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Radio Times

Less regional editions from w/c 7 April (April 2007)

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AN
Andrew Founding member
Si-Co posted:
There doesn't seem to be an existing thread about this, but apologies if it is already being discussed elsewhere on the forum.

I notice that the 'North West' and 'Yorkshire/North East' editions have been amalgamated with effect from this coming week (7-13 April) with ITV1 Granada, Yorkshire and Tyne Tees listed in the main box under the gerenic sub-heading 'North'. The BBC listings cover North West, Yorkshire and North Midlands, East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, and North East and Cumbria.

The small-type 'regional variations' for this edition are BBC Scotland, Wales, 2W, East, East Midlands and West Midlands; ITV Border, Anglia, Central and Wales; and S4C.

Have any other regional editions been amalgamated?

Indeed and it seems strange having S4C listings in the version sold in Yorkshire!

This means there is no longer any space for 'On this Day', does this still appear in any other edition?

I suppose it's not that major an issue combining the Yorkshire/North East edition with the Granada edition. As long as they don't do an England edition like TV Times have, where all the regional programmes are listed in the variations
:-(
A former member
Andrew posted:
Si-Co posted:
There doesn't seem to be an existing thread about this, but apologies if it is already being discussed elsewhere on the forum.

I notice that the 'North West' and 'Yorkshire/North East' editions have been amalgamated with effect from this coming week (7-13 April) with ITV1 Granada, Yorkshire and Tyne Tees listed in the main box under the gerenic sub-heading 'North'. The BBC listings cover North West, Yorkshire and North Midlands, East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, and North East and Cumbria.

The small-type 'regional variations' for this edition are BBC Scotland, Wales, 2W, East, East Midlands and West Midlands; ITV Border, Anglia, Central and Wales; and S4C.

Have any other regional editions been amalgamated?

Indeed and it seems strange having S4C listings in the version sold in Yorkshire!

This means there is no longer any space for 'On this Day', does this still appear in any other edition?

I suppose it's not that major an issue combining the Yorkshire/North East edition with the Granada edition. As long as they don't do an England edition like TV Times have, where all the regional programmes are listed in the variations


On This Day still appears in the Scottish edition.
SC
Si-Co
Robert Williams posted:
AndrewDundee posted:
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. Smile

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.


I hadn't realised there used to be over 30 regional editions in the 70s/80s! I had thought there was just a different edition for each BBCtv region! In Newcastle we got an edition named 'North East (BBC Radio Newcastle)' but I seem to remember this changing to 'North East (BBC Radio Cleveland/Newcastle/Cumbria)' at some point. I remember an edition I bought in Scarborough being called 'North 2' - would there have been a 'North 1' and a'North 3' for different parts of what is now the Yorks & Lincs region?

Slightly off-topic, but it always seemed strange that the 'regional variations' in the Tyne Tees TV Times included Yorkshire, Border and Grampian (but not Scottish)!
:-(
A former member
Si-Co posted:
Robert Williams posted:
AndrewDundee posted:
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. Smile

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.


I hadn't realised there used to be over 30 regional editions in the 70s/80s! I had thought there was just a different edition for each BBCtv region! In Newcastle we got an edition named 'North East (BBC Radio Newcastle)' but I seem to remember this changing to 'North East (BBC Radio Cleveland/Newcastle/Cumbria)' at some point. I remember an edition I bought in Scarborough being called 'North 2' - would there have been a 'North 1' and a'North 3' for different parts of what is now the Yorks & Lincs region?

Slightly off-topic, but it always seemed strange that the 'regional variations' in the Tyne Tees TV Times included Yorkshire, Border and Grampian (but not Scottish)!


