The end of Fred Dineage and Meridian News

[Storer68]

At last.

No more Southampton/Portsmouth/.Hampshire bias.

ITV is planning to cut its regional news budget by half, or up to £40m, and slash the number of local bulletins from 17 to nine.
The cuts will leads to hundreds of job cuts, according to broadcasting unions.

As part of ITV's plan, which would need to be approved by industry regulator Ofcom, the Border region news service is to be merged with Tyne Tees, while the separate Westcountry and West of England bulletins will become one programme.

In a letter to staff, ITV executive chairman Michael Grade said the broadcaster was seeking savings of between £35m and £40m a year from its £120m regional programming budget.

Out of this, ITV spends around £85m a year on regional news, according to the National Union of Journalists.

Six local "opt-out" bulletins - where viewers in different parts of a region get a more localised service - are also being axed in the Central, Meridian, Yorkshire and Anglia franchises.

However, ITV is proposing to provide short recorded opt-outs in Central and Meridian until digital switchover is completed in 2012.

There would be no changes to the ITV regional news services in London, Granada or Wales.

"The new combined programmes we are proposing today - if approved by Ofcom - will be well resourced, well produced and able to offer viewers high-quality journalism and content that celebrates the life of our regions," said Michael Jermey, ITV Regions director, in a letter to staff.

Ofcom would consider the proposals, said the letter, as part of its review of public service broadcasting that continues until the end of next year. If approved, the changes would take effect from early 2009.

"We appreciate that major change is difficult but if we keep the end goal in mind, to build an affordable network of regional news services, making high quality, well-resourced programmes that viewers want to watch we will be successful," Mr Jermey added.

Mr Grade said the company was moving towards "a fully digital market with all the commercial challenges that brings - we have to make sure ITV remain competitive".

"The commercial reality is that we're spending more than regional news than can be justified," he added.

 

[bhaexpress]

At last.

No more Southampton/Portsmouth/.Hampshire bias.

ITV is planning to cut its regional news budget by half, or up to £40m, and slash the number of local bulletins from 17 to nine.
The cuts will leads to hundreds of job cuts, according to broadcasting unions.

As part of ITV's plan, which would need to be approved by industry regulator Ofcom, the Border region news service is to be merged with Tyne Tees, while the separate Westcountry and West of England bulletins will become one programme.

In a letter to staff, ITV executive chairman Michael Grade said the broadcaster was seeking savings of between £35m and £40m a year from its £120m regional programming budget.

Out of this, ITV spends around £85m a year on regional news, according to the National Union of Journalists.

Six local "opt-out" bulletins - where viewers in different parts of a region get a more localised service - are also being axed in the Central, Meridian, Yorkshire and Anglia franchises.

However, ITV is proposing to provide short recorded opt-outs in Central and Meridian until digital switchover is completed in 2012.

There would be no changes to the ITV regional news services in London, Granada or Wales.

"The new combined programmes we are proposing today - if approved by Ofcom - will be well resourced, well produced and able to offer viewers high-quality journalism and content that celebrates the life of our regions," said Michael Jermey, ITV Regions director, in a letter to staff.

Ofcom would consider the proposals, said the letter, as part of its review of public service broadcasting that continues until the end of next year. If approved, the changes would take effect from early 2009.

"We appreciate that major change is difficult but if we keep the end goal in mind, to build an affordable network of regional news services, making high quality, well-resourced programmes that viewers want to watch we will be successful," Mr Jermey added.

Mr Grade said the company was moving towards "a fully digital market with all the commercial challenges that brings - we have to make sure ITV remain competitive".

"The commercial reality is that we're spending more than regional news than can be justified," he added.

How ?

 

[HAMPSHIRE DAVE]

So when we get promoted almost no local news coverage?
All ITV are care about is getting another shit "talent show" with
eight mill dick-heads watching and charging high ad fees!!!
NOBODY EVER SAID ITV PROGRAMES WAS GOOD DID THEY?

