STV News

I would say that nobody who currently works with stv north has experience for on scene anchoring. However, it worked well considering all the logistics. Andrea and John are cracking presenters in their respective parts of stv land.

Reporters on both Scotland Today and North Today/Tonight have started signing off with Name, then STV News (e.g: Suzi Mair, STV News, Edinburgh).

You hit the nail bang on the head there Chris, but it sounds really strange with folk signing off with STV News. It just doesnae sound right especially if you so used to hearing them say Scotland Today or North Tonight to sign off.

May be it's a sign of whats to come. Scotland Today and North Tonight
unite to form one news programme - STV News - with the regional splits providing the local content! I hope not; but it wouldnt surprise me.

I doubt it very much. It is just so the two programmes can use the same reports without cutting out the sign offs.

I remember them doing that when they were covering the Scottish Parliament elections earlier this month. It's probably just so they can share reports.

Its a Cost cutting measure you can see it a mile OFF!

Although, I would be gutted if North Tonight (the only thing left from the Grampian days) was axed. I can see 623058's point. Scotland Today across the north and central part of Scotland is only a matter of time. Perhaps a Inverness, Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow opt out would make it more palatable?

P.S. I say Inverness - because I for one, think it would make sense for the Highlands and Islands to have a seperate round up from Inverness and not Aberdeen!!

Jesus .... the dodgy rip-off of the BBC weather graphics looked like fallout from a Protect and Survive video.

You can see what's happening a mile off....

Stage One. Reporters on Scotland Today and North Tonight start to sign off with the words "STV News."

Stage Two. Cues start referring to STV News (eg "Speaking exclusively to STV News, the husband of the dead woman said...")

Stage Three. Astons get changed so they feature the STV logo rather than the words "Scotland Today" or "North Tonight".

Stage Four. Some bright spark says that both Scotland Today and North Today/Tonight are being rebranded as STV News - but, in truth, the change hardly matters by then. It's just a little bit of history gone - and means the tv listings are a little less cluttered!

However, getting rid of the two distinct programmes would require approval from Ofcom - and, on this one, there probably would need to be a proper public consultation.

You can predict SMG's argument - viewers are either interested in Scottish news or their own local news but not in "regional" news defined by the old Scottish/Grampian areas. They might promise to lengthen the sub opts to make up for the loss of the two separate programmes.

So while the end of an entirely separate news service for the old Grampian region may still be some time away, I'll bet that both programmes will be known as STV News before long.

emmmm ...is that a 12 year old reading the local news in the west tonight? Haven't seen Lousie presenting it much lately. Although she's been doing reporting I suppose on the madeleine story and I see gardening this evening, ahem. in fact, has Heather left? Haven't seen her in a long time! Hope she hasn't left as she adds a bit of something special!

She was on just a couple of weeks ago. She is either on holiday, or is unwell.