STV - 23 March revamp

Yeah, it's not like it was their fifth most watched programme in the first half of last year or anything.

NO its not: your were looking at ABC1 Adult Programmes

this is the actully list with MUCH higher viewing figures

1. Coronation Street stv 793,000 62%
2. The Queen stv 697,000 50
3. Emmerdale stv 659,000 59
4. Rebus stv 626,000 47
5. Pride of Britain Awards stv 618,000 50
6. Trial & Retribution stv 602,000 43
7. National TV Awards stv 588,000 51
8. Film: Harry Potter stv 573,000 54
9. Taggart stv 567,000 42
10.Doc Martin stv 566,000 44

it wasnt, those were for abc programmes.....

Well it seems all very credible, an ITV company doing something distinctive and STV promoting their Scottishness, more regional programming etc. I can see how some network shows may not be appropriate for a Scottish audience, but Lewis ?

This is perhaps ITV's most credible drama series. Yes it's distinctively English, but it's a quality piece of drama, is it really in the best interest of the Scottish audience to deny their access ? (They're not even saving it for when the England football goes out the following week)

There is clearly something more to this, probably as it looks quite likely with the recent drama cull, that Taggart could well be the next casualty of the ITV budget cuts. I doubt STV could afford to make it without the backing of the network. Perhaps the Lewis decision is a warning shot.

Whilst the first week of programming may be vaguely credible, I fail to see how showing Gregory's Girl, a 1981 film, in a primetime Sunday evening slot can possibly be in the best interests of the Scottish viewer ?

I can't wait to see what they've got lined up the following Sunday, The Krankies Christmas Special 1980 perhaps ?

There are plenty of other slots in the schedule where STV could play out their uniquely Scottish content but instead they appear to prefer to go with questionable ITV1 content. I'm thinking Thursday 26th March 9pm where STV prefer to go with the networks "The Truth About Super Skinny Pregnancies" or even Tuesday nights, when ITV1 have some dodgy factual output.

(Incidentally the Scottish viewers aren't missing out on Piers Morgan, it's not on anyway this week on ITV1, back next week for all )

Anyway here's a round up of other ITV1 > STV schedule differences in the coming weeks

Sat 28th March
22:20 England Football Highlights (ITV1) > Real Crime (STV)

Sun 29th March
20:00 Lewis (ITV1) > Scotland at the Movies : Gregory's Girl (STV)

Mon 30th March
22:35 Al Murray (rpt) & Harry Hill (rpt) (ITV1) > Builders from Hell (STV)

Weds 1st April
19:30 World Cup Qualifier : England v Ukraine (ITV1) > A View to a Kill (STV)
22:45 World Cup Qualifier Highlights (ITV1) > Real Crime (STV)

there really should put Dexter on mondays at 10.35pm

Yeah, there should.

or even why not broadcast moving wallpaper and other low rating show to 11.35 at night instead of that Night watch and other even more crap fillers

It also might be worth considering that STV still has quotas of programming types that it has to broadcast. Since ITV Drama is plentyful, maybe they had to remove one rather than a factual or entertainment programme, and Lewis is hardly that popular.

I think, as Square Eyes suggests, there is some posturing going on. if it were a case of just moving shows around it would be one thing, however STV are trying to show they operate as an independant Channel 3 licence without having to solely rely on ITVplc's output, hence the making the shows vanish completely.

My gut feeling is that Square Eyes is right. Some of STV's decisions look like posturing rather than pragmatism. I can't help but wonder if they're linked to the dispute between ITVplc and STV/UTV over how much the "independent" regions pay for the network schedule.

Opting out of lowly-rated programmes like Moving Wallpaper certainly makes commercial sense but Lewis is one of ITV's drama jewels.

And while you'll always find people who say they don't want English football, the fact is that when the BBC had the rights to the FA Cup it attracted a decent audience in Scotland - BBC1 Scotland's share was roughly in line with network's.

One potential risk of opting out of good material, of course, is that STV could inadvertently cause Sky viewers who aren't anoraks to discover the delights of ITV1 London on 993. ("STV aren't showing it but don't worry it'll be on ITV1")

Even when STV regularly carried far more local programmes than other regions, it was careful to use them to replace "weak links" in the schedule... holes other regions filled with repeats or imports.

About the only regular exception to this rule was when they dispaced the 1900 programmes like Emmerdale to 1710 back in the mid nineties... but even that move was well thought out. STV were legally obliged to show a certain number of hours of their own programmes in peak time and showing Home and Away at 1800, Scotland Today at 1830 and the local programmes at 1900 was the right schedule on balance. (And while some 1900 programmes may have under-performed Emmerdale some of their own output then, like High Road, genuinely out-rated network.)

I don't understand your analysis of STV performing worse than ITV - their share price has been more than double ITV's for months!

With regards to Lewis I am surprised that ITVplc have not retaliated, yet, with advertising the drama during GMTV and on other popular channels and advertising that it can be seen in Scotland on the Sky ITVLondon channnel.