what's left at the local Studies

If Mr Grade plans go ahead to change the local area, I take it this will mean more Closure?

Well I think this was inevitable following DSO when ITV plc could simply hand back their franchises and maintain a broadcasting presence. But seeing as ITV plc have already reduced their regional commitment so much (with Ofcom's approval) it makes sense to see what they can get away with changing before 2012.

I do agree with Michael Grade that the current Channel 3 franchise areas don't really bear any relation to regional identities. The country is a far different place now than it was in the 1950s/60s when the regional map was devised.

If there start cutting newsrooms, does this mean that ITV will have even Less offices ?

And the regional map wasn't devised based on regional identities - it was based on the best places to site transmitters to provide a good analogue VHF, and then UHF, signal.

The editorial boundaries for each transmitter - and thus each BBC and ITV region - have always been secondary to providing a decent network distribution for audiences.

Transmitters have been grouped where possible to give a coherent editorial identity to the regions served by the transmitters - but this has never been a high priority in comparison to providing the best signal for the network.