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 ITV Regional News
REPLY FROM MICHAEL GRADE 10/11/2008
Dear Mr Beyer,
Thank you for your letter of 31 October regarding the restructuring of regional news on ITV. I was grateful for your attachment giving me a sense of the views of your members around the country.
The plan for our regions, first announced in September 2007, is, I am afraid, a consequence of the changed economics of public service broadcasting in the commercial sector. Our PSB licences, once enormously valuable, are dropping in value by the day as the last remaining analogue viewers switch to digital, and we need to bring the costs of PSB on ITV back into line with the value of the licences. Regional broadcasting is our biggest PSB cost and that is why we have to make a £40m cost reduction from 2009.
I understand why some people wish things could stay as they are but this restructuring is the only sensible course open to us. We wish to continue regional news output for as long as possible, and I share many of your members' views on its contribution to our society. However, ITV must act in a commercially rational way.
Some press headlines may have left an impression that ITV's regional service will be thinner next year than, in fact, is the case. We are still awaiting final approval from Ofcom but, under our plans, we will continue to invest very substantial sums in a regional news service across England, Wales and the Scottish Borders. Our nine separate programmes with additional sub-regional opt out' segments will be well resourced and provide a strong service to all viewers.
Your members in Cornwall, for instance, will see fifteen minutes of programming at 6.00pm dedicated to the current ITV Westcountry region and a late news broadcast also dedicated to the existing region.
I hope that viewers will give our new programmes a fair chance before rushing to judgement on their quality.
Yours,
MICHAEL GRADE
Executive Chairman ITV
mediawatch-uk letter to Mr Michael Grade, Executive Chairman ITV
31/10/2008
Dear Mr Grade,
We have been following with interest the problems facing ITV and we are concerned about the moves to substantially reduce resources and expenditure on regional and local news provision.
We have conducted a limited survey of our members and their responses are set out below. You will see that most people value ITV regional news and believe it should continue as it is. Criticism of content has been expressed by some and others feel that if economies must be made in order for the future survival of ITV other programme genres should be reviewed and savings made there.
We agree with those who say that proper news provision is an essential element in a democratic society helping to inform its citizens. It would be a very great pity if it were seen that ITV is concerned only for itself and not for the public it serves.
Whilst we understand that ITV is a "business" we believe it would be wrong to abandon public service content simply because it is not profitable. We are aware of other sources of news that are readily available and these are making life difficult for all broadcasters and not just ITV.
However, we believe that the sensible answer to this problem is to strive to make ITV regional news the best and more relevant to the communities being served. This point has been picked up by our members in Cornwall who already feel isolated and by others who suggest that regional news should not just be local angles on national stories of which they are already aware.
We have sympathy for those who ask for greater emphasis on "good" news as an antidote to the prevailing "doom and gloom" and perhaps more coverage of "local heroes" who really make a difference in their communities.
We appreciate that ITV is in real difficulties, threatened by a takeover and falling share value, but our solution, for what it is worth, is to strengthen regional news provision so that it becomes even more valued by viewers and provide a real public service. Perhaps, even at this late stage, ITV's plans could be reconsidered?
With every good wish,
Yours sincerely,
John Beyer
 Director mediawatch-uk
ITV in the News
mediawatch-uk - Invitation to Members for Comment
ITV NEWS PROVISION
Dear Members,
As you may know ITV is currently suffering from a decline in advertising revenue and under its Executive Chairman, Michael Grade, has disclosed plans to significantly reduce its local news provision. ITV's share price has also slumped to its lowest ever at around 30p.
Mr Grade has gone so far as to suggest ITV's Public Service Broadcasting (PSB) licence should be abandoned so that the broadcaster can get on with "being a business" and not treated "as an arm of social and industrial policy". Under the licence, ITV is required to make National and regional news, children's programmes and other PSB programmes. There have been a number of press reports recently stating that hundreds of jobs are to be cut in an effort to make savings and this affects the regions too.
mediawatch-uk takes the view that the provision of National, regional and local news and current affairs is an essential part of ITV's remit. In a democracy it is important to have different sources of news so that the people may make properly informed judgements.
