UTV sell TV business to ITV

I'm presuming that opt out was because of geographic/legal reasons for not showing Jackpot 247, so was replaced with another programme.

The Channel Islands and Northern Ireland don't allow gambling on TV. Their Licencing Commission in the Channel Islands is the regulator for Jackpot 24/7

It certainly used to - see this video from 9 mins in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLW2IGVeR7g

Not sure if this belongs here, or in the news forum, but at the end of UTV Live this evening they used the phrase "ITV News continues now" which has been seen in other regions before.

That's not a new phrase for Paul and Rose. If it's Julian on continuity though it's always ITN.

Playout for UTV is in Leeds. Continuity - what there is of it - comes from Belfast. Continuity slots are scheduled by UTV at the moment. I'd imagine that will change and things will become more standard, such is conglomeration.

Just to check does that includes Adverts and Local programmes?

I believe this is the case now yes. With live programming (and IVC) there's an automated switch to Havelock House's output.

That's interesting if that's the case, as I understood playout for UTV Ireland was from Belfast?

UTV Ireland playout is indeed from Belfast with a new playout facilty built into the building especially for the UTV Ireland .

UTV and UTV Ireland are played out from Belfast. The playout suite, to handle both channels, was built in 2014 - and runs on Morpheus automation. I've not heard anything about this situation having changed so far... though no doubt it will soon.

In that clip, when Julian referred to Leeds... he was referring to the fact that the UTV schedule (a list of programmes, trails, ads, and announcement slots... their on-air times, durations, and sources) was put together by media schedulers in Leeds who would make everything fit together time-wise in line with the ITV network schedule. That schedule (or as Julian calls it, "routine sheets") would then be sent to the UTV playout team in Belfast to transmit. ITV network programmes being shown on UTV come down a clean-ish feed which UTV cuts in and out of.

http://www.pixelpower.com/sites/pixelpower.com/files/styles/size_4_column/public/news/lead/utvheadshots_highres26.jpg?itok=OpmewqWn

As far as I am aware, playout of UTV (and UTVI) is still managed from Havelock House. That playout facility utilises a feed of ITV, provided by Ericsson. I have no doubt that ITV's strategy for the NI franchise will involve integrating UTV's playout into their existing playout infrastructure in Chiswick and Leeds - but I don't believe that has happened yet. Just a matter of time I suspect.

A lot of talk of an 'ITV Northern Ireland' on here. If I were a betting man, I don't think I'd be putting any money on that one. The wise money will be on NI viewers receiving the same ITV continuity that's supplied to homes in England and Wales.

Not quite sure where the updated UTV logo fits in to all of this. Back in March, speaking at the unveiling of the updated logo, Rufus Radcliffe, ITV director of marketing and research said: "UTV's brand heritage is exceptionally strong in Northern Ireland, which is reflected by its market-leading position. This is something we wanted to build upon when the channel joined ITV, keeping the strong connection with the UTV audience, but clearly positioning it as part of ITV, the UK's largest and most successful commercial broadcaster. The rebranding of UTV allows us to further cement that relationship in viewers' minds and ensure we now have a consistent identity across everything that we do, all rooted in our positioning as a media brand that is at the heart of popular culture."

Other than certain staff at UTV, I don't know anyone who would agree that UTV's brand heritage is exceptionally strong. UTV's market position here is more to do with the lure of the ITV programmes it broadcasts, than the pulling power of its locally-produced programming (what locally-produced programming I hear you cry). ITV knows that. With ITV now starting to integrate UTV into existing ITV infrastructure, and clearly wanting to emphasise and promote the ITV brand, it makes no sense to allow the UTV brand to continue in any substantive way. We've seen this brand's (UTV) online presence considerably diminished today. I suspect the same will happen to the television channel very soon. Bar the usual standard mournful article in the Belfast Telegraph, the NI population will hardly bat an eyelid when the UTV brand disappears completely - as long as they're still getting their ITV programmes, viewers here won't give a toss.

Oh and, let's circle back with Rufus on the strength of the UTV brand twelve months from now.

As for UTVI's future - not convinced it has one beyond 2016. A likely outcome is the NI service being reinstated in the RoI. Potential Saorview implications there - but will ITV care?