the stv thread

I know this may sound weird, but I think SMG TV Productions and Ginger TV Productions should merge to create STV Productions.
As SMG TV Sales has changed name to STV Sales, I think it would be a good idea, and could get the brand known in other countries.
What do you think?

That's sounds like a neat idea Garry! If this happenned, it would also be beneficial to the whole nation - Scotland could be promoted worldwide for tourism purposes (if VisitScotland were up to getting involved).

Has anyone else seen the board advertisements? I saw one the other day with the 'Altogether' catchphrase and the big S.

i haven't seen them as i'm in border. however i did see the annoying lump of supplement that came in saturday's scotsman that was sponsored by them. Highly annoying size being half the width of the paper. I had to remove them all one by one and put them in with that other annoying lump - the guardian, when i tied the papers up for returns.

Scotsport - STV
New look!!!

Scotsport will:

have a longer new 90-minute running time - Offering viewers extra coverage of those teams other than the Old Firm.

more highlights then ever before, including three OB-standard matches - Archie Macpherson, perhaps Scotland’s greatest commentator, will continue to provide outstanding vibrancy and colour throughout the season.

be live, in a brand new state-of-the-art set – in response to viewer research we know what viewers want..

more active promotion and linking to our new website – stv.tv launching later this summer will offer viewers a superb sports service on-line.

features a fresh new web-style graphic look – similar to the Fanzone programme which ran earlier this year, viewers will be able to add their comments by email or text making sure the fans’ voice is heard on SPL.

more expert analysis – robust post match comment from our panel of experts and journalists. Andy Walker now an established and well respected analyst in the game today accompanied by big newspaper names of McNee, Keevin’s, Leckie and Spiers.

more up-to-the-minute news items – the new live format will enable us to bring the latest breaking news stories to air using a special Scot sport ticker.

tomorrow’s back pages – our up to the minute sports new coverage will enable us to cover back pages from Dundee and Aberdeen as well as Glasgow and Edinburgh.

More details HERE.

I wonder if they'll bother to convert it to widescreen.

Anyway, sounds good. I never liked the previous look - especially the "crowd".

Scotsport still sounds hellish under this 'new look'. And the last thing it needs is to be extended - it needs the utter crap (keepie-up competitions, etc) removed. Dare I suggest the extension has been caused by the need to keep regional hours up caused by the removal of Scotsport First?

And are the comments quoted in the original post from an STV press release? If they are then it's rather embarassing they should be admitting there's not much non-Old Firm coverage.

I'm pretty sure p-c-u-k is absolutely right... and Scotsport is only being extended to make up for the loss of Scotsport First on Sunday mornings.

Most of that press release is just spin. For a start, of course the programme's getting a new set - that's simply because STV are moving shortly.

And remember the actual cost of televising the matches must largely be met by Setanta... hence why STV end up with three OB standard games! It's a bit complicated. But basically STV has the rights to highlights of games which are being covered by Setanta... albeit using SMG facilities! What STV is paying for are the rights and the repackaging.

Just what you expect of STV these days... meeting their legal obligations for as little outlay as possible.

STV is required to do three hours a week of English language programming apart from the news. If ninety minutes is made up of Scotsport, and further hour comes from Politics Now and Stephen Jardine's programme on Sunday then that doesn't leave much room for anything else.

And of course they're all modest, studio-based productions.

The both of you couldn't have said it better!

Scotsport has had a lot of stick due the way they schedule highlights of the weekend's action. I don't blame those who do give STV stick quick frankily, because STV deserve it!

Let's put it this way, has there been any time at all when Scotsport SPL has given all of the first two lots of 15mins to non-old firm games? We always see the first half hour with two games from the old firm, followed by the Auld Reekie twosome - and finally they show brief highlights from the rest of the games! How pathetic can you get?

This is from a dissapointed Kilmarnock fan.

To be fair to STV (something I don't often do) they are a commercial broadcaster, and the Old Firm have by far the biggest support - of course they're going to dominate proceedings. My main point of contention is that, in a 60 minute programme (now 90 minutes) the rest of the highlights are so short, and a lot of the programme is padded with needless filler like crap keepie-up competitions. If they cut some of that they'd have more time for the other teams.

I sure hope that happens, as the competitions are only for the Premiership (nothing against that like) BUT as Scotsport is a Scottish programme broadcast for Scotland - you would think that they would have the decency to hold competitions for Scottish games!

Ditch the competitions! Once they disappear - I wonder what Sarah O will be smiling for next?

What do they plan to replace Scotsport First with?