New ITV Region?

Not sure if this has been mentioned on here before (I don't visit here as often as I used to) but apparently there will be a new ITV1 region in December 2006:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thames_Valley_Television

Anymore "new" regions coming along soon due to a reshuffle of areas at all?

It's old news. No other regions are being changed to my knowledge.

My understanding is that "Thames Valley" is simply a new sub-region (made from merging two existing sub-regions), not an entirely new region. Only Ofcom can actually change the Channel 3 licence structure.

I though it may have been mentioned before. As I say I haven't been on here for a while & 'accidently' came across it on Wikipedia

I really hate that it is merging as it means the nearby studio will be closed. I wanted to do Work ex there.. I don't think it will be possbile now.

The main difference though is this new region will have its own regional bulletins 7 days a week while the other Central/Meridian regions will have pan regional bulletins during the weekends and GMTV.

I also think this new region will be taking Meridian's non news regional programmes?

Meridian has non news regional programmes still? lol

I assume they have the same 3 or 4 regional programmes a week as other regions.

It will be part of Meridian, but as others have said have its own news service.

What you won't see (or so I'm told) is an ITV1 Thames Valley ident for example.

Isn't there a Central South West launching?

No. Central South and Meridian North are closing to form Thames Valley. Central East's coverage area will remain intact, while some of Central West's area will be absorbed into HTV West.

I should imagine you will see one before ITV Thames Valley regional programmes. Every other region does, although I doub't you'd see the word Thames Valley underneath the ITV1 logo.

But Thames Valley will take Meridian programmes so it will most likely be Meridian if they show a local ident.