Newsnight presenter Kirsty Wark has signed a new three year presenting and production deal with the BBC, believed to be worth �3m.

The contract will see her continue to front the BBC Two nightly news programme, arts show Omnibus and Newsnight review.

The high-flyer will also be developing original programming for BBC Scotland through her production company Wark Clements.

The company, co-founded by Ms Wark and husband Alan Clements, will produce a host of new projects for the new year.

Ms Wark's next project for BBC Scotland will be an eight-part series entitled Lives Less Ordinary, followed by Great Scots.

She said: "It's great to be able to work on such a challenging range of BBC output, covering news, arts and current affairs as well as exploring new projects and ideas."

The presenter joined the BBC in 1976 as a graduate researcher for BBC Radio Scotland.

BAFTA

For the next six years she worked on daily and weekly radio programmes in the current affairs department.

In the late 80s Wark presented BBC One's Breakfast Time as well as editions of The Late Show.

In 1997, she won the BAFTA Scotland, Best Television Presenter Award.

Ms Wark first presented Omnibus, the BBC's flagship arts show, in February this year.

Recent highlights include profiles of Pink Floyd founder Syd Barrett, artist Frank Auerbach and actress Joan Plowright.

Richard Sambrook, director of BBC News, said: "We are delighted that Kirsty will continue to be one of the BBC's top presenters.

"She's undoubtedly among the best journalists of her generation with an intelligence and wit which makes her enormously popular with viewers and a huge asset to all the programmes on which she works."