So why was Chris not at the photo launch and mentioned in the press release? The answer is because it is a Glasgow show for a Glasgow audience; it should have been called The Glasgow Show. Glasgow once again displays their complete and utter contempt for the Grampian audience for all to see.
There IS space at Grampian for this new show. Glasgow CHOSE not to base it there, as it is their aim to have Aberdeen as a scaled down news only office in the future (allegedly).
it is their aim to have Aberdeen as a scaled down news only office in the future (allegedly).
well you'd have to be extremely foolish to imagine otherwise. but then having a presence in the region at all is a luxury in itv terms.
when border tv has been merged with tyne tees grampian will be the smallest region (excluding channel tv) and once ofcom have given the green light for itv plc to serve the following regions with one 30 minute programme
Anglia (east & west) 1,721,831
Tyne Tees & Border 3,643,641
Central (east and west) 8,031,583
Westcountry and HTV West 3,682,862
London 10,495,204
Meridian Maidstone 4,375,149
(figures from www.ukfree.tv)
when you look at the populations it really wouldn't be hard for stv to argue that they should be able to produce one 30 minute programme for central and northern scotland
STV & Grampian 4,084,509
so instead of being indignant about the fact you are not getting a separate programme at 5.30, you should be glad you have a separate programme at 6.00!
So why was Chris not at the photo launch and mentioned in the press release? The answer is because it is a Glasgow show for a Glasgow audience; it should have been called The Glasgow Show. Glasgow once again displays their complete and utter contempt for the Grampian audience for all to see.
There IS space at Grampian for this new show. Glasgow CHOSE not to base it there, as it is their aim to have Aberdeen as a scaled down news only office in the future (allegedly).
That’s probably the most pathetically parochial rant I have seen, even on an internet forum. Do you tie people not from your village up in the local shop, while screaming “its a local place for local people” while dressed in bad drag?
North Scotland has a full 6PM news show AND sub opts within that for even more local news. That’s more than the publicly funded BBC Scotland, and in these days of 400+ channel (with the top 25 multichannels taking a huge share of non-primetime viewing these days) It’s a pretty good commitment.
Most of Scotland’s economic & creative activity is in the central belt – hence most of the stories and contributors will be.
Anyone who works in the media knows that staff will allways go to busy more metropolitan areas: Do people REALLY want to work in aberdeen? ...ask them after a few drinks and the truth will out.
Whilst maintaining a production facility in Aberdeen is desirable, running a non-news show is not. The staffing of a daily show – even with new technology – is not a small undertaking; nor is getting guests and content. Going where the people are is the most logical thing, its not about ‘Grampian’ or ‘STV’ shows.
TV production is more than just a few sqaure meters of flat concrete and lights. Edit suites, servers, graphics, ingest outside souces lines, craft & multiskilled operators are all needed. Please explain how the show could even come from the north, as it as a 'choice' Stv made according to you.
I don’t know where you get this notion of ‘known’ presenters being the only choice: A few months on air, audience recall for the ‘new’ presenters will be higher than many supposedly ‘known’ names – that’s modern media.
Do real people in the STV North area want to watch an additional Scottish show, about common Scotland issues and with shared Scottish values or not? My guess is they may well prefer Brummie Jasper Carrot on a London Quiz show, but hey.
Looking at the numbers, and the success of the local opts, It makes more sense to me have one pan Scotland show for an hour, with the sub-opts extended to 12-15 min + sport opt on key days(replacing the former Grampian and STV shows) instead of a national show/regional show/opt out/World News format.
Be grateful that STV are being so cautious with tradition and not going down that route yet.
So why was Chris not at the photo launch and mentioned in the press release? The answer is because it is a Glasgow show for a Glasgow audience; it should have been called The Glasgow Show. Glasgow once again displays their complete and utter contempt for the Grampian audience for all to see.
There IS space at Grampian for this new show. Glasgow CHOSE not to base it there, as it is their aim to have Aberdeen as a scaled down news only office in the future (allegedly).
Richard and Judy,This Morning, Paul O'Grady ,and GMTV ,are all London based shows.You could quite easily ask why aren't they based in Manchester well This Morning was and they moved it to London quite rightly so to get more interesting guests .It stands to reason that the 5.30 show is going to be based in the central belt for similar reasons .
Yes perhaps have a nightly report but why from Aberdeen and North east Scotland ? What about Orkney,Shetland,and The Western Isles .they never get anything up there.
The interesting thing for me is that this 5.30pm show appears to be doing the stuff that shouldn't be in the actual flagship news programme - all the lighter stuff. Which appears to be what BBC Scotland is using to pad out its piss-poor 6.30pm show..
Tonight on the other side - a lifeboat coffee morning, a bird stealing some fruit pastilles and they got one breaking news story - George Burley for Scotland - which they then ignored for 10 minutes!) Who's producing this - someone from Reporting Driffield? We're a nation, not a twee region.
