UTV sell TV business to ITV

This is brilliant!

That is beautiful work. Well done. I like it a lot.

....anything is better than this pile of steaming.... .

or even this beauty.

Yeeesh.

I think ITV will try to get away with simply merging the two channels' identities and call both "ITV Ireland", with the aim of removing all differences between the two as quickly as possible. 95% of presentation will be the general London feed without any special branding, as it is for Wales now.

All non-news regional programming to be cut by the middle of next year, with a move to "Europe's most modern TV studios" -- a small shed in an industrial estate near the north/south border following shortly afterwards.

The same people criticising UTV now will be back whinging about how awful ITV is. Well tough titties, you got what you wanted.

Your really on the ball are you? ITV CAN'T cut All non-news regional programming, there is quota to have min number of shows in peak time...

If you think that ITV don't have considerably more clout than UTV when it comes to removing unwanted expense from the service, then it is you who are "really on the ball" -- not.

Besides, I stated it as an aim.

Even as an aim its not going to happen, Ireland has a higher Quoter then the Scotland and Wales. And if it was that easy ITV would have got rid of the Border and wales opt outs.

Yea, but it's improved over the yaers

http://tv50.org.uk/stills/ulster/ulstr-q.vt50

Exactly. UTV was not as effective as ITV at removing unwanted public service commitments -- those it managed to get were nothing more than "me too" gestures. ITV's first step will be to reduce UTV's commitment to that of Border. And given that Stormont has nowhere near the political strength of the other national assemblies, it is in no position to veto.

UTV is still, at its heart a provincial PSB. ITV is a commercial network which is dedicated to the complete removal of any and all non-profit making sections of its licence. One of the main things holding ITV back is the remaining regional broadcasters, who need justification to exist. Take them away, and ITV will finally be able to remove their shackles.

You do know its possible UTV never wanted to get rid? So ITV will reduce UTV opt outs to the level of Border, which at this moment of time would result in just Monday edition of UTV Tonight being scrapped.

ITV may will be a commercial network BUT Channel 3 is still PBS and as much as ITV wants to that will NOT change, and there can hand back the keys and go to a single freeview channel.

You think?

That would have the ghosts of Ian Paisley (and others) rising from the grave to haunt the executives at ITV Towers, not to mention the political uproar of the living politicians at Stormont, and the immediate boycotting of the channel by all loyalists in Northern Ireland.

Are you not familiar with the political history of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

Let's just say there might be a few more issues than when ITV merged two sub regions into one in an English region.