SMG job cuts

I am sorry that folk will loose their jobs.
I wonder if this will mean merging Scottish and Grampian into a ITV Scotland franchise with regional newcasts (like ITV Carlton/Central) or at worse a new Scotlandwide news show. The move to Pacific Quay may prove interesting.
There were rumours of two news bulletins for Scottish (West and East) and Grampian (North and South); I wonder what this will mean for that idea.
I just wish better and more professional news programmes will be launched soon. North Tonight was rumoured to be revamped in 2005. We may see a new look Scotland Today and North Tonight when ITV News relaunches on Jan 3. If the logo is changing there, the Welsh and English shows will need a new look too.
I also wonder if we'll see SMG cave in to ITV as well. I don't see any attempts at preserving local identity now.

http://us.f2.yahoofs.com/bc/43077b8e_56da/bc/My+Documents/vote_2005_scotland.jpg?BC_drwDBZOy7tq6O

On all points:

I don't see this resulting in a pan-Scottish news broadcast. SMG has licensing remits to live up to (for now), and it wouldn't save much money to lobby OFCOM to change these.

The east-west split is more than a rumour - they promised this to OFCOM as part of their justification for getting rid of the afternoon Scotland Today. If they don't deliver, I suggest viewers get right on to OFCOM about it.

More professional - personally I think Scottish TV's broadcasts are far more interesting and relevant than Reporting Shetland's mix of tedious Scottish Executive press releases, tedious art stories and box-ticking crap from the north of Scotland. SMG is a bit rough and ready, but that's part of the charm.

The danger is, of course, that they cut back too far, and things go disastrously wrong. But presumably some of these jobs will go as a result of the loss of the terrible afternoon show anyway.

And I don't see SMG caving in on local identity. As far as I can see, their whole point for keeping local branding is a) so they can get away with murder behind the scenes and pillage both channels (ala Granada) and b) so that ITV PLC has to buy them out to have universal branding throughout the UK. SMG are just waiting for that big bid, and they're not going to do anything to put that in jeopardy.

Lunchtime Scotland Today had minimal resources... so the cuts in the newsroom go far deeper.

The NUJ claims three presenters, seven reporters and two producers will be amongst the casualties. I can see how it might be possible to have fewer presenters. But I'd love to know how SMG will manage to maintain the existing - er - standard of Scotland Today AND introduce sub-opts with significantly fewer editorial staff. The STV newsroom was already a pretty lean, mean affair so to produce more content with fewer staff is a pretty tall order.

I agree with p-c-u-k. If the sub-opts don't happen, then it's time to lobby Ofcom. If nothing else, it would be interesting to see if Ofcom actually did something to stick up for regional broadcasting for a change. Or would SMG persuade them that for one reason or another the sub-opts were no longer desirable or viable?

Apologies if this has been mentioned before, but I hear the 55 job losses at Cowcaddens also include some casualties in transmission. Does anyone know if this means that playout is getting the chop when STV moves to Pacific Quay?

I'm sure it would be theoretically possible for Leeds or the South Bank to play out STV's ads, trailers and idents along with pre-recorded announcements. Afterall that's already what happens with ITV Wales. The SMG stations could, I'm sure, still have a distinct visual identity but be played out from a centralised hub.

Fair cop...we'll soon see if things get better or worse.

While I agree that Rep. Scot. is a shadow of its former self, I am not a ardent supporter of SMG news shows. Yet, if I had to choose Rep. Scot. or North Tonight - North Tonight would win every time; hence my concerns over regional identity. NT and ST can be better though. I certainly don't think they are at their peak. If I am panned for that then so be it.

I just feel sad that folk are loosing their jobs.

http://us.f2.yahoofs.com/bc/43077b8e_56da/bc/My+Documents/vote_2005_scotland.jpg?BC_drwDBZOy7tq6O

Completely agree. Although North Tonight is falling into that Executive Press release & Government ramblings route. North Tonight also manages to 'balance' the source of the stories from around it's region... whereas the beauty that is Reporting Scotland is either Glasgow or Edinburgh stories.

Does anyone know if any presenters will be going at Grampian TV, or is that all up in the air? We seem to looking at three presenters going from Scotland Today; the fate of North Tonight must be rather dodgey as well.

http://us.f2.yahoofs.com/bc/43077b8e_56da/bc/My+Documents/vote_2005_scotland.jpg?BC_drwDBZOy7tq6O

Most NT presenters are also reporters so I don't think there is the same concern in Aberdeen...........SMG ripped the guts from the station years ago now anyhow!!