ITV wants to axe some regional news services

Yes.

I don't know why people are so obsessed about the re-merger of existing C3 franchises when ITV plc is clearly 'cutting and splicing' where it sees fit - merging runts and odd-ends to create a 'sweet' advertising pocket. Oh....I trampled on somones' feelings!

To be fair it's the merger of two regions rather than existing sub-regions which has created the most fuss.

How does ITV now compare to the BBC then regional wise?

indeed, those in cumbria have often complained about lack of coverage from BBC Newcastle so lump not only cumbria but the borders into the same programme is whats causing the fuss up north (even though is south for me. tsk)

And judging by that little promo after this evenings North East Tonight with Pam Royal and Ian Payne, the NET name is also staying.

Will be interesting to see how they'll brand the final 15 minutes then.

Pam Royle...'features' segment...hmm...


City Road

Also, how they will brand the short bulletins or refer to the main programme in the short bulletins

I've just checked the ITV.com TV Guide, and Lookaround and North East Tonight continue weekdays at 6pm. The Saturday afternoon bulletin is called Tyne Tees and Border News.

Edit: The shorter bulletins name would be better called 'Tyne Tees & Border Today', fitting in with the ITV Tyne Tees & Border region name and following most of the other regions who use 'Today/Tonight'.

I can imagine part two of the main programme looking messy with the dog and backdrop changing..

Has anyone seen this?

http://blogs.itvlocal.com/Meridian/2009/02/08/welcome-to-the-new-meridian-tonight/

alot of unhappy people!

BBC is now massively more regional - though some of the ITV sub-regions may be more sub-regional?

The BBC have fully separate Bristol and Plymouth operations , and fully separate Birmingham and Nottingham operations. The BBC have fully separate Southampton and Tunbridge Wells operations. The BBC have fully separate Leeds and Hull operations.

The BBC have live sub-regions in Cambridge, Oxford and Jersey.

(In fact ITV Channel Islands is more regional than the BBC, as is ITV Scotland, it is the ITV Plc regional operation that has been cut-back, not the other non-ITV Plc ITV operations)

BBC is all live though (apart from headline sequences) - even the smallest sub-regional bulletin is live.

Now the precedent has been set though I imagine sooner or later some sub-opts at least may be pre-recorded on the BBC too. Do these sub-opts have full bulletins after the Ten o'clock News too?

Talking of which, will the ITV sub-regions which continue to have split post News at Ten bulletins also have a split bulletin on a Friday, or does that count as the Weekend, and hence is "pan-regional".

please NEVER EVER say ITV Scotland,

Yes STV has two news programmes with at the rate its going 2 opt out but soon became 3 opt out for both!

I believe the highlands will be getting one and inverness office has been kited out, I would believe Borders would get one as well for central area

ITV Scotland.

You can guarantee if they had the franchise there it would probably have become one national bulletin, as that's what the BBC do, with probably just a North/South opt. Considering though UTV and STV outperform the main ITV network, it does show that nationalising the English regions and Wales hasn't done them any favours at all.