ITV1 now/next/later

But not as big an erosion as the huge cut in the number of regional productions over the past few years...

If STV were ever to become ITV1 Scotland I'd be very sorry indeed, but I can't pretend it's really a huge deal to anyone apart from us. Whereas the cut in output is another matter entirely. And that's a debate for another thread!

Regional presentation was the icing on the cake of a full regional service.. Network programmes, local programmes and all those things which were shown at different times in different regions.. Now, of course, STV only has around 2 hours a week more local output than an English region - and virtually everything is screened across the network at the same time.

It's difficult to make a practical - rather than an emotional or political - argument for spending money on local presentation. Afterall where were the protests outside Grampian when their announcers got their P45s?

The truth is that the vast majority of viewers don't care that much about presentation, as long as they still saw their favourite programmes.

When you're at work tomorrow, ask your colleagues if they noticed the ITV1 end credit promotions? I bet hardly any of them did! Though some may notice it once it's been pointed out to them!

Yes, but at least they show a logo with the station name in it compared to four pointless squares


Fair enough, but the rest of the UK have had to live with it. Even so, although the announcements have a Scottish accent they are incredibly boring.

Not recently. The female anno at the end of the week was really good. She seemed utterly engaged with the programme just finishing which made the ECP seem not nearly so jarring.

She has a very pleasing style. I thought I recognised the voice so I'm not sure if she's new, or is a regular who is greatly improved.

In any event, more please.

aberdeenboy is of course completely correct on all grounds - viewers don't care about presentation, will not have noticed ITV1 popping up, and the loss of regional programmes is the real issue. That doesn't mean to me that it doesn't matter.

Firstly, on the regional programmes - SMG seem to be going down the Granada route of consolidation. They're keeping the local idents on screen, so that to the untrained viewer it looks like they're still providing a local service, all the while when they can cutting back on local programmes they need to produce.

I can remember the days when network programmes like Emmerdale were shunted away from their 7pm prime-time slot to 5.10pm to make way for local programmes, including the commercial suicide that was Scottish Action. Hard to imagine nowadays.

If Scottish TV was to be replaced lock stock and barrel with ITV1 tomorrow, I doubt many people would notice. There'd be a bit of a hoo-haa in the media about it (BBC Scotland would have fun, and the Daily Record would no doubt show how out of touch they are by writing a lot when their readers don't care), but it would pass fairly quickly, especially if the sap of "ITV1 Scotland" was placed on offer. If anything, most of the protests would come from the north - the central belt really wouldn't care. Most viewers aren't watching SMG for local programming (with the possible exception of the dire Scotsport SPL) - it's for network programmes like I'm a Celebrity, Heartbeat and The X Factor. It is a matter of time until the switch happens - indeed, cynical minds might think that SMG are testing us out this weekend to see if anyone complains - but I'd like to see it delayed as long as possible. With all Scotland's national newspapers now owned outwith the country and the country's biggest radio group being bought by EMAP, SMG is pretty much all we've got. The sad thing is that, when it happens, it looks like it'll happen overnight, rather than with the long send-off the likes of LWT were given.

As long as SMG own the stations, I don't think they'll adopt ITV1 branding. Because, if nothing else, it gives ITV PLC a reason to buy them out to introduce their brand throughout the country. SMG and UTV are a barrier to that at the moment. But they will be bought out eventually.

You're totally right, no-one gives a s**t about presentation apart from us lot. If it was changed to ITV1 Scotland tomorrow, for example, most wouldn't even notice the difference and if they did, I wouldn't think they'd be many complaints.

I just noticed at the end of I'm a Celebrity there that after the announcement for the mobile alerts, there was an obvious flicker to a clean feed with the mobile alerts fading out. I think this is because the website still removes the ITV1 logo.

So I think the clean feed is working, but don't quote me on that!

It's back to normal tonight.

I noticed at the end of Tonight on ITV1 Wales the Welsh announcer was talking but we could also hear the English annoucer and the ECP came up as well.

I would much rather that than the endless and intrusive babbling that the rest of us are subject to!

I have absolutely no knowledge of SMG or UTV presentation, but if those regions are the roadblocks to a complete ITV1 national takeover - then good for them!
I hope you viewers up there can continue to enjoy your valuable regional identities for many more years to come.

It isn't the 4 squares on the ECP it's only on the trailers. I myself would prefer the local feed to the national ITV1 feed. I wonder why this keeps happening now and then

i'm a bit do channel, htv wales and border have network feeds all the time or what?

Most of the time HTV have the network ECP/announcer -- but when there are local variations ahead in the schedule, the [recorded] Wales announcer is heard over the credits [with no ECP that I've ever seen].

Before that you would have the network ECP/anno, followed by an apologetic correction by the local voice -- which was much more fun.