ITV wants to axe some regional news services

Well -- that might be because I wasn't including the audience figures for the relayed broadcasts -- which inevitably skew the figures and allow the likes of you to twist comments around to suit.

Ultimately the main reason regional programming in general is in decline is because it is not promoted and packaged correctly. There have been occasions over fairly recent years (and no-one is going to tell me that the British mindset has changed all that much since 1991 or 1995 for example) where my local ITV broadcaster produced regional shows that gave Eastenders a good hiding. Why? Blanket promotion by the company involved.

Regular hard-sell, and the cult of the highly-popular IV announcer proved to be a very efficient means of persuading people to watch. You don't promote, you don't get the bums on seats, it's as simple as that.

I guarantee to you, take any programme from the schedule you like -- soaps, reality crap, you name it -- and put that programme in a graveyard slot with no promotion whatsoever, and watch that programme wither and die within the year.

Yes, SBG, even Teletubbies.

(Hence the reason why some massively expensive and high quality US programmes gain audiences in their tens of millions in America, and about 14 viewers over here -- lack of promotion).

Look it's really very very simple.
Regional viewing figures are consistently down year on year because there is more choice elsewhere - not just on television but multi-media,computers,games,MP3s,telephones whatever it is that people want to spend their leisure time doing rather than watching a heavily-promoted,HD version of The Potter's Wheel presented by a bird in a swimsuit.
You're living in the past.

But none of those comments are specific to regional stuff. You really are a broken record aren't you?

Still, I shouldn't have expected much -- coming from someone whose only other contributions to this forum seem to be talking about Big Brother, that bastion of high-quality entertainment.

I'm actually quite impressed -- for someone who associates with Chav-TV you seem to know quite a lot of big words.

Then how can viewing figures for local news in central Scotland be on the increase year on year?

You seem to think that the 16-21 demographic is the most important - and it isn't.

You're full of Bologna.

EDIT: Oh, just saw your reply to this point at the foot of the previous page.

"There will always be regional variations", will there?

Well - that's a neat little excuse, isn't it?

What a timewaster.

I actually quite like this bit:

> multi-media,computers,games,MP3s,telephones whatever it is

Most of those amount to the same thing don't they? Couldn't you have been a little more imaginative?

The other problem with regional news is the advertising rules from OFCOM. Whilst there is a limit on the amount of advertising, but a much higher per hour maximum, ITV will continue to move advertising from the lesser rating areas of the schedule to the peak hours.

Per figures from OFCOM, ITV average 3.5 minutes advertising between 6 and 7pm - but over 10 minutes per hour for the two hours before, and the three after. In practice there are restrictions on the total minutes of advertising between 6pm and 11pm, and it is the hour from 6pm and from 10pm that carry relatively little advertising to transfer it to the peak hours.

The result is that regional news, which in many countries pays its way, doesn't in the UK thanks to the rules, and ITV will continue to try to reduce costs in that hour.

I see from one of your previous posts that " Television executives really are a bunch of snivelling gits these days "
I take it that means you don't have any experience in television management which would explain why you know so little about the subject.
The only thing worse than a wannabe is a nevergonnabe.

I haven't posted on here for a while but I would like to ask why ITV (and obviously Ofcom) believe that people will not want regional news and regional programmes after analogue switch off?

Do digital signals change our perspective on Regional News somehow?

If anything ITV should be beefing up it's regional news to compete with the BBC. That's what makes the BBC strong by having competition from ITV. The only reason ITV regional news viewing figures are in decline is through lack of investment and advertising. Perhaps ITV ought to learn the phrase "you have to speculate to accumulate"!!

Ooh good comeback.

You're absolutely right - I have no experience in television management. I'm quite happy with experience in creative and craft. Easy enough to find these things out about me - unlike you I don't masquerade as someone else.

I expect you're not going to tell us the scope of your experience .

I'll spare you the ignominy - some of us already know.

Fancy sticking to the topic, or has your argument evaporated?

From the the Times,

it looks like a 15min opt for both Borders and Tyne tess regions:

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/media/article4799125.ece

So it's farewell, then, to Border..... despite assurances that the region would not be merged with Tyne Tees, it now appears that it will be after all.

Well all will be revielled on Thursday. But I think it is likely that Westcountry and Border will be saved. Beyond that we will have to wait, but it doesn't look shiney.

As someone who works at itv it's going to be a hard day. I haven't been working in the business for all that long, but a lot of great people will be forced out of the business. Whilst many will say it's only a shadow of it's former self, but it it still a great and wanted beast.

RIP Regional news.