your corporate reputation.
With thirty year’s Broadcast experience I can show you how to convey the right impression. Working with an experienced broadcast cameraman we can recreate realistic media situations to enable you to practise techniques and review your performance. Training can be conducted on a one-to-one basis or in small groups. An after-sales consultation service is all part of the package.
I can produce your Corporate videos or website content with the look, sound and production values of high-end Television.
Either shooting and editing myself or working in collaboration with broadcast cameramen and editors, I can manage the production process through from concept to scripting and treatment, filming, editing and final delivery.
I am available to consult on Television or Radio projects from initial proposal through to production, post production and delivery.
I am available to host your conference or seminar, keeping the programme on schedule and on topic as well as controlling Q+A sessions.
We have recently commissioned Simon Cousins Media to produce a film for the Moredun Foundation to be the centrepiece of our centenary celebrations. Simon was an absolute pleasure to work with and he delivered an engaging and entertaining film using his considerable story-telling and journalist skills to highlight the achievements, ethos and future aspirations of our organisation and we are delighted with the result. Simon was very professional and diplomatic in all his interactions with us concerning the scope of the project, the scripting, selection of subjects and film locations and he delivered on time and on budget and everyone involved in making the film greatly enjoyed the experience. We would have no hesitation in recommending Simon Cousins Media and would certainly work with Simon again.
PROFESSOR LEE INNES, Director of Communications, Moredun Institute
Simon has proved an invaluable service to the SkyeConnect board and our project officer Alistair. He has both proactively researched and written stories with some of the key and exciting new tourism operators on the Isle of Skye and reactively responded to negative publicity for the island. Simon has an easy to read engaging writing style which captures the imagination and leads the reader onwards through the narrative. Simon has been easy to work with and has shed a new and different perspective on many of the issues that I as Chair, and the board have been grappling with since the inception of Skye Connect. Overall Simon has done a lot of the work at getting good news about Skye out there in the media which has led to the dramatic turnaround of the press’ perspective of Skye as a destination.
DAVE TILL, Chair, Skyeconnect
https://www.whfp.com/2019/08/01/building-local-legacies-for-future-generations/
The additional content that Simon’s video clips have brought to our website has been wonderful ……. The “analytics" indicate that the punters like them as well.
Alistair Danter, Edinbane self-catering
https://edinbane-self-catering.co.uk/our-cottages/tigh-dubh/
https://edinbane-self-catering.co.uk/our-cottages/the-merman/
https://edinbane-self-catering.co.uk/reiki-shiatsu/
On the 24th of August 2020 , Skye's first official flag was raised at the Nicolson Memorial in Portree. After a year-long competition, a public vote resulted in nine-year-old Calum Alasdair Munro's design being chosen.
The search has begun for a flag design to represent the Isle of Skye. The competition, organised by the West Highland Free Press and supported by Highland Council and SkyeConnect, is open to people of all ages from anywhere on the planet. The competition is being guided by the Court of the Lord Lyon - the ancient body responsible for the registration of all flags and Coats of Arms.
This is a film I recently produced, filmed and edited for the Moredun Research Institute. The film is being used to raise awareness in the sheep farming industry of a significant disease - OPA.
Here's the Film we made for the Moredun Foundation.
Tigh Dubh (The Black house)
The Merman - holiday cottage
Here's a short film I made for a client offering Reiki and Shiatsu on the Isle of Skye
For over 20 years, Dougie has been one of the most ‘well kent’ faces on television in Scotland.
His broadcast career has spread across many genres from Sport to Rural Affairs and much more besides.
A lover of all things outdoors, Dougie became the main presenter of BBC Scotland’s award winning rural affairs magazine show, Landward in 2009.
David has worked in broadcast television for 25 years. For the last sixteen of those he was employed by BBC Scotland as a lighting cameraman/DoP.
People and Places have always been part of his professional life and putting these people, contributors, presenters at ease is one of his many talents, together with his ability to create the best possible images in different environments in all weather conditions.
A relatively new face in the TV and Film world, Adam has a passion for creating. His optimistic outlook and willingness to take on any challenge has singled him out for a bright career. In a relatively short period of time he has developed skills as a Camera Assistant, Camera Operator, Researcher and Video Editor making him a versatile and adaptable asset to the industry.