ITV Granada

Couldn't find an existing thread for ITV Granada.

Coming in after the first report on the Regional News after NAT, the new recruit welcomed viewers from the Border Region. I presume they are having technical difficulties tonight, then?

Probably because someone at Border forgot to pay the station's electric bill - they have, after all, more pressing issues on their mind just now.

Tis strange that Border viewers were not treated to the Tyne Tees regional news instead, as preparation for the proposed changes by ITV plc to cut back regional news.

As happened when Border was forced off the air during the horrendous flooding in Carlisle. The Tyne Tees local bulletins were broadcast. I'm going back many years now, but when there was a major fire at the STV studios in Glasgow, in 1969, Border helped them out. One example was that STV was fed Border's late night movie (in those days every ITV company, apart from Westward and Channel, tended to go their own way for a lot of programming, even in peak time). Both companies were scheduled to screen a 1930s Universal horror film anyway...Border screened lots of Dracula, Frankenstein and Wolfman films under the banner "Not for the Nervous"...STV called the series "Don't Watch Alone" or vice-versa. In those days many parts of the Scottish Borders could receive STV on channel 10 and Border on 13. Some could also view Tyne Tees on channel 8.

Of course there is very little technical work required to put a different region out now that it's all done via Leeds

Worth noting that when Granada has a fire alarm a few years back during a Sunday afternoon bulletin, they joined the Border region.

There was one occassion in 2005 when Granada ended up showing Calendar News, I think it was that one.

My mistake, it was Calendar.

We also got Border Weather during This Morning not so long ago.

I wonder what the critera is, for which neighbouring region is used as the "fallback" for an unavailable region?

STV North is the only region that has literally just one physical neighbour. All the others (in Great Britain) have 2 or more neighbours.

Many years ago, I've seen Central News (East) used as the fallback for unavailable Central News (West). But, depending on exactly where in the West Midlands Region you are, you'd probably rather see Granada, Central South (as was; but ITV West or ITV Thames Valley nowadays), or even ITV Wales!

And, of course, UTV and Channel have no physical neighbours!

So, who uses who as their usual fallback? And why?

It sound to me like Granada, Yorkshire, Tyne Tees, and Border all seem to be rather variable as to who uses who!

Probably Thames Valley now, as Central East and West come from the same building. So if it was evacuated both programmes would be off the air, although for technical problems they may be able to cobble together a joint East-West programme from whatever facilities were still working.



Well Channel kind of do, given that they work by opting in and out of Meridian for network programmes, so if Channel had to leave the building they would probably do so with Meridian on their output.

Wales always have ITV West if something goes wrong, however for viewers in North Wales Granada would be better.