UTV sell TV business to ITV

They could use the ITV idents, but use the UTV logo instead of the colour picking. They wouldn't be able to use the rest of the package though because of the reliance on the dot of the I. Remember the celeb idents from 2002? Both STV and UTV used those idents but with their own logos.

I think UTV have been on auto-pilot for a while now, they probably were winding down in a sense to prepare themselves for a sale. The same CA links that were recorded probably months/years ago are still being used. We hear Gilian Porter announcing the news coming up next during the end credits of The Chase and her voice is the exact same every time and has been for as long as I can remember. It's always her, the wording is always the exact same and she has a weird upwards inflection in her voice that happens at the same time which doesn't suit the particular announcement as it almost makes her sound really happy to announce the news is coming up, but is always there.

I genuinely can't wait to see the back of UTV in all it's present horrible... "glory"?

I think UTV, under ITV control, would be in a good position to retain its own continuity announcing team. Whether it's going to include in vision, who knows? I would hope it does. ITV would do no harm in looking at the UTV IVC system, and then adopting it for the network. One thing, it'll make them different from BBC, Channel 4, Channel 5, and others, and give the channel a "face", and make the viewer think the channel is talking to them face to face.

And there is a need for the nations in ITV to have their own continuity team for network programmes on ITV. After all, BBC Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland do it, so can't see any problems with it being carried on in the ITV nations.

What is this need exactly? Perhaps a controversial view for TV Forum but regional continuity has always seemed like an unnecessary expense to me. I can't imagine the vast majority of viewers are any more bothered by the nationality of their continuity announcers than the nationalities of the people in the shows they're watching.

Of course I believe both STV and UTV only have Live CA from 17.55 onwards, with everything else pre-recored. Of course if ITV were to save money, There could have network CA for daytime and have live NI CA from the main evening news, and kept them on until nightscreen since for some unknown reason there dont have the online gambling shows.

I think it's partly due to habit of nature. It's just always been the way that the various ITV companies, in their independent days, all had their own CA's, and this has just carried on. There is also a potential political situation, where local programming is broadcast a bit more often, and having separate CA's allows such promotion to be made in announcements.

Not allowed by law in Northern Ireland.

They were separate stations. Separate stations tend to have their own continuity, even if they're in a networking arrangement with others. Once one company owns several of these constituent stations, then they essentially become little more than advertising and regional news editorial regions. Granada, for example, is now essentially a subregion of the large ITVplc region, similar to how Central East was to Central back in the day.

The UTV brand and announcers aren't going to disappear on the night of the take over. It takes time to implement new policy and give staff their redundancy notices. It will happen though, sadly. It's be a matter of weeks, in my opinion.

Headline story on UTV Live at Six, of course. Tone is that of an obituary.

Things that I would expect to happen quite quickly, some straight away others within a few months

Promos for ITV digital channels to air on UTV and announcers to cross promote these channels in continuity.

Programme promotions no longer remade by UTV, created by ITV with just a different end board and '... on UTV' voiced at the end.

UTV Ireland to be rebranded ITV Ireland. As there is no much loved history with this channel, and it is making a loss,it makes sense to trying to get it going again by having a rebrand using the strong ITV name and promotional capabilities. Probably coinciding with another batch of ITV programme rights becoming available which they don't have at the moment.

I don't see an issue with bringing the ITV brand in. Northern Irish viewers are either used to it via other means, such as ITV Sport or ITV News, or won't be bothered.

It's the end of an era for sure, but long term it's better for viewers and advertisers.

Also top story on BBC Newsline. Both BBC NI and UTV NI quite eagerly putting the blame on UTV Ireland.