Channel Television acquired by ITV plc

They have to keep Wales as a separate regional news programme, so I expect it would be the same for Channel.

Channel have made very few regional programmes even back in the days when there used to be some on ITV. They tended to just take Meridian's.

Most 'other' programmes they make like Report Sport and Puffin's Pla(i)ce are only there to pad out the news slot because there isn't enough news on the Channel Islands to fill the slot on it's own. If they axed Oscar Puffin they'd have to double the length of Channel News.

why not get Puffin to read the news aswell that would save money

ITV are looking to merge their National/Regional News programmes much closer together (in other words reduce the Regional commitment) so I suspect we may see the end of the Puffin...unless ITV decide to move him to CITV...you never know.

Puffin is only on at weekends thesedays so isn't effected by any changes to the weekday news hour.

Surely the only issue with - Puffin, live or die? Is the question, does he have a decent sponsor?

The budget for Puffin must be next to nothing, I don't know who hosts it now, but back in the days when Kevin Pamplin did it, I assume he was on the staff doing something else at Channel, so it wouldn't have had any overheads at all besides paying someone to look through the birthday cards, which was probably done by the person who work's in Channel's mail room!

EDIT: Yes it does have a sponsor! http://www.channelonline.tv/channelonline_puffin/

Lead report, interview with sinister smiley man and closing correspondence from prophets of doom:

Well it looks like Channel reports is staying for now, but of course government over there can demand the 30mins local news is kept.

But of course its looks like the main reason for the take over is that comply.. side of the business? which makes it even less likely now for an STV and UTV takeovers, at the moment

I didn't realise that the Compliance business was based in London

I'm sure the change on screen will be a ITV Regional studio, don't they have a few spares knocking about?? and also from blue look to the black and yellow look, oh yeah and the ITV 1 Idents.

That interview with the ITV Director of News was odd. The interviewer didn't seem to be trying to get reassurance for the viewers that the output wouldn't be affected, more seeking reassurance for her colleagues that their jobs wouldn't be lost!

Can they? I don't think they would be able to do anything if that was decided. They are an Ofcom licensee so it's up to them.

Personally I think things will stay pretty much the same on air. As the ITV head of news said on the above clip there will be opportunities for efficiency savings, so some of the backroom roles will likely go. I'd have thought that they'll modernise the facilities meaning a few jobs gone in news production too, possibly more VJs, again as mentioned in the video.

However Channel is very different to the other regions, because of it's location it needs to be more autonomous, that distance makes it logistically difficult to merge or manage from the UK. In terms of the half hour news bulletin, there are more reasons to keep it as it is, I don't see it would be a good fit editorially with Meridian or West Country. Also presumably it's very popular, I wonder how much it brings in in local advertising.