We plan to take this up with Mr Grade but it would be very helpful if our members and supporters could let us know their views about news and current affairs programmes in general and in particular whether ITV should continue to provide regional and local news as a public service. We will also make representation to Ofcom.
We sympathise with Mr Grade's dilemma over where to make savings but we do wonder if news coverage is really the right place to do this. Please let us know in which regional area you live, and what you think, and whether or not you value ITV's regional news.
WHAT THE MEMBERS SAID BY ITV REGION
 Anglia I am in the Eastern Region. Our news coverage is at present in 2 parts - eastern which covers Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex and western which covers Cambridgeshire and surrounding districts. The proposal is to amalgamate the 2 to make one news bulletin to cover both districts. This would enable a cut down in staff.
My opinion is that the area covered would be far too large and the news less local. The present arrangement has worked well for many years. I believe that there are other areas where savings could be made without interfering with essential news coverage. I live in Suffolk and watch local news on BBC. I do feel local news is important. We take Eastern programmes although London is available. We watch the BBC for our regional programmes. We value our regional programmes in the East of England, and do not wish them to end. My family and I think it would be a pity to lose ITV news. It is good to have a "check " on the BBC`s News and Comments. Might I suggest they sometimes could be prejudiced? .jpg "Image") Central
I live in the East Midlands (Nottingham) and do enjoy the local news and similar local programmes. I would not agree with these being withdrawn from the listings. From a personal standpoint, we always watch the BBC Midlands News and rarely watch ITV. It does seem that there is a considerable duplication.
From what we observe, the people who watch the news at all will either be ITV people or BBC people, and as BBC has an even greater responsibility for local news, I have some sympathy for the ITV position.
However, I have serious misgivings about their decision to make the regions larger for 'local' news. When the area becomes so large, it has little relevance to the local area apart from anything that is of national importance in which case it is often covered by the Main news of the day.
With local newspapers, local radio, commercial radio, BBC TV and ITV, they are all chasing the same stories and present them in a slightly different way, for slightly different people to reach as many people as possible, but at the end of the day, with news items, I think the maximum coverage they would get is probably no more than 30%.
I am not sure that this helps but that's the way I see it at present from my experience and observations. If ITV are trying to make more money by simply rolling out another game show or two and sacrificing the news for that purpose, then they will have betrayed their contribution as the leading commercial channel. Taking up Mr Grade's comments about not being treated "as an arm of social and industrial policy", I believe that culture is not neutral and PSB commitments are there to spread them out for balance and recognise their importance to the society that has many of its shared moments through what is being watched. I live in the Central South region and do watch the local news regularly. We live in the East Midlands. Although I much sympathise with the plight of regional broadcasting to be honest we rarely view ITV News, national or local, invariably BBC for both. I understand the E.M's area is to lose its current local facility, which is to be transferred to the West Midlands, with limited E.M's news. .jpg "Image") Granada
I think it would be a shame if ITV dropped more news provision. I sympathise with their business dilemma but suspect that doing this would be one more step towards a non-descript ITV that is on a par with the hundreds of other light entertainment channels available.
News provision is one part of their programming that gives them some gravitas. It may also be a large chunk of current affairs that some people receive, but I would be interested to see some non-biased data on the subject! We live in the North West and the local ITV news programme is Granada Reports. I agree that in a democracy it is important to have different sources of news but I think that all the news programmes are very negative and depressing. They seem to search the world for bad news and I have to remind myself of all the wonderful things in the world and that even now, the majority of people are kind and helpful and at the appropriate time, heroes emerge who will risk their own lives to help others.
The local news is better at reporting positives than the National news where a lot of the items are speculation, not in fact "news" at all.
So I do value the local news programmes and think that ITV should continue to provide news programmes and if possible, more balanced reporting. I believe in Denmark (?) they have to report one positive piece of news for every piece of bad news.
I dread to think what Mr Grade has in mind for when he can "get on with being a business"!!
