A freelance writer for national newspapers for the past 10 years, Coyle was one of 10 entrants shortlisted for The Write Factor and paid to contribute at least two pieces a week for four weeks for the site, while a winner was selected.
Coyle's contributions were deemed the most popular - determined by the number of page views and comments generated - and has been given a freelance contract with STV. The contract offers £100 per 450-word article for two articles a week for the next six months.
"The many columns he [Coyle] contributed throughout the competition were varied, thoughtful, current and provocative and consistently of a high standard. They generated a lot of traffic and interaction, which is ultimately what we were looking for," says Robert Dawson Scott, web editor at STV, in a press release.
Coyle's columns so far include comment on Tiger Woods, Scientology and Scottish devolution. His latest offering argues against the extradition of Pentagon hacker Gary McKinnon and the writer says he hopes his columns will provoke controversy and debate.
Fellow competitor and finalist in the STV contest Lindsey Mason - a public sector worker from Dumfries - will also continue to provide columns for the website.
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