So, why would it make sense to keep things as they are? You have to make a case that makes both creative and commercial sense.
Although it's all too tempting for certain companies to head too far towards commercial "sense", and away from creativity.
Correct. That's why both areas need to be addressed. Regional news programmes along with other regional programming commitments are precisely that, commitments. ITV1 would rid itself of them were it possible.
Airtime is sold around local output with a degree of difficulty, sponsorship is hard to find and these programmes do not attract an audience for network shows. Forget the views of contributors to this forum for a moment and think about the company and the viewers. The former do not want to make it and the latter do not want to watch it.
The rules of the game ITV1 are having to play dictates that they can't afford to do something for reasons of sentimentality.
If they want to get rid of their public service commitments, let them work for the privilege of being a mass-audience broadcaster; if they wish to continue broadcasting on Channel 3, and do not wish to demonstrate their worthiness in this way, auction the whole frequency off to the highest bidder every five years. After all, why grant a company a gift as large as the Channel 3 franchise if they won't fulfill their part of the bargain.
If ITV were faced with this possibility, they'd soon miraculously come to the conclusion that local programming was the better option
I think the following HTV News (Wales) newsreaders would be great reading the national news!
Lucy Cohen
Jonathan Hill
Juliet Piper
Sally Johnson
Tara Eugene
Richard Morgan
Carole Green
Catharine Evan-Williams
Justina Simpson
And Zoe Tape and Sam Lloyd would be great doing the sport on the national news
Oh so nearly all of them then? Not that I know them all, surely they all can’t be totally great and up to national standard. There’s got to be one who stands out the most. Anyway, if all them went to be national presenters on various channels, HTV News will be a pile of s**t with the ones you have not picked running the shop and other new ones who you and viewers may not like.
This is Granada - HTV News (Wales) have 14 newsreaders in total which I suppose is quite a lot - the ones I didnt include in my list were Steve Taylor, Stuart Mcteer, Andrew Jones, Rob Shelly and Richard Nosworthy.
Apart from Jonathan and Lucy who do the main 6pm program and most of the late night and mid afternoon bulletins between them, and Tara, Juliet and Steve who stand in for Jon and Lucy and also read the occasional late bulletin the rest of those are mostly part time on the news for the weekend bulletins and they do reporting the rest of the time.
Then there is Andrew Jones and Sally Johnson who do GMTV/Lunchtime news bulletin - Andrew does Mon-Wed and Sally Thurs/Fri - Justina usually stands in if one of them are off. Then we have the sports presenters Zoe Tape, Rhodri Davies and Sam Lloyd and the weather presenters Charlie Neil, Emma Jesson, Ruth Wignall and James Wright - Ruth is currently on maternity leave and Su Evans is covering her shifts.
Other members of the HTV reporting team who dont read the news include - Andy Collinson (Chief Reporter) Nick Partridge (business editor), Peter Cullimore (Heath correspondant), Ian Lang (based at Colwyn Bay), Paul Mewis (based at Wrexham), Hywel George, Tom Barton, Phillipa Meakin.
The one who I think stands out the most is Lucy definately, she is very plesant, professional and confident. I really like Juliet Piper, Jonathan Hill and Richard Morgan too. And of course Justina and Catharine, but they seldom read the news now, Justina di do a day on GMTV/Lunchtime bulletins not so long ago but now she has joined the 6pm reporting team so only turns up on the news occasionally.
Most well known national news readers started out on regional telly of course, including the likes of Huw Edwards, Martin Lewis and Angela Rippon to name just three.
I think Sarah Heaney, John MacKay and Shereen Nanjiani from Scotland Today and David Robertson, Jackie Bird and Sally Magnusson from Reporting Scotland would all do alright on national news/telly.
The latter is well known nationally anyway.
Sportwise, Dougie Donnelly from Sportscene (BBC) is well known nationally, and Dougie Vipond has also been on national telly.
I wouldn't want all our best presenters from Scotland moving to London though.
Oh so nearly all of them then? Not that I know them all, surely they all can’t be totally great and up to national standard. There’s got to be one who stands out the most.
As I explained earlier, HTV News (Wales) presenters need to be of a national standard, because it is the "National News of Wales". Accordingly, there are less skateboarding ducks-esq stories and the newsreaders have more authority.
However, I'd say Lucy Cohen stands out as the best, along with the new one (Richard Morgan?):
Yeah that is Richard Morgan - He has only been reading the news a short time, before that he did just reporting, but I think he is very good and if Jonathan ever left HTV News he could easily replace him as co-anchor of the 6pm bulletin with Lucy.
I also think Justina (below) would make a very good anchor of the 6pm bulletin
The newsreaders who might manage the job of anchoring on the ITV news channel.
Heather Larcombe and Courtenay Mcleod from Border News .
Jane Solomons from HTV West and if they were really stuck for a presenter, Alexis Bowater of Westcountry.