.jpg "Image") HTV I live in the HTV West region near Bristol. I tend to watch the BBC as I find HTV not so good. The same applies to its National News Service.
I sense that with the digital age there will be a move away from regional broadcasting as once they switch off analogue here I shall only be able to receive a national BBC news service or BBC Wales without spending a fortune on dishes and the like.
All this being said I think it quite wrong that ITV should walk away from its remit. I should be interested to see what they propose to do and what sort of programmes they plan to concentrate on. Certainly family quality viewing will be bottom of their priority list as violent dramas and TV cops showing video footage and other shallow programmes will be the unedifying diet. I don't watch TV National News of any kind. My husband watches mainly BBC News - sometimes Channel 4. Neither of us watches regional TV News. To be honest, I usually watch BBC news, but I agree that there should be several views represented on our TV. At 6.30 pm it is possible to watch other local news items. There must be other items which could be omitted if cuts are necessary, and repeats of very old documentaries are always welcome, although Sky might have the monopoly of these. I live in Weston-super-Mare. I live in Gloucestershire, and I have to say that I never watch ITV regional news, but do occasionally watch their national news. In principal, I am in favour of public service broadcasting. The standard of commercial channels is now so poor I feel it is important to retain a proportion of quality programming on some channels, even if this means extra funding from the tax payer. I am sure that if ITV are allowed to drop news and current affairs programmes, the overall standard of their broadcasting will drop, and we will simply have more trashy games shows, and yet more programmes sponsored by the sex industry. I would hope however, that PSB on ITV would not be funded by taking funds away from the BBC. We live in Bristol and very much value the ITV news here at regional level. I think it has some better features than BBC and competition is also good. My wife and I prefer the BBC regional news but that is not to say we think ITV should pull the plug. It would be a sad day if the BBC were the sole news channel because they are obviously dominated by young left wingers who persist in using terms like "The Far Right" when it is nothing of the kind. One feels it more likely that regional coverage will uncover the truth rather than hide it.  London
I live in the London area and I think current affairs programmes should continue but I tend to rely on the BBC for regional and local news as the ad breaks on ITV are off-putting. We do not want to be in a situation where the BBC has a monopoly of the news. It already monopolises the radio news. Isn't it about time that the BBC was cut down in size - why does it need so many TV and radio channels? I would support some of a (reduced) licence fee going to ITV news, rather than see ITV reduce or even abolish its news, local or national. Channel 4 produces excellent news at 7pm. We receive London and Southern News. Whatever happens, they should be prevented from giving up National and International News and current affairs coverage. As regards ITV's regional news, if anything has to go, that would be the least missed. Even the BBC often seems only give it token support, as it would appear to be the poor relation.' Although living on the Bucks/Oxon border we are covered by the London area broadcasting. Meridian We sympathise with the view that regional and local news should be part of ITV's public service but in this part of the country 'Meridian' offers no competition to 'BBC South Today'. It has weak presenters and whenever we watch it, we are even more convinced why we watch 'BBC South Today'. I have seen this in the News, and I agree that TV companies have a duty to include news and public service information. I do not buy daily newspapers because I am not interested in most of what they think of as news. Therefore, I rely on TV and radio to keep me informed. The national and particularly local news programmes I believe are essential. I live in the south, covered by Meridian. I want local news to be truly local, not covering the whole of the south. I value news services via ITV both as a second source of information and a source at different times from the BBC. If Public Service Broadcasting was abandoned I think that the overall tone of programming would go down and I would watch ITV channels less. I live in the Meridian area. Yes I do value both our regional (Meridian) and national news from ITV. The latter often being better than the BBC news. I live in Guildford in the South East of England. I feel that national, regional and local news should be provided by ITV as an alternative to BBC coverage and I value ITV's news coverage. We reside in Meridian TV area. We do value ITV News broadcasts and do not wish them axed. No I don't value television news at all. I just listen to radio 4 for the basics every day. I would not waste time listening and watching all the doom and gloom! Thames Valley My wife and I live in the Thames valley and are therefore included in the London news even though we are 30 miles west of London). We rarely watch ITV news preferring BBC and we despair of the London news which is predominantly youth and ethnic minority focussed. We are always impressed with the quality of the West Country reporting when we visit our daughter in Plymouth and if someone were to offer Thames valley news we would most interested but if both ITV and BBC stopped broadcasting London News tomorrow we wouldn't be at all bothered. Having the benefit of Sky+ we allow some time to accumulate and then whiz past all the irrelevant stuff 'til we get to the weather which we are interested in. Tyne Tees I watch the early evening regional and national news on Tyne Tees Television and later news on BBC. I would not wish to see ITV coverage reduced and they should be held to the conditions of their licence. We live in the Tyne Tees area and we do value the ITN regional news bulletins and wish to support their retention. UTV My husband and I both feel it is essential that local news coverage and current affairs programmes should not be affected by the ITV cuts. They should rather cut some of the rubbish that is promoted as entertainment. West Given the sad lowering of standards of BBC objectivity in reporting news, it is essential that ITV continues News coverage. We agree with mediawatch-uk that it is important to have news and PSB broadcasting from different channels so that there is a balanced representation of news and politics, etc, and that local news is important too.
I entirely agree with your opinion that ITV should continue to supply news independent of the BBC coverage. Some of its programmes are excellent but there is too much appealing to the lowest common denominator and some of the programmes and pre-views are in danger of undermining social decency.  Westcountry
I was horrified to read that Mr Grade is thinking of cutting back on regional and local news. We live in Plymouth, and being pensioners, rely a lot on the television for news of what is happening not only in the world, but very importantly to us, what is happening locally. The ITV broadcasting unit has always been very good at covering events as soon as they happen here - and our reporters are excellent. Please look elsewhere for your savings, Mr Grade, and we wish you well. I agree ITV should continue to make regional programmes, including the news. We do not want to leave space for more "trash". I believe that if they checked viewing figures for the West Country they would find that their regional programmes will show good viewing figures. I live in Cornwall. It will be great loss to lose West Country Live, our daily regional news programme. It looks likely to become part of Bristol and will exacerbate the feeling down here that people do not care about us, our news or our communities. Yorkshire I fully agree with the mediawatch-uk view that ITV should provide a national and local news programme. It is not acceptable to significantly reduce local news to combat reduced share values. News is a basic requirement for ITV and it should be at the top of their priorities. Regarding ITV news I never watch it and would not miss it. This is because having had the radio on most of the day I have heard most of it umpteen times over. I do however enjoy the local magazine/news programme at 1800hrs weekdays Calendar - it is not as depressing as the national/international news which tends to be all bad and depressing!! I am sure that society would be far better off without so much news as we are getting into very isolationist state because we hear of crime committed nationwide now and think that it is all happening in our local area. The only thing in favour of the news slots is that at the moment they are free of strong' language which is more than can be said for anything else after 2100hrs. NEWS COVERAGE OF THE ISSUE Vaizey Supports ITV Regional News Plan
Shadow culture minister Ed Vaizey has backed ITV's withdrawal from regional news, and cautioned MPs who have criticised the commercial broadcaster's plans. Vaizey told Broadcast that ITV's Ofcom-approved plans to reduce it's newsrooms from 17 to nine was "not something I welcome, but it's something I understand".
"We want to see the relaxation of regulation for ITV to give it a chance, and I think if we had been in power, we would have acted much more swiftly to give ITV the flexibility to operate in this very challenging commercial environment," he said. "It's a highly emotive issue, but unless government is going to pay for it, politicians had better be careful about being overly critical."
Broadcastnow 22/10/2008 DCMS to Stay Out of ITV Regions Row
The government has refused to intervene in the row over Ofcom's green light for ITV to drop its half-hour bulletins for the Border and Westcountry regions. In response to requests from Liberal Democrat MPs to overrule Ofcom, minister for culture, creative industries and tourism Barbara Follett said the matter should be raised directly with ITV.
Michael Moore, MP for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk, told the minister that the cutbacks were an act of "broadcasting vandalism". Last month, Ofcom gave the provisional go-ahead for ITV to restructure its regional operations, which includes merging the Carlisle-based Border news with the Gateshead-based Tyne Tees service and subsuming the Westcountry into ITV's Bristol-based West region. The plans are set to be approved in January.
Broadcastnow 14/10/2008 ITV Factual Division Jobs Face Axe
ITV is planning to shut the factual division of one of its regional centres, staff has been told. The closure is part of moves to cut 1,000 jobs to deliver £40 million of savings in its regional news services. The broadcaster said it was proposing to merge its current affairs and features divisions in Manchester and close the factual division, also based in the city, at the end of next January.
"ITV will now be entering into a consultation period with employees," said an ITV spokesman. Sources said around 26 posts will be affected by the announcement.
Channel 4 news 13/10/2008 ITV May Move to Shed PSB Licence
ITV would be content to operate as a commercial television company without the restraints imposed by its public service broadcasting licence, said Michael Grade, executive chairman. Mr Grade, whose company is at the centre of takeover speculation, yesterday voiced for the first time the view that ITV wanted to get on with being a business and not be treated "as an arm of social and industrial policy".
Mr Grade was speaking in response to the review of public service broadcasting (PSB) by Ofcom, the broadcasting regulator, 10 days ago, in which Ofcom floated a variety of options for securing the future of programming regarded as crucial to the cultural and educational good of the UK.
One of the options was for ITV to give up its PSB licence, which requires it to make national and regional news, children's shows and other PSB material in return for permission to broadcast. Mr Grade did not say this was his board's preferred path, but he told an audience at a Royal Television Society event: "It's time for ITV to be left alone to operate as a business."
Financial Times 9/10/2008
Read more... And more... What Price for Regional TV News?
ITV is cutting more than 400 jobs in its regional newsrooms and has suggested it could hand over its regional news production to another organisation. The BBC is moving 3,000 regional news staff into its main News division, bringing them closer to its national and international news teams. With regional newspapers facing more possible closures and job losses, it will amount to the biggest shake-up in news outside London since ITV was launched as a network of regional companies in 1955.
The moves follow an unprecedented level of debate in recent months over news coverage of the UK's nations and regions.
BBC News online 9/10/2008
Read more... Burnham Backs Ofcom's ITV Plans
Media secretary Andy Burnham has defended Ofcom's decision to reduce ITV's regional production quota and has told MPs he will meet ITV and other broadcasters to discuss the future of PSB in the months ahead. He told the House of Commons, as MPs returned from summer recess, that the government was committed to a strong regional output of TV programmes despite Ofcom's rubberstamping of a reduction in ITV's regional quota. The minister said that Stephen Carter, elevated to the peerage and appointed as broadcasting minister by Gordon Brown in his reshuffle last week, would be working with him on the review of PSB.
Broadcastnow 6/10/2008 ITV to Axe 1,000 jobs by February
ITV plans to have slashed 1,000 jobs by February next year including 430 jobs across its news services - nearly 50% of regional news staff. About 425 people have already left the commercial broadcaster following restructures of the finance, press and publicity, brand and commercial and ITV global content divisions. Another 75 roles are in the "final stages of consultation". A separate review of ITV's technology department will begin today (30 September). In a statement, ITV said it was "on track" to fulfil a major cost-cutting strategy, designed to save £41m each year from 2006.
Broadcastnow 30/9/2008
MediaGuardian Could a Tax on TVs pay for Highbrow Shows on Commercial Channels?
Shoppers buying televisions, DVDs, CDs and MP3 players could be hit with a new tax to pay for documentaries and current affairs programmes on commercial TV. The proposal is one of several reforms from Ofcom which would revolutionise how we pay for television. It comes as the watchdog seeks to plug a predicted £235million hole in funding for public service broadcasting on non-BBC channels by 2012.
