[Community Television] Fears over end of ITV regional news: Media Gdn Online

[Ian Fergusson]

NUJ fears end of ITV regional news 

Jason Deans, broadcasting editor 
Tuesday October 12, 2004 08:00

TV journalists are gearing up to fight Ofcom proposals that could allow ITV to drop all of its regional programming - including local news bulletins - within a decade. 
The National Union of Journalists is concerned that under new proposals from the government TV watchdog ITV will need to commit to regional news programming only "if financially sustainable". 
This statement has particularly alarmed NUJ officials, because it is the first time Ofcom has indicated it might not keep regional news as part of ITV's core public service broadcasting obligations. 
But the union is also opposing Ofcom's assertion that it would be "untenable" for ITV to continue making non-news regional programming - such as local features, lifestyle and documentary shows - after the phasing out of analogue TV begins in 2012. 
NUJ officials are due to meet Ofcom on Wednesday and will be seeking urgent clarification and assurances about the regulator's plans for ITV regional programming. 
"It's a bit of a bombshell. Ofcom seems to be suggesting not just that ITV's non-news output could go, but that regional news bulletins could go from any time after 2012," said Paul McLaughlin, the NUJ national organiser for broadcasting. 
Senior ITV sources indicated that the broadcaster wanted to continue broadcasting regional news - and expressed surprise that Ofcom had suggested it might not be financially viable after analogue switch-off, when every home in the land will have at least 30 channels. 
"We would like to keep doing our regional news, but on Ofcom's numbers, unless the status quo changes, we're not sure we're going to be able to," one ITV source said.
ITV is already understood to have raised with Ofcom the issue of whether money from the newly proposed rival to the BBC could be used to subsidise its regional news service. 
The broadcaster is also investing £16.5m in new digital technology for its regional news operations in England and Wales this year and will be spending at least as much in 2005, according to the head of regional news, Michael Jermey. 
"We wouldn't be making that level of investment if ITV wasn't committed to regional news," Mr Jermey said. 
However, the NUJ is also concerned that if regional news is no longer a core public service broadcasting obligation for ITV, even if it maintains a service outside London after digital switchover, it may not be of the same quality. 
"At the moment ITV has 27 regional opt-outs [from news bulletins]. It's very comprehensive and we would want them to maintain that," Mr McLaughlin said. 
Ofcom says the cost of non-news regional programming "will greatly exceed the value of any privileges available to ITV" and that research shows that non-news regional output is not valued by viewers. 
The regulator proposes that ITV franchises in England should be allowed to cut their non-news output by 50%, from three hours to one and a half hours per week, from the beginning of 2005, and phase it out altogether by digital switchover in 2012. 
Ofcom added that it expects the BBC to expand its programming from outside London to fill the gap left by ITV cutting back on its regional commitments. 
But the NUJ is worried that it will take years for the BBC to get the infrastructure and staff in place to beef up its regional programming output - and by then it may be too late. 
"If regional programming was the patient, would it be safe in Ofcom's hands? Their role is supposed to be to maintain and strengthen public service broadcasting. But with regional programming they seem to be intent on putting the patient in a coma and even allowing them to die, before trying to resuscitate them," Mr McLaughlin said. 
These proposals for the future of ITV's regional output are included in Meeting the Digital Challenge, phase two of Ofcom's review of public television broadcasting. 
Ofcom is seeking industry views and comment on the proposals as part of consultation exercise that ends on November 24.

--------------------------
Ian K. Fergusson * