Radio Times

Hello, couldn't find the old Radio Times thread so started a new one with this puzzler.
I've just spent a week in the North-East (Teesside) and picked up a copy of this weeks Radio Times (North-West/Yorks/North-East edition). On the times ITV show regional programmes the listings states 'Local Programmes' rather than listing the 3 regional programmes and the reader is told to look at the variations panel which contains all the ITV variations for every region (even Channel) except UTV and STV, although BBC 1 & 2 Scotland variations are shown. I assumed that this had started this week and was perhaps a step towards having a 'England' edition of RT. However on the way home we stopped off in Mansfield where they sell both the 'North' and the 'London/Anglia/Midlands' edition. I picked up the latter expecting to see the same changes but it was still the same with just the variations listed for the adjoining areas then when I looked at the 'North' edition on the the same shelf I saw that that was in the same format too with only variations for Anglia, Central, Border, ITV Wales, BBC Wales & Scotland plus the addition of S4C being shown. The Local Radio listings are identical in both versions of the North editions so I wonder if anyone could shed any light on why there are two versions of the 'same but different' editions of RT for the North being published?

Hold on, the "North" variant didn't have YTV variations?

Seems a bit pointless when that's the whole point in selling it in Mansfield (on the Central East/YTV Sheffield overlap).

I haven't picked up a copy of the RT in quite a while, but it sounds as if there are specific versions for some areas, with a cover-all "North" version for those parts not covered by the NE/NW/Yorks version (so would take in Border and some overlap areas).

All sounds rather botched though from your description.

Hi - Yes the issue on sale in Mansfield had the Granada/TyneTees/YTV variaions listed in the main body of the text, the other regions I listed were in the variations column. Whereas the issue on sale in Redcar had no variations in the main text but they were all listed together in the variations column. Sorry if it sounds a bit 'botched' but it's a bit difficult to describe.
(By the way they were both titled NW/NE/Yorks editions on the front)

Just to hazard a guess....

It sounds to me like they're market testing an "all England" edition with the regional variations listed separately. I can't think of any other reason why they'd have two distinct North editions with different formats.

Afterall, the main North edition covers Granada, YTV and Tyne Tees and gives variations for all adjoining regions such as Border - it's not as if anybody was left out.

Incidentally in Carlisle it's possible to buy both the Scottish edition (which used to list Border fairly comprehensively and still gives relatively full details of Border's output within the variations column) or the North edition.

Of course, regardless of whatever Ofcom may or not allow in the PSB review, the need for English regional tv lisings will virtually cease next year. The main non-news programme on ITV1 will have the generic title Here and Now.

The big problem with an all England edition wouldn't be the tv listings - but it could spell the end for local radio listings as I doubt if RT would want to go to the trouble of running regional editions for that reason alone. Could all BBC local radio stations be crammed into two pages with a smaller type size and different tabulation?

No way - local radio listings have already been pushed to the limit in the London/Anglia/Midlands edition. If they dropped the ILR frequencies I reckon they could just about squeeze in all 39 stations across three pages. I doubt they'd drop BBC Local Radio altogether, though, they've always had complaints when they mess about with the listings.

I've now seen this edition too

The box on the morning listings page is headed 'Local Programmes' rather than 'Regional Variations' and includes all ITV regions in England

It does look like they are testing an England version in the Tyne Tees region only. The rest of the magazine such as the radio listings is the same as the one sold in Yorkshire and Granada

Couldn't they use more pages? Surely the increased cost of this is far out weighed by only having one England edition.

Considering the volumes we're talking about I don't really see them being much savings to be had from just producing the one issue. Fair enough that regions don't really warrant an edition each any more, but I'm sure they could continue to produce 3 or 4 English variations rather than packing them all into one.


What's the status with the rival TV mags - I know TV Easy produces an English edition, but I think What's on TV and TV Choice s still Granada/Yorks/NE.