I have heard from a very reliable source that the Radio Times is to receive a bit of a make-over in the next few months - including, much to reader demand, an increase of digital tv listings - at least an extra two pages will be added per day.
On a different note I wonder how long it will be before the Midlands edition joins forces with a neigbouring region. I would hazard a guess it's days are numbered.
I believe the coverage to the 'big five' won't be affected.
I could be wrong, but the version I'd heard said that the coverage of the big five will actually increase, with those odd six digital channels moving off the big five's evening page and over onto the next page.
I stress that that's not from a guaranteed source, but a usually reliable one, however.
Am I right in thinking the current editions are as follows?
Scotland (Main lisitng STV, Border as a variation)
North West/Yorkshire/North East (Granada, Yorkshire, Tyne Tees)
Ireland (UTV, RTE)
Wales (ITV1 Wales)
Midlands (Central)
London/East Anglia (ITV1 London, Anglia)
South/West/South West (Meridian, ITV1 West of England, Westcountry, Channel as a variation)
I believe the coverage to the 'big five' won't be affected.
I could be wrong, but the version I'd heard said that the coverage of the big five will actually increase, with those odd six digital channels moving off the big five's evening page and over onto the next page.
I've never really been a huge fan of Radio Times listings pages - so a revamp is much over due. Surprised though that the Daytime/Primetime seperation has lasted so long - think TV Times dropped that in the mid-90s.
Anyone remember those pre-C5 days when TVTimes and I think RT in addition to the full listings produced a pull-out plan in the centre too with the whole weeks listings on?
Odd that Border is relegated to the small text in this new 'North' edition - the Radio Times that I buy in Cumbria has Granada/Yorkshire/Tyne Tees options in the main panel, but Border in the regional variations - yet it's as much an ITV region of the 'North' than any of the others...
Never got why Wales has been Wales/West for so long. Well, I guess it's due to HTV actually - but it never made sense!
As I mentioned a few weeks ago though, TV Easy has ridiculously combined Wales and Scotland - and except on satellite, I doubt any viewer can get both.
The stupid thing is though they had (haven't bought it since) ditched the BBC1/2 England listings altogether - just having variations for Scotland and Wales. That makes it pretty useless around here where alot of the area is served primarily by Granada/Central.
I've got Radio Times from the 70s / 80s and it seems the edition for the south and the east of England has regional variations for Scotland there too! Doubt many people could received BBC Scotland when they were living in the South. I've mentioned in another thread that until the advent of Channel 4, people in the outer reaches of where I live could received Grampian ( which they were meant to receive ) and Scottish and even more bizarrely Border.
In spite of my regret at the passing of the South West edition, I have to concede the Welsh have got a better deal - finally getting a Radio Times all to themselves. It was only because of HTV's dual franchise that RT had to combine its Wales and West edition, and while ITV's administrative regions have not changed, it's better for the Welsh to have a magazine catering for their different televisual setup.
I agree. The Radio Times here is far better now its a Wales only edition, however we still get a Wales/West edition of some of the other tv mags such as TV Times.
I've got Radio Times from the 70s / 80s and it seems the edition for the south and the east of England has regional variations for Scotland there too! Doubt many people could received BBC Scotland when they were living in the South.
In contrast to today, in those days there were over 30 regional editions of Radio Times - a different edition for each BBC Local Radio station. On the other hand, it was only the local radio page that was actually regionalised, and so, for example, all of the various editions labelled 'South', 'South West' and 'West' all had South Today, Spotlight South West and South Today listed together on the Monday page, same for the Midlands and East editions, and for the various North editions. And all English editions would have those BBC1 Scotland and Wales variations listed in small type at the bottom of the page.
Frequently, though, in the 1970s and early 1980s there were printing problems and industrial action which would see RT printed in national editions. It was strange throughout the summer of 1983 to see a page of listings for Welsh-language programmes on S4C in our copy of RT!
