More Changes Ahead for ITV News

All I WILL say, is that a common CSO background for ALL the regions could easily be knocked up on Sunday afternoon, February 1st, and sent round for everybody to use.

And if it's come to that, then things truly are in a bad way. What's with the hurry anyway ? Why not wait for ITV plc or whatever to settle in first, and plan a proper relaunch.

I don't mind ringing around, I just wish someone would give me a definate answer instead of sounding afraid to speak or as if as was asking a top-secret question.

I think the operative word is probably could .
It will be interesting to see if whether CSO backdrops do form part of this alleged revamp, anyway.

Not holding my breath for the revamp, mind.

so to clarify regional back drop will remain the same???, and is there an ITV insider, (embrassing but true, people do work at ITV) available?? all hush hush of coarse.

Any news on the presenter line up for the revamped bulletins.

Personally I'd keep Nicholas Owen at Lunch, with Mark Austin hosting at 10.30pm.

The Evening News would remain duel anchored, but would be approached differently, with Trevor or John being the main host and Mary or Katie being their sidekick!

Weekend bulletins would go primarily to Andrea, with Mary and Katie as stand ins.

News head post goes in Meridian cuts

By Walé Azeez

Meridian Television has axed the position of head of news in the wake of proposals to scrap 175 jobs.

Andy Cooper will be leaving the broadcaster next month to become output editor for BBC North East’s regional news bulletin, Look North. His brief will be taken over by Mark Southgate, Meridian’s controller of regional programmes.

As deputy director of Meridian Television news in 1998, Cooper famously told his staff to “get meaner” with BBC rivals after the commercial channel’s three regional news programmes were beaten in the ratings by BBC South Today in the previous year.

Prior to that, Cooper was Meridian Television news’s regional editor at Southampton and then news editor.

Cooper said he’d had “a good spell” at Meridian. “There are a lot of changes at ITV and these things happen. It’s part of the world we live in at the moment. I shall be sad and sorry to go but it’s time to do something else,” he added.

He begins his BBC job on 2 February.

Scrapping the head of news position comes after Meridian detailed 66 proposed positions it plans to keep in the revamped news operation.

“We are proposing a small reduction in the number of reporter posts for each news service,” a Meridian document handed to staff explained.

“We anticipate some posts going in total from the ranks of news and sports reporters,” it added.

However, managing director Lindsay Charlton insisted” “There will be no reduction in Meridian’s journalistic resource. If you look at the detail, we’re talking about having more — different sorts of correspondents. It’s being reorganised. There will be fewer technical jobs in journalism in the future.”

Meridian journalists and the NUJ says there is a discrepancy between Charlton’s claim that there will be no reduction in resources and incoming ITV News group director Clive Jones’s insistence to the Commons Media Select Committee that: “All we’re talking about is moving a presenter and maybe a technical director.”

“The reality is both news presenters and the sports presenter will be based in Hampshire, with no sports cover at all in the Kent office. It’s going down from three people to one, so to say they are not changing the way we newsgather is complete nonsense,” a senior journalist told Press Gazette.

Journalists and management are to meet on 12 January. An adjournment debate was set to take place in the House of Commons on Wednesday.

Mannion prepares for top ITV News job
Paul Revoir
08 January 2004 09:28

ITV News editor David Mannion is poised to take the new editor-in-chief role at the network after controller of news Steve Anderson rejected an invitation to apply for the post for the third time.

Mannion, who was discussing details of his contract as Broadcast went to press, will oversee all ITV's network and regional news and report to ITV News Division chief executive Clive Jones.

Effectively, there will in future no longer be a news controller at the Network Centre. Anderson, who also oversees current affairs, religion and arts, reports to director of programmes Nigel Pickard in the ITV Broadcast division.

Anderson turned down the job amid concerns that the change will represent a reduction of resources and focus on news at ITV. He is also concerned about the impact it will have on regional news output.

He is in talks with Pickard about his future at the network but could quit in the next few weeks.

Source:broadcastnow.co.uk