The depth of the cash crisis was confirmed yesterday when ITV was told by Ofcom it could slash its commitments to serious current affairs and regional news. Critics accused ITV of 'dumbing down'. Ofcom said British-made sitcoms, children's shows, current affairs, films and comedy, regional news and single dramas on commercial TV were all under threat.
Daily Mail 26/9/2008
Read more... Ofcom Publishes its Second Consultation into the Future of Public Service Broadcasting
Ofcom today published the second phase of its review of Public Service Broadcasting (PSB). The review finds that in order to sustain PSB programmes on channels other than the BBC, some £145-235 million in replacement funding will be required by 2012. Ofcom research shows the high value which audiences put on the provision of public service content outside the BBC even when faced with the possibility of having to pay for it.
Today's review also proposes reducing the obligations on ITV plc and the other channel 3 licensees next year to make the provision of highly valued programmes - original British content and news - more sustainable until the initial expiry date of the existing licences in 2014. The biggest changes - which prioritise peak time coverage - involve a restructuring of ITV's regional news services in England and the Scottish Borders.
Ofcom news release 25/9/2008
Read more... ITV 'Can Cut' Regional Programmes
ITV would provide fewer regional programmes, including news bulletins, under proposals from regulator Ofcom. The broadcaster has been advised to concentrate on providing original output which has been made in the UK. It would be allowed to show fewer daytime news bulletins, but only after it "restructured" its news operations in England and the Scottish Borders.
Ofcom has been looking at the future of public-service broadcasting at a time when advertising income is falling. There needed to be "a deep structural change", said the organisation's chief executive, Ed Richards.
BBC News online 25/9/2008
Read more... ITV News Makes Regional Cutbacks
ITV is expected to get the green light this week to cut back its regional news operations in England, with a loss of up to 200 jobs, in a move likely to anger unions and local politicians. On Thursday, Ofcom, the media regulator, is set to broadly endorse ITV's plans to trim its regional news output. The broadcaster is to abandon its separate Border and West Country half-hour bulletins, replacing them with shorter programmes up to 15 minutes long.
Ed Richards, the chief executive of Ofcom, has said that ITV, which is under pressure in a weak advertising market, needs to benefit from deregulation and the regulator has acknowledged that ITV cannot recoup the £100 million cost of regional news.
Timesonline 22/9/2008
Read more... ITV Threatens Local News and Children's Television
Michael Grade, the chairman of ITV, said yesterday that it was prepared to abandon its obligations to show regional news and children's programmes. ITV also wants the right to transmit more adverts per hour and to introduce product placement and Mr Grade said that if the rules were not eased by regulators he would do so unilaterally.
"I want to retain our status as a public service broadcaster, but not at any price," Mr Grade said. "I'm not sure that the regulator understands the urgency of the need for reform." ITV raised the prospect of surrendering its analogue broadcasting licences when Britain switches to digital, which would allow it to fill its soap opera, entertainment and drama-dominated schedule as it pleases.
ITV estimates that it costs nearly £300 million a year to comply with regulations, but Ofcom estimates that after digital switchover it will receive only £45 million of benefits from its public service licences. The biggest cost is the £100 million to show 5½ hours of regional news a week, of which 2½ hours is in peak-time.
The Times 7/8/2008
Read more... ITV Should be Allowed to Cut Back on Regional News, says Ofcom
The changes would allow the broadcaster to reduce its regional news by a fifth and its current affairs programming by a third. Reducing ITV's regional news output is one of the suggestions contained in a leaked document drawn up by Ofcom as part of its review of public service broadcasting.
Due in the autumn, the report is expected to propose ways of maintaining public service programmes such as children's television and regional news, which may little or no money for commercial broadcasters. ITV wants to cut back its obligations to make regional news and other "public service programmes" because they do not attract audiences and drive up advertising. Instead it wishes to concentrate on drama and entertainment shows such as Britain's Got Talent and the X Factor, which have mass appeal.
But critics attacked the Ofcom proposal to allow them to do so, saying that local news provided a vital service to viewers. "I think it's not in the public interest at all," said John Beyer, the director of mediawatch-uk. "Local and regional news are essential elements in news coverage and I am surprised that Ofcom has decided to side with ITV rather than the audience."
Daily Telegraph 29/7/2008
Read more... Media: Plans for Reduced Public Service Role are Good News for ITV
ITV is likely to win its battle to reduce its public service commitments while the BBC may have to give part of its licence fee to Channel 4, according to a leaked blueprint prepared by the media regulator Ofcom. Under the proposals, ITV will be allowed to cut back on regional news, reduce its current affairs output and reduce programmes produced outside London, saving almost £40m a year.
The document, drawn up by Ofcom as the basis for the second stage of its wide-ranging review of public service broadcasting and leaked to MediaGuardian, is likely to please ITV - and pitch the BBC into conflict with the regulator. The decision, following Ofcom research that suggests the costs of ITV's public service status will outweigh the benefits by £60m by 2012, is likely to spark outrage from MPs and the broadcasting unions, who campaigned against the plans.
Ofcom is likely to suggest that the BBC's "excess" licence fee money be diverted to other broadcasters for public service television from 2012, rejecting the corporation's argument that its "unique link" with the public needs to be maintained.
The regulator also supports Channel 4's argument for public subsidy, at a lower level than the broadcaster has suggested. Ofcom says that Channel 4 will need about £40m a year in the medium term rather than the £100m it has argued for.
MediaGuardian 28/7/2008
Read more ... ITV Unveils New Regional Current Affairs Show
ITV is to replace its regional current affairs programmes in England with a uniform brand along the lines of the BBC's Inside Out - and will give it the same name as a former BBC current affairs programme. The commercial broadcaster will roll out Here and Now early next year across its different English regions.
While the show will have the same name across the country, each region will have tailored content and will be fronted by a local presenter. The use of the Here and Now name has surprised some, as the BBC had a current affairs programme under the same moniker in the 1990s.
Here and Now, which launched in 1994 as a BBC1 networked show, was fronted by Sue Lawley and featured regional reports from across the country, although it was axed several years later. ITV1's Here and Now also bears distinct similarities to the BBC's current regional brand Inside Out, which broadcasts local content across the country under the same national name.
MediaGuardian 8/7/2008
Read more... Channel 4 May Start Regional News Programmes
Channel 4 is considering plans to launch a regional news service. The broadcaster is in the early stages of discussing the idea, which would boost its public service credentials and chances of receiving public funding. If it goes ahead, the news bulletins could launch online, on More 4, or on the flagship channel.
Any output would be designed to supplement ITV's regional news, after the commercial broadcaster announced cutbacks. A Channel 4 spokesman said: "We are in general dialogue with Ofcom, the Government and other interested parties about maintaining competition with the BBC across a number of key public service genres." ITV announced last September that it planned to slash its £120 million regional programming budget by a third to boost in-house programme production.
Birmingham Post 4/7/2008 ITV Aims to save £150m by Cutting Public Service Budget
ITV wants to slash £150m from its budget for public service broadcasting such as news, regional and children's programmes by 2012, when the analogue television signal will be switched off.
It is calling on Ofcom, the regulator, to permit a sharp slide in ITV's licence requirements over the next three years - a slide that will track the decline in the value of the analogue television spectrum over which it now broadcasts. Michael Grade, ITV's executive chairman, believes that beyond 2012 the economic value of subsidised spectrum will be worth £40m a year and he is proposing to spend no more than that on public service broadcasting.
The move would leave the channel free to fill its schedule with entertainment and drama, which is more appealing to advertisers. Grade is desperate to take out costs from ITV, which is struggling with a downturn in advertising that has hammered its share price, bringing it down to 50.6p last Friday.
Meanwhile, the BBC is fighting against the idea of sharing its licence fee with other broadcasters to ensure there is more than one producer of public-service content beyond 2012. Instead, it is proposing to share regional resources with ITV and help commercial rivals sell their shows overseas.
Timesonline 23/6/2008
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