ITV merger: regional job losses and studio closures

Yes James, the BBC have now confirmed on South Today that the announcement has been made.

Both Northam and Maidstone are to close, being replaced by one place at Segensworth West (or however you spell it).

It's the same estate that Ocean Sound started out on. Anybody know if it's the same building?

That's a damn shame - soon my days of walking past that hideous old building in Northam with the amazing orange and purple suns all over it will be over.

In all seriousness though, how on earth can this represent a commitment to local news in the South? Not only are Meridian completely getting rid of their studios in Kent, they are also closing their Southampton studios. Surely the whole point of a local news operation is to be at the heart of the area which it serves - with no studio in any of the region's major cities, how on earth can Meridian keep in touch with the community that they serve?

This is another example of the ITV merger being bad for viewers.

What did I write back on October 8th, 2003?

<http://www.tvforum.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?p=123114&highlight=#123114>

And I am sure not just a few people thought it was a wacky, could not happen here, type comment/question.

Creating the Granalton monster has only meant cost saving rationalization : job losses, and closing down of facilities, all for the purpose of benefitting stockholders, NOT viewers.

Even Michael Green is no longer smiling as he when present with Charles Allen at the merger announcement.

And the key point to note in this sad history, coming from the Media Guardian article, reveals when the rot did start to set in.

Dunno if it would be, not sure there is enough room in there for TV Studios, that said even Ocean FM/Power FM have parts of the building that don't get used with them being owned by Capital radio lots of departments shut down years ago.

There is another radio station, Wave 105, on the other side of the roundabout in Segensworth East IIRC.



To be fair Fareham is half way between Southampton and Portsmouth though, they are both major cities, the second being the better of course

Makes me wonder what the next move will be in a few years time, all news programmes coming from London?

Yeah, I can see that happening too. So much for regional broadcasting. It's ironic really, seeing as "ITV" was originally formed from a network of individual regional broadcasters.

And although I'm definitely a BBC South Today fan, Meridian News' distinctive style is something I applaud - it has so far resisted the corporate rebranding and restyling, but I wonder how long this can last after the takeover.

The new Meridian studios may be half way between Southampton and Portsmouth, but that's not the same as being right in the heart of either or both of those cities (and you are right, they are really the two major cities in the patch). Presumably they will be left with no studio presence in Southampton at all.

And by the way, Southampton is clearly the better of the two!

Hear, hear. And to all of those who cite remote broadcast technology - fine though it is, why produce programmes in other regions or countries, just because technology allows you to?

And if the UK Commercial TV economy was as strong as it used to be, doesn't this mean that SMG in Glasgow could also invest in remote edit technology and edit programmes due to go out in London only?!?!

Yes, Technology has given people freedom. But nothing beats, as Royal Mail so wonderfully and simply put it, "The Real Network".

Because it is cheaper and means more profit for the stockholders.

The broadcast staff who have kept their jobs on the South Bank maybe feeling a bit smug at the moment, but who knows how long it will be, before production and transmission control is done by cheap labour when these facilities are switched to the Indian sub-continent or the far east. If BT and others can do it with voice telephony today, why not Granalton with video tomorrow?

We'll keep Granada in Manchester - managing director

Tyne Tees is a tricky one. Yes, they will close the studios there, and yes they've been somewhat wasted for many years now (since a couple of years after the YTV takeover if the truth be told) but the station has become a bit politicised up here after the PR disaster in the mid-90s with all the attempted changes.

I suspect that Granada will wait until a few other stations have gone the way Meridian has before doing anything about City Road. I wouldn't be surprised if they close Newcastle and have most of the station running out of Billingham to be honest, with just a tiny shed in Newcastle.

Can anyone explain to me how a Victorian bonded warehouse built for the needs of the 19th century, is more suitable than a modern purpose built

You're beginning to sound like an ex-employee of LWT, J a r o n.

One wonders what will happen when it's Border Television's turn to come under the knife. Its Carlisle studios were purpose-built and IMO are hardly likely development material. Other than Lookaround and regional programmes, little else comes out of Harraby - surely Granada can't get rid of this in the same manner as they are proposing to get rid of Quay Street, City Road, etc - or will Granada pull the plug on Border and make Carlisle a satellite studio of Manchester?