HAMPSHIRE DAVE

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

BBC is better

 

[The Clown of Pevensey Bay]

BBC is better

Agreed. but then I would say that.

You're wrong, Storer68 -- this will probably lead to MORE Fred Dinenage, and MORE Hampshire stories on their air in Sussex. Do you really think they'll make cuts and then move their main newsroom to Brighton?

(They won't)

 

[Leekbrookgull]

If that means the end of Nick Owen, then great news.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

This is complete b*llocks - it is simply a way to save money by making ITV a national programme (like the BBC only worse) and avoid the tedious and frankly rather embarassing attempts at localism (i.e for Gods sake find a local angle on this national story however spurious and sad)

 

[The Clown of Pevensey Bay]

If that means the end of Nick Owen, then great news.

Nick Owen is on BBC Midlands Today. So no, no it doesn't.

 

[ben andrews' girlfriend]

Nick Owen is on BBC Midlands Today. So no, no it doesn't.

And on BBC News 24!!

 

[The Oldman]

Meridian currently has 3 regional opt outs. South (Dinnage & co) South East and another covering North Hampshire/ Berkshire. But they are all produced from Hampshire so my guess is that the Southampton bias will remain as there will be one regional programme from their studios in Hampshire.

Meanwhile the BBC continues to offer 3 regional services in the South/South East. But for how much longer?

 

[dougdeep]

Can't see us getting a Sussex section now then.

 

[John Byrnes Mullet]

I like Fred he is a legend, I will be sad the day he retires, I always take my daughter to his sand castle competions in Littlehampton. He is a really top bloke same as sports presenter Belvers he is all for the Albion getting plenty of coverage.

 

[Napper]

get lost fred you turncoat

 

[Publius Ovidius]

About this local angle stuff...I thought it was curious that the South Today BBC had their main story as the Reading One Way System fiasco, when a national news story that will affect everyone in the South a million times more than having to drive through Reading ie the Foot and Mouth outbreak in Surrey ( which is South).

Surely Surry is more south than reading!!!

Whaht also amazes me is that when the Southern football results come through they include Wycombe and MK Dons!!!!!! How does that work then?

 

[Monkster]

I don't mind Fred Dineage too much, It's THROWER I can't stand.......Will that mean no Amanda PIPER in the morning?

 

[Blackadder]

I'm more a BBC man.

I get the South East Version, which always mentions Gillingham first, then a LONDON club, Charton, then us!

 

[The Wookiee]

Meridian currently has 3 regional opt outs. South (Dinnage & co) South East and another covering North Hampshire/ Berkshire. But they are all produced from Hampshire so my guess is that the Southampton bias will remain as there will be one regional programme from their studios in Hampshire.

Meanwhile the BBC continues to offer 3 regional services in the South/South East. But for how much longer?

Is the South East region not produced out of Maidstone ?

 

[Yoda]

About this local angle stuff...I thought it was curious that the South Today BBC had their main story as the Reading One Way System fiasco, when a national news story that will affect everyone in the South a million times more than having to drive through Reading ie the Foot and Mouth outbreak in Surrey ( which is South).

Surely Surry is more south than reading!!!

Whaht also amazes me is that when the Southern football results come through they include Wycombe and MK Dons!!!!!! How does that work then?

Agree with you there Dave, South should be South of London.

Either that or add all of Sussex onto BBC South East.

 

[Bevendean Hillbilly]

Is the South East region not produced out of Maidstone ?

Yes which is why when the morning regional upadates come from there all we get is stories about bloody rochester and folkestone.

 

[The Oldman]

Yes which is why when the morning regional upadates come from there all we get is stories about bloody rochester and folkestone.

Whilst a news room with a webcam link is at Maidstone I was led to belive that the Presenters Studio at 6.00pm is actually in Hampshire somewhere north of Portsmouth.