STV News

Oh yes of course.

I thought he said Sack må tycket.

STV north and central will be linked together to provide a pan air programme

Good programme tonight. Almost entirely flawless technically and Andrea and John worked great together. If this was a pilot for a pan-Scottish show (not that I'm suggesting that at all ) it would be commissioned straight away! Well done to STV.

I agree, very impressed with how the programme flowed especially as they had so many links to live OB's around the country.

Had quite a set up on Aberdeen harbour as well. Screenshot from the end of the opening credits:
http://i42.tinypic.com/suzuqe.jpg

Although technically done well, I'm not sure I like the idea of this. To me it just looks like they're trying out a united 'STV News at Six' which can't be a good thing.

Nice to see Andrea Brymer back on STV Central screens again though.

The programme was very well produced but a little bit of me can't help but wonder if there's more to last night than meets the eye.

Editorially it makes perfect sense to mount a joint programme for a major story - the same thing happened, of course, on the day of the results of the Scottish Election in 2007. It also prevents the needless duplication of resources or the feeling that one programme is getting "second best" while the other gets the pick of the lives.

But the same arguments could be advanced for any good Scottish national story and not just exceptional ones.

Seen from the Central Belt it looked like STV were sensibly taking advantage of their resources in Aberdeen - but for former North Tonight viewers it looked like the heavy mob from Glasgow had parked their tanks on the lawn. Remember John Mackay's hardly known north of Dunblane.

I guess we'll see a few similar joint programmes whenever there's a big story - it's now easier with the joint branding.

And assuming that STV fails in its bid to get some public money, I bet the application to Ofcom for permission to start a Scottish national news programme can't be more than a year off. Indeed I bet it'll coincide with digital switchover in the former Grampian region which begins next spring. Naturally they'll offer to keep the sub-opts to sweeten the pill - and they'll use the positive response to programme's like last night's as part of the charm offensive.

(At least in total fairness to STV there are some editorial arguments in favour of a Scottish national programme and not just commercial ones - although of course there's a big downside too. Whereas the arguments for the changes to ITVplc's regions in England were purely commerical.)

Yes, I think it is only a matter of time before STV produce a national programme - yet we may need to be imaginative as to where we draw the Scottish border? If STV was to have a national programme it would be better to have Dumfries and Galloway, The Scottish Borders and other Scottish parts of the overlap which currently have ITV Tyne Tees and Border part of the STV fold?

I suppose with digital switchover and the existing possibility of realigning satelitte signals would give more choice? (some viewers in the South of Scotland may be able to pick up a STV Central feed via Sky TV) However, as it stands this would hardly be worthwhile when there are no stories about Kelso or Kirkcudbright on STV News at Six (some may argue there are no such stories on TTandB at Six either?). Surely a STV South opt out area needs to be seriously considered by all parties. I also think I have seen a post saying that an opt out from Inverness is also on the table - which is also an idea worth looking into?

However, I am under no illusion that STV cannot continually plough cash into two primary news productions in Glasgow and Aberdeen until the year dot. While this really pains me - a pan STV programme from perhaps Glasgow is one that may actually make better editorial sense in the future.

If I had a choice between STV News from Glasgow and a half hearted ITV Opt Out from Glasgow - I would take the former...and this may well be the best editorial choice Scots have here! We have already lost Grampian and have just lost North Tonight - this would be a natural progression now. Personally, I hope the debate moves to concentrate on developing quality opt outs and an enhanced STV News at Six running order with 'true' national coverage.

To the programme from Aberdeen Harbour now - it worked really well and as far as I am concerned it ticked all the boxes.

One other thing I was going to ask if this thread should not now be called just 'STV News Thread'? Just a thought folks - and I am not sure how these things can be changed myself.

My Dear Chris, as the thread author, I thought I would be able to "go-in" and change the thread title, just like we used to be able to do on the old forum. Alas, I have spent some many hours trying to do it and have no clue how to!!! Perhaps one of the Mods who reads this could do the needful and change the name of the thread to "STV News".

Although, it pains me to see the disappearance of the title "Scotland Today" from the channel, from the screen and even from TVF as well.......................

Don't be so sure Scotland today name will not came back!

Well I would bet North Tonight will not come back to our screens in the North of Scotland. Perhaps Tyne Tees Border but thinking about it - it would not be North Tonight for those in the south of Scotland.

Thursday show make logical since and it clean up the running of each segment. I dare say some one at head of news show Wednesday programmes, and said bugger it and just joined everything up to keep it clean.