Latest proposals for ITV

Although my name is on that quote, it wasn't myself who wrote that. As stated previously I was having problems quoting Ne1L C's message (due to my original proposal methinks)!!!

As separate entities to England, I believe that Wales and the Channel Islands (like Scotland and Northern Ireland) must continue to have a 30 minute Evening programme dedicated to their 'National' News. As for ITV's proposals for the English regions I believe they are (in the words you described for my own merged National/Regional News '35 minutes' proposal) 'absolute nonsense'. If I'm watching a so-called Regional News programme, I don't want to see other Regions News on the Regional programme I'm watching. That's what the National News for! The worst a truly Regional programme should be in my opinion is Pan-Regional* (for example Central West and Central East meeting up for the Sport section while being sub-Regional for the rest of the programme). This set up was my first proposal I believe and one maybe Ofcom could look at...

...And talking about things Ofcom should look at, Regional programming has to be about more than just News! If Border is getting Current Affairs programming then at least 30 minutes of Current Affairs programming for each Pan-Region would be good. If Border's programming is going to be run as a separate franchise again then surely the Border region should have it's own Newsroom again too?

* Pan-Regions in bold, Sub-Regions in normal type. LONDON , MERIDIAN (South with 10 minute opt-out for Thames Valley), South East, WESTCOUNTRY North, South, CENTRAL West, East ANGLIA West, East GRANADA , YORKSHIRE Calendar North, Calendar South, TYNE TEES and BORDER .

REVISED SCHEDULE REDUX:

6.00 National and Regional Headlines
6.02 National/World News
6.22 SPLIT

England and Channel Islands
6.22-6.45 Local News and Features
6.45-6.55 Sports
6.55 Closing Headlines and Weather
6.57 And Finally

Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland

6.22-6.55 Regional Bulletins with a "national network" flavour. e.g. each nation state regarding their bulletins as "national"

"SCOTTISH NATIONAL NEWS"
"WELSH NATIONAL NEWS"
UTV NETWORK NEWS

6.55 return to London

This is getting worse than the rota threads.

In the real world I don't think anyone thinks a newshour is a good idea - the Evening News at 6.30pm benefits from the later start and would only suffer going head to head with the 6pm news, while similarly the main and only advantage the regional news has is it gets in before the BBC regional news - it would lose by even more if it clashed with their BBC rivals.

ITV looked at a newshour a few years ago now (before the 2009 revamp I think) and ruled it out - and although the look now be more integrated than ever before they've axed the integrated 1.30pm and 10pm bulletins in favour of separate bulletins, so aren't going to suddenly decide an integrated bulletin is what is needed in the 6pm hour.

Also with the arrival of local channels around the country ITV will surely want to give their local news service more prominence, not hide it within an ITV News hour, only encouraging people to look elsewhere for their local news. If ITV scrapped the 6pm local bulletins they are just inviting the new local services to claim the slot for themselves - and it's basically News at Ten all over again.

What was STV's thinking behind their newshour a couple of years ago? I'm sure there was a pilot of it but nothing ever came to fruition.

There did it as part of the bid for provide Local news but funded by goverment, but there lost out, then the tories win the election and scarped it

http://newsnetscotland.com/index.php/scottish-politics/67-concerns-as-stv-lose-out-in-news-bid
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/8586964.stm

I believe the difference that STV's newshour was that it would be a complete STV production with the news outside of Scotland provided by ITN. Wasn't there a screenshot with John MacKay presenting with an ITN logo?

If there was to be an integrated newshour, this is exactly the kind of setup I think would work best. It would allow for a "big" local story to be at the top of the agenda or would avoid duplication where a big story ends up at the top of the national news followed/preceded by extensive coverage on the local programme.

Edit: Yes, there was - courtesy of Gavin Scott:



Higher quality version available from The Sun's article at http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/news/2643374/STV-plan-news-Six-news-show.html

Have to admit. That looks rather impressive.

If the STV Newshour had went ahead would it have gone back to Double Headed presentation? I know John is good but I doubt he could present a whole hour by himself.

If the SNP get their way the STV Newshour or Scottish Six could be very much a reality. STV might be crying out to show the ITV News then in order to cover international news as cheaply as possible, while what happens with whatever becomes of the BBC in Scotland would be very interesting.

"This is the BBC Scottish Service. Its 6 o'clock in Edinburgh and London. Now its time for the latest National and International News and sport with "World News Scotland" presented by Sally Magnusson in Edinburgh, George Alagiah in London and Damian Johnson in Manchester"

To quote Michael McIntyre, could you imagine the business news....It's £1...to the £1

That's a thing though, slightly off topic but hey ho, If STV get their Scottish Six if the SNP let them have it, theoretically would we be entitled to BBC World News in Scotland?