I remember that the variations in the Grampian TV TImes used to be Tyne Tees and Scottish, and again not Border.
RW
Robert Williams Founding member
Si-Co posted:
I hadn't realised there used to be over 30 regional editions in the 70s/80s! I had thought there was just a different edition for each BBCtv region! In Newcastle we got an edition named 'North East (BBC Radio Newcastle)' but I seem to remember this changing to 'North East (BBC Radio Cleveland/Newcastle/Cumbria)' at some point. I remember an edition I bought in Scarborough being called 'North 2' - would there have been a 'North 1' and a'North 3' for different parts of what is now the Yorks & Lincs region?

Yes, the merger of the different local radio editions occured in May 1982, so instead of separate London (Radio London), London (Radio Medway) and London (Radio Oxford) editions there was one London edition containing listings for all three stations across two pages.

I'm not so up on the North editions but it seems there were at least 'North 1' and 'North 2' editions because there were too many local radio stations to squeeze into one edition. Not something that bothers them these days, now they're happy with listings for twenty stations across two pages!
:-(
A former member
Robert Williams posted:
AndrewDundee posted:
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. Smile

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!


it wasn't just the local radio pages that were regionalised, the Radio 4 section used to have " regional variations " for VHF / FM
RJ
RJG
There are some weird anomalies in transmitter coverage. For instance, Grampian signals, from Durris especially, can be received right down the east coast and into North Northumberland. Chatton (Tyne Tees, BBC North East) covers most of Berwickshire in South-East Scotland (in many parts with a more reliable signal than Border from either Selkirk or Eyemouth) and there are pockets in Fife where Border signals from Selkirk can be received. So some of the "variations" offered in listings mags do bear some relationship to the overlaps on the ground.
:-(
A former member
TV Times posted:
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.


IMO they should also concentrate expanding the information on the " terrestrial " channels too. The daytime information in particular is very limited.
SC
Si-Co
Is there still an 'NTL' edition of RT that has been mentioned previously? What is/was it exactly?
LC
Lewis c
Well in this weeks TV Times for Scotland .For Tuesday and Thursday at 7.30 it says Local Programmes see regional variations panel far left.

On the panel is ITV 1 variations.

Anglia,Border,Central,Channel,Granada,London,Meridian,Tyne Tees,
West,Westcountry,Yorkshire.NOTHING about Scotland and this is supposed to be the Scottish edition of TV Times . I note that there is nothing about UTV either.

So as far as viewers in Scotland and NI are concerned all they have to go on by TV Times is Local Programmes but what local programmes. Rolling Eyes
JE
Jez Founding member
Lewis c posted:
Well in this weeks TV Times for Scotland .For Tuesday and Thursday at 7.30 it says Local Programmes see regional variations panel far left.

On the panel is ITV 1 variations.

Anglia,Border,Central,Channel,Granada,London,Meridian,Tyne Tees,
West,Westcountry,Yorkshire.NOTHING about Scotland and this is supposed to be the Scottish edition of TV Times . I note that there is nothing about UTV either.

So as far as viewers in Scotland and NI are concerned all they have to go on by TV Times is Local Programmes but what local programmes. Rolling Eyes


In the Wales/West edition of the TV Times they list both the West and Wales programmes in the main ITV1 section and then Central, Westcountry, Meridian and Granada variations in the panel at the side. Its the same set up for TV Choice and TV Quick Wales/West editions as well. For some reason Whats on TV have only ever given Westcountry variations in the box at the bottom with the Wales/West ones in the main listings - this has always been the case AFAIK. Its the other way round for Total TV Guide who give Wales/Westcountry programmes in the main listings with variations for just West at the side.

In the Wales edition of the Radio Times they have variations for West, Westcountry, Central and Granada in the panel.
JV
James Vertigan Founding member
Si-Co posted:
Is there still an 'NTL' edition of RT that has been mentioned previously? What is/was it exactly?


IIRC It was basically the London edition of the RT, but with NTL branding on it rather than the region name. There were also a few NTL pages inside.

According to posts on DigitalSpy the Radio Times is still going, but now under the Virgin Media name. Virgin Media also has plans to bring out its own magazine, whether this will replace the Virgin Media Radio Times is not known.

Now then, who remembers the Cable Guide?

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