ITV wants to axe some regional news services

ITV announce 1000 posts will be cut by next February, almost 20% of its estimated 5500 workforce, as it seeks to save £40m a year

This figure includes 430 jobs within its News services announced today, roughly 40% of regional news staff. The figure also includes some 425 that have already been earmarked to go after restructuring its Finance, Press & Publicity, Brand & Commercial and ITV Global Content divisions

61 jobs axed in the Central region as mentioned in that thread, with 91 accross Border and Tyne Tees.

Their is a video on the ITV Local Border website with today's details, it includes footage of Lookaround's old gallery, plus the North East Tonight studio of today which looked like it's real size (a broom cupboard) with a plasma missing - for those interested.

Anglia News have just announced job losses of 30

This seems to suggest the amount of what we class as regional programmes will reduce from the current 90 mins to zero as the 15 mins of non-news will be included within the news programmes

There will however be 11 episodes of a regional political series

This obviously only applies in England. Wales still will have 90 mins a week (has anyone actually explained why ITV Wales have a need to show a programme featuring someone walking or flying across the region, but say ITV Granada doesn't?)

Because nobody cares about the North West?

I said above that 91 jobs will be axed in Border and Tyne Tees, but according to Tyne Tees tonight, its 91 in each region.

Substitute ITV Central and the same applies to the Midlands.

Well it's true, and I agree about the Midlands. We should be the TV regulators

Because Wales is a nation as well as a region.

Well it looks as though the rumours about the combined West/Westcountry version coming from Whiteley were unfounded (for the time being, at least). The new service will come from Bristol with only 6 staff remaining in Plymouth and a handful of others in Exeter, Barnstaple, Truro and Taunton. A loss of 75 jobs at Westcountry.

At one time there had been a proposal for 2 different 15-min opts for Westcountry: one for Plymouth & one covering the current North/East/West opts. It looks as though that won't be the case and there will just be a single 15-min opt for the whole region.

Of the 64 people working at Border TV in Carlisle, 51 are to lose their jobs. The remaining 13 will be based in the region, but not at the Harraby studios themselves, which are to be sold.

I know that I've knocked Border many times in the past on these boards but it really is sad to see the station more or less going out of existence.

I understand it was very close. In reality ITV got more than they thought Ofcom would allow, indeed lawyers for one of the unions belive ofcom has acted outside of its powers in approving the franchise changes.

That is why until the consultation is closed they are treading very carefully..hence the politics shows still going ahead despite the fact they are not obliged to air them.

The property market crash also devalues the land in Bristol; ITV property services has written down the valuation several times.

6 Empty studios, including two brand new ones in Whitley is a bit odd.