When Granada bought LWT

It depends how it was operated. Some regional programmes had good ratings, and all the ones that got good ratings were axed by Granada for some odd reason, I can't think why, other than making out regional ITV was failing.

Yes continuity and and such needs to be centralised, which it has done, thats fine, but I think throwing away brand loyalty in some areas has been a bit mad. I don't see there being anything wrong with ITV Tyne Tees / ITV Yorkshire, with the announcer just saying "ITV."

Certainly the "one ITV" image hasn't really worked because even the local radio here still call it Tyne Tees on the whole.

Its like shops, you can rebrand them, but if something has been a Tesco for 40 years, people will still call it Tesco even if it becomes a Sainsburys.

The one thing ITV has over all the other commercial channels is the fact it can tap into a local area, what will make it any different to the hundreds of other channels if its just national - nothing. If you can tap into the local area, certainly people took the stations as "their own" and were proud something wasn't from London. Getting into the community, which the BBC does quite well is what originally got ITV to the people in their regions. Regional ITV does work, its just been broken, not because its not profitable, its just greed.

And ITV didn't suddenly become unprofitable when Sky arrived, its been around a long time. I think there is going to be a problem if channel amounts are not capped - that you will simply end up with millions of channels - all with budgets that are so low none are filled with any quality at all.

I totally agree. At least Sky should introduce some "quality control" rules, disallowing the low budget trash and teleshopping channels.

They'd still be operating as seperate companies, competing against each other rather than concentrating on the threat from their expanding number of rivals. That is why they've been so late off the mark in terms of multi-channel strategy and the internet compared with C4 or the BBC, getting everyone to agree.



But then if each company is going to cost-save (which they needed to do) by merging and centralising main functions: admin, distribution, scheduling etc.... then there's no point in having the seperate companies



it's a bit fiddly and confusing though and makes things difficult to promote outside of ITV. There's no point distinguishing between Tyne Tees and Yorkshire if the contennt is the same, and that is why people tune in

No, it was a gradual process co-inciding with the decrease in audiences caused by the increase in competition. And it's not just because of Sky

That's restraint of trade, which quite rightly is illegal

Do you want WH Smith to introduce 'quality control' to its distribution arm because there are too many newspapers and magazines? It's the same principle

Well I don't agree with it being companies separate again, there used to be some very odd logic in the old ITV; where they would move programmes around to suit how they felt meaning primetime devised programmes in some regions would be shoved into mornings or afternoons.

But I do think there is a place for the brands and regional programmes. It worked fine as ITV with a regional brand attatched for a long time. I think you certainly can have the both of best worlds.

But I don't think currently the regional programmes are worth much. Its a case of filling time up, rather than providing local programmes that people will want to view.

I think it should be across the entire broadcasting format. If people want a world of rubbish upon rubbish, then we can just pump out as many junk filled channels as possble - less is more!

If we're comparing to shops, then basically what we will end up with is a load of Nettos or Lidls of television, as there won't be the money for the M&S, Harvey Nicks or Harrods of broadcasting anymore.

And you've proved that in your statements above about ITVs decline being due to more channels. I'd rather have ten channels full of programmes that are worth watching than 500,000 where two or three might be average.

WHSmith have "quality control" in their retail arm however. Although they stock a vast array of magazines, they don't stock everything, and specialist tripe has to be ordered in.

Something similar could occur with the EPG, only quality gets good numbers, whereas the dross is shoved down into four digits, or a separate menu, or even having to tune it manually.

Actually, I was just thinking that too, WHSmith actually have refused to stock some DVDs in store, and sell what they deem not good enough for shelf space simply only online. So I think there is a need for something to stem the decline across all television channels of viewing figures, or we will end up with nothing but terrible television.

The thing with the companies compeating (sp - probably incorrect) with each other is that they at least made the effort with the programmes, now they can't even be arsed anymore.

I personally would love it to go back as it was but I know it would never work nowadays anyway as said they were far behind in merging & so causing one of the problems they have now.

Funny thing is I always wondered what would have happened had Thames & TVS (Not TSW or TV-am as they weren't as big as the other two) survived. TVS most certainly would have owned a few other regions at one stage & Thames would have either been taken over, owned several regions or been so adament of not giving up their namw they would have given up the franchise I suppose, if they hadn't have been taken over that is.

In my view, I'm against the single ITV brand. For over 35 years we've had regional identities making decent programming and back then they weren't arsed about saving money because they were independent and each had their own say. Whoever says 'ITV won't be its former self again' may be wrong because they don't know what will happen in the future for ITV.

Now many companies have been taken over and being downgraded into a single ITV with generic news titles and weak programming.

I lived in the LWT region and I liked it back then when they were independent as they made bucketloads of weekend entertainment and they also had a strong regional brand with their Aquafresh stripes. I don't think ITV should be centralised at all but because of the regions giving in and having to put up with network plop supplied by the GMG regions it becomes obvious.

I've seen Lee Bannister's comment that ITV should be more like ATV but sadly thanks to takeovers and Carlton, its successor Central who was one of the main powerhouses of ITV was taken over and almost stripped to death and became like Carlton.

I have seen the LWT takeover videos and they did make a good point about the takeover causing a devastating effect on LWT. I have seen your other videos of ATV MikeGNE, and I (and other forumers) find him very interesing but yet historical. Keep up the good work Mike.