Well I don't know if they changed yesterday, I can't see it mentioned anyplace -- but this day I notice the regional ITV weather maps have gone all new [and nasty]. Is it a year since the news changed or summat?
Have they done a BBC and harmonised the regional weather graphics with the national one?
If so, it may have something to do with this that's appeared on Media Guardian this morning..
ITV1 has revamped its weather bulletins with new graphics and a new presenter, Becky Mantin, as part of an updated national service sponsored by utility Powergen.
Channel bosses have decided to dump complicated weather jargon in favour of user-friendly graphics and easy-to-understand explanations in the new forecasts, which will continue to be provided by the Met Office in a new three-year deal. Powergen has also renewed its sponsorship of the service.
Sian Lloyd and Martyn Davies will be joined as the network's main weather presenters by Mantin, who currently fronts regional bulletins on ITV's regional service, Anglia TV.
"We asked our audience exactly what information they needed and how it should be presented," said the ITV director of programmes, Nigel Pickard.
"They wanted to know how they were going to be affected by the elements and said they wanted to be told using concise, simple graphics with straightforward explanations... For many people TV weather forecasts are essential viewing."
Paul Mills, the media business manager at the Met Office, said the move made sense because "the weather often makes news headlines. Closer liaison with the news teams will offer significant viewer benefits."
Mr Mills added that the new forecasts would provide a "clear, modern approach to weather programming. Viewers are not interested in too much scientific jargon so we will provide them with concise, relevant and meaningful weather bulletins, supported by visually compelling images".
Although I never liked the previous Ex-Carlton graphics, they looked a bit better than this London effort.
Perhaps take the ideas from both? Make the map a little darker and tweak the symbols. OK, just change the whole thing.
The little logos in the top right - although a nice idea look rediculous and completely out of place. A nice "gesture" I'm sure but really too little too late.
Thanks for the caps TVDragon - are Central the only ITV region who have a pre-recorded weather forecast with the usual presenters rather than presenter read over the graphics?
Forgive me for my ignorance, but is the weather in 14:9/16:9 on the regional weather, or is it 4:3 like the rest of the news? Those caps above are in letterbox, and i thought the regional weather would be in 4:3 as it is here in the Channel.
Despite the graphics change, is local weather still produced in the same way, i.e. Emma Jesson covering the former Carlton regions like Central and HTV and Granada Manchester still providing for Granada, Border, etc?
I always like the introduction of new graphics as I was getting VERY tired of the older graphics HTV used.
The logos used in the top right hand corner are yet another variation on a regional logo, whereas on the actual ITV1 idents the regional name is presented just as a light coloured text with NO box at all.
I wonder if they are really being created in widescreen or whether those black bands are being introduced later on? It will be interesting to see what the late regional weather bulletins will be like this weekend?
I can't wait to see how they animated the snow, thunder and even hail icons!
This is an interesting bit, who are the two forecasters based at YTV ? Is it Jon Mitchell and ?
The Met Office media team will have two forecasters based at Yorkshire Television in addition to the larger team at Grays Inn Road. Two Met Office production hubs in London and Leeds will provide regional desks with their forecast data, graphics and scripts.
To be honest, the way things are going, I was expecting the London team to record the forecasts for all the regions, so glad to see the regional presenters remain...... for now.
