BBC Regional News Ratings Beat ITV

Broadcast Now reports that with the exception of Northern Ireland, BBC regional news ratings now beat ITV in every region.

The article by Geoff White is here:

BBC News is celebrating after beating ITV in every area of the country on regional news for the first time.

The latest figures from Barb show the BBC's regional news ahead in every one of the 12 English regions, both in audience share and reach.

In March the BBC's share for regional news - broadcast at 6.30pm - was 29%, compared to 20% for ITV's, broadcast on ITV1 at 6pm. In the South West its reach and share were double that of its commercial rival.

"This is a remarkable achievement that would have been unthinkable a few years ago - and I am extraordinarily proud of all our news teams across the country," said the BBC's english regions controller, Andy Griffee.

The newsrooms received personal congratulations from director general Mark Thompson. The success will come as a boost to BBC News, which is losing 420 jobs as a result of cost-cutting measures across the organisation and is being threatened with strikes by NUJ reps.

With the BBC's Reporting Scotland and Wales Today programmes also ahead of their ITV regional news counterparts, the corporation has set its sights on Northern Ireland, the only region where it trails its commercial rival.
Source:broadcastnow.co.uk

So what is ITV regional news getting so wrong?

Where do we begin? Jeeez. The whole of the ITV network is in a right state, and has been for at least 5 years.

The audiences aren't stupid, and they can see the stark differences between the quality of news output on the BBC and ITV. ITV just doesn't give a damn anymore, that reflects it's dire audiences figures.

The only thing ITV is good for, is mind-numbing, dumbed-down trash TV like X-Factor, I'm a celebrity etc. etc.

It really did put the final nail in its own coffin when it decided to ditch regionality - something which was its biggest asset. The BBC didn't have local television like ITV did, but ITV in it's quest to become more like the BBC (even copying generic regional news branding), has failed miserably and disasterously.

Serves the b***ards right.

Well done BBC! A fantastic bit of news, I am VERY happy and proud for each of your regions! Roll out the barrell!

I find it quite shocking that Look North Newcastle is beating both North East Tonight and Lookaround. Both programmes being in the 'old fashioned' style, so you can't just blame any recent 'dumbing down' like most people probably will.

Also that Reporting Scotland beats both ITV rivals shows that a more local service doesn't equal more viewers

The same goes for Central News South, It's quite obvious that ITV provide a better service here, but again they arn't winning

Well, in the three regions I receive it's about 50/50:

Midlands: Central News IMO is far superior to the quite frankly pathetic Midlands Today (it makes Newsround look like Newsnight!).

North West: The only region where the BBC wins hands down. North West Tonight is a brilliant news programme - actually concentrating on news. Granada Reports is just cringeworthy with terribly forced banter which is difficult to watch.

Wales: There's not much to choose between ITV Wales News and BBC Wales Today. They both offer a very good, though quite different news service.


I guess one big problem with ITV over the last year is the regional news becoming a money making device with competitions and text messaging etc. - alot of the time not to do with news. Both the BBC and ITV regional news programmes contain reports which aren't really news, just features promoting events in the region which really should be dealt with seperately.

I do think there have been some improvements with ITV News over the last year. I like the featured reports carried out across the country with features on the regional and national news.

I also think the regional news is better integrated into ITV's lunchtime and late bulletins than the BBC - generally a much more seamless transition!

You also have to consider the ITN 1830 vs BBC One Six O'Clock issue.

The BBC One Six followed by 1830 regional news pattern works well, and the integration of the full news-hour works as an effective device. People watch the Six for the national news, see their regional headlines and promos whilst watching, and stick with BBC One for their more local news.

ITV's news hour is a bit of a mess - the regional news is before the national news - and it all seems a bit half-hearted.

The other real issue is that ITV seems to be mainly aimed at cost-cutting in their regional operations - closing down sub-regional studios, co-siting in one place, adopting new technology to make cheaper programmes, not better ones. Reducing craft skills and other areas of output from regional centres, so the quality and skills pool decreases etc.

There is also the argument that the BBC is able to integrate regional TV, local radio and local web output - so that viewers, listeners and surfers feel "connected" - something ITV has never really managed.

Just as with interactive TV, satellite TV, multi-channels etc. - ITV is playing catch-up to the BBC (and Channel Four for that matter) - their short-term "profit and advertiser" driven strategy isn't paying dividends for the viewer (and they are increasingly less committed to ITV as a brand IMHO)... Ambition and innovation could have been better for them in the long-term...

Undoubtedly a noteworthy achievement but that article reads like a BBC press release.
I don't suppose anyone has the figures broken down by region, ideally over a period of time so that we may judge trends?
(The BARB site would appear to require subscription for access to anything meaningful).

I always find it amusing to see the BBC trumpet the fact that the license fee allows them to make worthy programmes, without the need to chase ratings, and then crow about every instance that they have received higher viewing figures than a comparable ITV programme.

What the pres release does not tell you is that in nearly all of the itv regions, the gap between BBC figures and ITV figures is the narrowest its been for a decade.

are we talking about central west?

the programme that devoted a long report each night in the week or so running up to day when water bills land on peoples door mats revelling in the "marvellous" work severn trent are involved in, in africa. ok its worthy of ONE and finally - but a whole week?!

then you have "midlands life correspondent", a premium rate competition to win tickets so see [insert any old tat here] at the NEC, EVERY night and gradual removal of all the well loved and respected presenters/reporters, replaced with unknowns from central east.

if midlands today is newsround - then i'm not sure what central news is. they skip onto the fluff FAR earlier than bbc mids - and even when they try and go big on a story they are slow off the mark, a good example of this is the rover story. late breaking news at 10ish, all they could muster at 10.50 was a brief chat on a crappy mobile to the political reporter, where as bbc mids had peter plisner - the reporter following the saga in the studio. not forgetting of course the absence of live OBs on central outside of the 6.00 show, and the fact the nasally challenged and thoroughly unlike able presence of arati being forced upon us, even though they already have 2 fantastically loved leading ladies to choose from. for every "nick meets" or "technofiles" on bbc midlands i can identify an equally un-news-worthy "malin’s menu" or "school report" on central.

ok, bbc mids are stuck in a pebble mill time warp, wheeling out nearly dead celebs from nick owen's contacts book - but regional magazine programmes are not just about news. and in terms of audience - 2,000,000 people can't be wrong can they - midlands today has more viewers than any other local/national news programme in the midlands.

That isn't true.
Tyne Tees and Border beat Look North in their respective transmission areas.
Meridian and South/South East Today are neck and neck.
Tut tut Broadcast Now!

Reading what they wrote, I would imagine this was the ratings for just one night ... I don't think that Broadcast would lie unless you want to drag up some Barb figures and prove them wrong.

Monday 18th April

Ne Tonight 34% BBC News 19%
ITV EN 33% Look North 29%

Lookaround 29% BBC News 16%
ITV EN 39% Look North 21%

Meridian Tonight 31% BBC News 26%
ITV EN 29% South/South East Today 28%