Not even STV are brave enough to opt out of a network programme on a Saturday night at 7pm! Sounds like it should be a good series, though hopefully they won't be going over the top with Eamon!
It must be during your been framed.
saying STV There HAVE opted out once Saturday. between 5pm - 7pm. for the Stv top 30 show.
I wonder if they'll show some of the out-takes of Sir Laurence Olivier attempting to do the official opening? Some years ago I produced the opening night show for TARA Television, a short programme titled "Ireland On The Air" which traced the opening nights of all TARA's predecessors. UTV kindly gave us a reel of all the film they had from opening night, and there were several takes of the intro which had, in fact, been pre-recorded on film. It seemed that Sir Laurence had enjoyed a good deal of Ulster hospitality prior to the recording.
"UTV Television, the UK's most successful regional ITV company today called on MPs to consider funding a pilot scheme for non-news programming in Northern Ireland.
Michael Wilson, Managing Director, UTV Television was giving oral evidence to the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee Inquiry into Television Broadcasting in Northern Ireland at Stormont today."
First of all, UTV Television? Last time I saw an ITV station do that was TVS, and look what happened to them...
And how do they quantify themselves as the most succesful regional ITV company?
"He said: 'UTV invests close to £10m a year on public service programming producing the most watched regional news in the whole of the UK - UTV Live at 6. In addition, earlier this year we introduced a new late night news and current affairs programme UTV Live Tonight which is proving hugely popular with viewers and opinion makers alike. Our commitment to public service broadcasting and quality news and current affairs has never been stronger.
'We agree with Digital Britain's proposal for pilot schemes for news in other parts of the UK and
their recognition that such a scheme is not required in Northern Ireland as news plurality is not at risk here at present
. We believe this is because of the strength of our news content on TV, radio and online."
I can't find any references in the Digital Britain report specifically stating the latter point Mr Wilson makes, which I've put in bold text. I cannot recall any statement to that nature either since the report's publication on the DCMS website. If anyone can find a source that says the independenly financed news consortia scheme is not required in NI, DCMS or otherwise, please feel free to point it out to me and I will stand corrected.
I think at one stage or another most of the regional ITV companies in their hey day claimed that they were the most watched, most popular and they had the best regional news programme. I used to be a fan of regional news but now I find most of it dull as dishwater. Do viewers still realy need thirty minutes of regional news each night In Scotland on both channels the amount of time that they devote to sport in that half hour is unbelievable.
I quite like London Tonight it's more of a magazine type programme and it has a good balance of serious news and lighter issues.
50th anniversary idents and break bumpers on air this morning.
And nicely done in their correct aspect ratios this time, unlike the UTV Rewind effort. Three of the idents shown so far have featured the pre-2000 logo and one featured the 2003 scenery idents. Also just seen a promo for UTV Live next week which will be presented by a host of old faces!
50th anniversary idents and break bumpers on air this morning.
And nicely done in their correct aspect ratios this time, unlike the UTV Rewind effort. Three of the idents shown so far have featured the pre-2000 logo and one featured the 2003 scenery idents. Also just seen a promo for UTV Live next week which will be presented by a host of old faces!
In the run-up to the anniversary, I had a thought in the back of my mind about bringing back some of the older announcers to present an evening's worth of links - and potentially reading the UTV Live Tonight bulletin or leaving that to the duty of Dobbo/Aideen - the likes of Adrienne Catherwood, John O'Hara (who I've seen out-of-vision clips of, but not any in-vision clips) Joanne Woods, Bill Smith, Barbara Palmer and Robin Taylor sprang to mind.
Then UTV brought Pamela and Rose back to continuity which I guess nixed the whole idea.
