The opts within Westcountry were never that great, the overlaps and vagueries of the geography meant that lots of people got the wrong one. I seem to remember them often having some items on 2 subregions because they were about somewhere on the border.
A town I lived in was in one sub-region but some streets got the other. So I couldn't get the correct one but a friend on the opposite coast could see the one I should have been getting
STV has the same problems with its opts. Although the bulk of Edinburgh gets its signal from the Craigkelly transmitter, which broadcasts the East opt, the west of the city is screened from Craigkelly and get its signal from Black Hill which carries the West opt. Similarly, the Haddington relay in East Lothian is fed from Black Hill rather than Craigkelly while the Aberfoyle relay, despite being nearer Glasgow than it is to Edinburgh, is fed from Craigkelly.
The transmitter problems that the BBC/ITV have experienced over many decades, seems to be yet another argument that the Local TV experiment should have been through the power of the Internet. Of course the Government getting everyone connected to the Internet (in one way or another) would also be a major plus point...
It could have been the start of something truly new for this country (an Internet based hub of Local TV stations), instead of a TV based service trying to be localised versions of the old ITV service. It could have also been truly helpful in the fight to make this great country less London centric, in it's own little way.
Last edited by Rijowhi on 27 September 2014 9:03pm - 2 times in total
But the point of Local TV is that it's TV. Why would the government allow organisations to start up local 'tv' services online when anyone can do that now?
Also who would watch it? The few that are up and running get low enough audiences anyway, they'd be even lower online. Yes broadband is rolling out across the country but very few people actually use it to watch TV on an actual TV, in fact in large parts of the country it's not actually feasible to do so.
Local TV services and other online only broadcasting has been tried many times and has failed
As you say the current Local TV is gaining low audiences. I believe if an online service was heavily advertised via ITV/C4 etc (with Licence Fee money), it might stand more of a chance of being more viable through a funding model of some Licence Fee money/Internet advertising etc. It surely would be cheaper to build a hub website than going through the route of traditional TV too. I openly admit that slow Broadband is a big problem with this system...it can potentially/will be the future of Broadcasting though in my opinion.
Going back to Scotland, I feel if they want to bring the nation back together then surely it's Broadcasting has to be together? Therefore I feel as part of the 'devo max' discussions Border TV surely has to be disbanded with? As stated previously (in different but equally challenging circumstances) I believe STV should take over Border Scotland (providing a 10 minute opt-out within the 6pm programme along with Sub-regional bulletins* and national Scottish programming) with ITV Tyne Tees/Border keeping the English area (again providing a 10 minute opt-out within the 6pm programme along with sub-regional bulletins). As compensation to ITV for the loss of Border Scotland, I feel the Contract Rights Agreement should be amended/scrapped along with their Political programming becoming part of their News service within their 6pm programmes. With the CRR agreement amended/scrapped, it would allow ITV to provide new fully Sub-regional News programmes (bar the Pan-Regional Political segments) and maybe even an opt-out for Cornwall from the Westcountry programme (might need a new name for this service). A together (but not independent) Scotland could bring ITV News service benefits for much of the U.K I believe if they want to...
* If ITV/STV have to provide a 10 minute opt-out then there is surely no reason to not provide sub-regional opt-outs as most News will already have been gathered?
:-(
A former member
It depends on which studio broadcast to STV south, Edinburgh or Glasgow? There is two Transmitters? so D&G could get the Glasgow news, and Scots Border could get Edinburgh news but if there very cleaver. STV could line up both shows so STV south could opt out at the same time, from both?
Mr Kite, Plymouth getting TV from Bristol preposterous? You mean like ITV? Not that I agree with this btw...
Yeah, like ITV but with the added insult of the county immediately west of the river getting a fully separate and individual service despite having half the population of Devon. The Westcountry TV region was and is an appropriate scale for regional TV, in my opinion.
And if Cornwall deserves some sort of sub--opt, then every other area of over half a million justifies this also.
Mr Kite, Plymouth getting TV from Bristol preposterous? You mean like ITV? Not that I agree with this btw...
Yeah, like ITV but with the added insult of the county immediately west of the river getting a fully separate and individual service despite having half the population of Devon. The Westcountry TV region was and is an appropriate scale for regional TV, in my opinion.
And if Cornwall deserves some sort of sub--opt, then every other area of over half a million justifies this also.
I guess it depends on how the Cornish proceed in the next few years. At the moment I agree with you that the model fits, however should Cornwall gain more power through devolution then the area might call for an opt-out or even a full News operation(s). After all despite it's small population, the Channel Islands has an opt-out from the BBC and a full service from ITV (be interesting to see if this stays the same...).
I'm calling for a South East Staffordshire opt-out next...
What if anywhere else gains power through devolution? Why this assumption that just one county in the South West will or should be devolved but nowhere else? What's good enough for Cornwall is good enough for everywhere else. Also, should it necessarily have anything to do with broadcasting anyway seen as it isn't a devolved area anywhere in the UK and there appear to be no plans to make it be?
What if anywhere else gains power through devolution? Why this assumption that just one county in the South West will or should be devolved but nowhere else? What's good enough for Cornwall is good enough for everywhere else. Also, should it necessarily have anything to do with broadcasting anyway seen as it isn't a devolved area anywhere in the UK and there appear to be no plans to make it be?
The difference is Cornwall is now recognised as a National minority. Should this happen in the future to other areas, I believe there would be more debate then about opt-outs etc. I see Broadcasting as a (small) part of the devolution debate, I believe Culture comes under Scottish and Welsh powers already?
Playing the same report on multiple sub opts is nothing new. All three variants of Calendar were the only one available in parts of Sheffield, so reports about that area were often part of the main programme rather than the sub opts. When they went to having two fullly split programmes, Sheffield items were often on both.
Playing the same report on multiple sub opts is nothing new. All three variants of Calendar were the only one available in parts of Sheffield, so reports about that area were often part of the main programme rather than the sub opts. When they went to having two fullly split programmes, Sheffield items were often on both.
It was the same with Meridian North (though it was called West !) and Meridian South, again there
was a large transmitter overlap. Anything about Winchester was carried on both opts. Meridian actually
built three transmitters to try and alleviate the situation !
Not that I agree with this btw...
