The viewer, who would see less local stories under stv where they would be competing against stories from the urban Central Belt, and also stv's dwindling resources. Border isn't the most ideal television company ever, but it does try to bring stories from each area across the region on any given night.
Although I do concede that a programme from Gateshead would be worse.
There is coverage of the Scottish Parliament during Lookaround. How much, though, will there be if the new arrangements go ahead and the South of Scotland finds itself served by a news operation focussed on burglaries in Byker and job cuts in Jarrow? Border's other "local" programming has withered over the years.
BTW...two questions. Firstly, if the whole current Border area becomes a sub-opt in terms of news, what happens to "Border Scotland" (or Border North as some English newspapers call it)? After all, providing separate programming, even on the current token amount, for the South of Scotland isn't strictly part of Border's current licensing arrangement. It's more of a "gentlemen's agreement" rather than a core part of its operating arangements.
Secondly, and I am ignorant of this, are there parallels in other countries where regional programmes have all but disappeared, or areas been merged, or is the UK unique? How much regional TV is there in other European countries, for example, and has the amount reduced or increased over recent years?
Secondly, and I am ignorant of this, are there parallels in other countries where regional programmes have all but disappeared, or areas been merged, or is the UK unique? How much regional TV is there in other European countries, for example, and has the amount reduced or increased over recent years?
There's a bit of information about regional TV in Europe on this site:
Although having looked at the UK section, it seems thats it's a bit out of date, as it still lists Tyne Tees' address as City Road, and Meridian's address as Northam, and its parent company as United News & Media. There are also references to Granada Media Group and Carlton Communications as parent companies of other regions.
OFCOM have rejected calls from commercial radio to slash the amount of local content on local radio stations, with OFCOM saying they must have 10 hours of local content each day.
Now, I don't see how OFCOM could say that and then allow ITV to slash the number of regions, but then again I don't see how OFCOM could force local radio stations to have 10 hours of local content a day having allowed ITV in recent years to cut back to as little as an hour of non-news local content a week.
OFCOM have rejected calls from commercial radio to slash the amount of local content on local radio stations, with OFCOM saying they must have 10 hours of local content each day.
Now, I don't see how OFCOM could say that and then allow ITV to slash the number of regions, but then again I don't see how OFCOM could force local radio stations to have 10 hours of local content a day having allowed ITV in recent years to cut back to as little as an hour of non-news local content a week.
They are different cases though. Local radio stations originate very litte of their own content - and instead just pump out commercial music recordings for much of the day. Local radio differs from national radio by being - local. If stations want to be national - they should bid for national franchises...
ITV does make a lot of content within the UK - just not all of it regional.
I disagree with ITV being allowed to ditch their regional commitments whilst they are still provided with public spectrum - which is a privelige not a right. However I don't think local radio and TV are directly comparable.
:-(
A former member
kernow posted:
RJG posted:
Secondly, and I am ignorant of this, are there parallels in other countries where regional programmes have all but disappeared, or areas been merged, or is the UK unique? How much regional TV is there in other European countries, for example, and has the amount reduced or increased over recent years?
There's a bit of information about regional TV in Europe on this site:
Although having looked at the UK section, it seems thats it's a bit out of date, as it still lists Tyne Tees' address as City Road, and Meridian's address as Northam, and its parent company as United News & Media. There are also references to Granada Media Group and Carlton Communications as parent companies of other regions.
It looks like the same, although it could just be more local programmes in some time slots.
Graeme Thompson, MD of Tyne Tees, will also become MD of Border.
That is not a good thing.
Thompson was himself a plant by YTV; he oversaw much of the dismantling of the Newcastle operation.
Expect him to show little mercy to the Border staff.
With this announcement, it looks as if the dismantlng of Border is a "fait accompli" and that's before Ofcom have even taken a decision on the station's future (or lack of one as it now appears to be).
I wonder if there was more to the handover of the Berwick transmitter from Border to Tyne Tees than was initially the case.
:-(
A former member
that may not be the case, as STV has done the same, ( as I said elsewhere)
STV north/Central has one MD yet has two separate news programmes.