If STV sticks to its current balance at 6pm, and produces an extra programme which does the lighter side in a UTV style at 5.30pm, then I'll be perfectly happy.
it is their aim to have Aberdeen as a scaled down news only office in the future (allegedly).
well you'd have to be extremely foolish to imagine otherwise. but then having a presence in the region at all is a luxury in itv terms.
when border tv has been merged with tyne tees grampian will be the smallest region (excluding channel tv) and once ofcom have given the green light for itv plc to serve the following regions with one 30 minute programme
Anglia (east & west) 1,721,831
Tyne Tees & Border 3,643,641
Central (east and west) 8,031,583
Westcountry and HTV West 3,682,862
London 10,495,204
Meridian Maidstone 4,375,149
(figures from www.ukfree.tv)
when you look at the populations it really wouldn't be hard for stv to argue that they should be able to produce one 30 minute programme for central and northern scotland
STV & Grampian 4,084,509
so instead of being indignant about the fact you are not getting a separate programme at 5.30, you should be glad you have a separate programme at 6.00!
As much as it pains me to say it, you are completely right.
Grampian, despite its physical size, has always been one of those areas destined for the chop by ITV. If ITV get away with merging the North East of England with southern Scotland (FFS) there's no way in the world they will veto any plan to kill Grampian. This kind of thing has been on the cards since 1993; ITV are using DSO as a smoke-screen to get what it wants.
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Aberdeen / Inverness is at full mode, there just spent Million doing up the Aberdeen office, and just last month Inverness was given a upgrades ( see Inverness tour of NE on stv website ) which it baldy needed and cost alot of money!
Classic smoke-screening. Take one centre that was overdue for a refit anyway, and "spend" millions doing it up (which are in reality a combination of what was going to be done anyway and creative accounting -- as Gordon Brown he knows a thing or two about this stuff), while simultaneously axing staff (which saves far more $$$$ in the long run).
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What more proof is needed that Glasgow couldn’t give two hoots about the North East of Scotland audience when they issue a press release with an obvious Glasgow bias.
Of course they don't. STV only care about the bottom line. It must be said as well that shows like this, coming as they do as an extension of the local news department (and only the Glasgow side at that), are much cheaper to make, and much easier to quota-fit than lots of separate, expensive shows. Again, nothing ITV viewers haven't seen before.
Bottom line: save money, sack staff, dilute your regional output AND be able to pull the wool over the eyes of most of the viewers who will think that cash is being poured in in one fell swoop.
Then, when the other shows that make way for this new one have gone, and the dust has settled, strangle the new baby so that viewing figures fade away and scrap the show, citing insufficient demand. Much easier to explain that away than dropping the equivalent number of individual programmes.
OK, well your population 'argument' will never stand up - so should any broadcaster anywhere in the world downsize/axe services because of the small area of the service it provides?
If that was the case, then I doubt Channel TV would still bother! Additionally, if we are talking very small areas (smaller than Grampian), how do places like Luxembourg, Malta and San Marino sustain broadcasters? Population should not be an issue. If its not viable, fair enough. But just because the population isn't in the multiple of millions doesn't mean it should be shafted!
On the 5.30 topic - wouldn't it make sense for STV to create a mini 5.30 sofa bit in the Aberdeen studios, in a way akin to the mocked-up mini newsrooms in Dundee and Edinburgh? This way they could still serve all areas very well & could include a larger variety of stories or guests, as they wouldn't have to ship everyone down to Glasgow? Theres gotta be times where folk worth interviewing will stop by Aberdeen - it wouldn't even have to be a live segment, but it could still be linked into the 5.30 show by way of a similar studio!
OK, well your population 'argument' will never stand up
correction - i am simply pointing out that if itv plc successfully persuade ofcom that their smaller regions are unsustainable, and that they can adequately cover huge diverse geographical areas and large populations with a single 30 minute broadcast, then it follows, logically, that stv could do the same. by doing so they would not receive less income, but they would reduce costs, so there is a business case for it.
i'm not saying i agree with the idea.
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<snip> If that was the case, then I doubt Channel TV would still bother!
channel tv are an independent company, they have no region to merge their news provision with. i dare say that (if/when?) they're finally bought up by itv plc that could all change.
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Additionally, if we are talking very small areas (smaller than Grampian), how do places like Luxembourg, Malta and San Marino sustain broadcasters?
they are independent countries, with their own respective regulators.
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Population should not be an issue. If its not viable, fair enough. But just because the population isn't in the multiple of millions doesn't mean it should be shafted!
that may be your opinion, and it is mine, however itv plc disagree, and ofcom have not thrown out their proposals. if itv plc are successful, then there is nothing stopping stv doing similar.
:-(
A former member
Grampian4ever posted:
On the 5.30 topic - wouldn't it make sense for STV to create a mini 5.30 sofa bit in the Aberdeen studios, in a way akin to the mocked-up mini newsrooms in Dundee and Edinburgh? This way they could still serve all areas very well & could include a larger variety of stories or guests, as they wouldn't have to ship everyone down to Glasgow? Theres gotta be times where folk worth interviewing will stop by Aberdeen - it wouldn't even have to be a live segment, but it could still be linked into the 5.30 show by way of a similar studio!
for all we know there could getting interviewed up in Aberdeen and dundee, or Oban and film comes back to glasgow