Itv Border Scottish Problems

Technical problems meant ITV Border's Scottish viewers lost coverage for part of the vital Scotland v Italy rugby match this evening. For about 15 minutes or so, mainly during half-time and the first five or six minutes of the second half, viewers in the South of Scotland were treated to a rotation of a blank screen, an ITV 1 caption, The X Factor and Creature Comforts. The duty person at Border in Carlisle gave me the number for ITV network transmission. The person who answered the call had no idea that Border had the ability to carry separate programming for its Scottish viewers. I was told "people in Scotland get STV, ITV don't cover Scotland". There's a certain irony there! I can understand where the X Factor came from (the ITV network was carrying it at the time) but where did Creature Comforts come from?

Lemme guess the person who told you that is the receptionist or something? (A bit of a silly answer if you ask me lol) As for Creature Comforts I think they usually have that as a stand by programme in case the fault is a extended length of time.

Not even people in ITV know there broadcast in Scotland

bonkers!

That is hilarious, and absolutely pathetic at the same time.

It demonstrates the total lack of regard that shower in London have for viewers. To not even know the patch you cover is unforgivable.

You should have phoned STV for the crack and pleaded ignorance. I'm sure they'd have found it amusing as well.

So has ITV1 Border Scotland been screening the same schedule as STV tonight? In that case, have they left the stv.tv/rugby dog at the top right, and what's happened in terms of continuity?

Incidentally, if we are going to cut back on the number of regions, or newsrooms, then Border Scotland shouldn't be in with Tyne Tees - it should be handed to STV. But you wont see ITV PLC lobbying for that arrangement.

Which number was it you rang, London or Leeds, or the duty office at Birmingham?

A question, when Border Scotland opt out, do they get proper continuity thesedays? It always seemed to be cobbled together back in the old GMG North days as if it wasn't a proper feed

The number I used was 08448 814150. As far as the stvrugby dog is concerned, it wasn't there. I didn't see the start of the match so missed the introduction, but the post-match discussion was definitely from STV with Doddie Weir etc but there was no dog. Half time, I don't know, since we were being treated to the blank screen/ITV1 logo/X Factor/Creature Comforts pantomime. Border actually took the STV schedule from around 5.50 onwards and the usual pre-recorded continuity announcement was used "serving the whole of our region, this is ITV Border" or words to that effect. I don't know what Border England get on such occasions, but the Scottish opt-outs always get that reminder that Border remembers it has viewers in Scotland. An improvement from the decades (before split transmission) when the very rare screening of a football match from north of the Border was preceeded by an announcement like, "And now a special treat for our Scottish friends" when all we were getting was something viewers everywhere else in Scotland took, and take, for granted. We do now get Scotsport regularly, and coverage of Scottish sides playing in the Champion's League. But Border still fails to screen anything much of the non-sporting Scottish programming that could well be of equal interest to viewers in Southern Scotland.

do you get politic now?

also you may have been better phoning....

ITV Border Television
The Television Centre
Carlisle
CA1 3NT

Telephone: 01228 525 101...
or 01228 829230

No. Border Scotland only takes the sport-related output from STV, not the other programmes such as Politics Now.

They didn't even bother showing STV's Hogmanay programming last year, which was perhaps just as well since the main attraction (in Edinburgh) was cancelled at the last minute - the second time in four years - due to strong winds.

why would any one in D&G and scottish borders want to watch an English politic show?

The English regions get their own political programmes. This is the problem with the Border region, the Scottish bit is classed as being in England for programme purposes yet, as last night's shambles proved, ITV clearly thought that South Scotland was served by STV.

In short, it's a joke.

RJG did mention Border was called first. Phoning that number won't get you anywhere, all they will do is point you to ITV in London or Leeds, who actually playout the region.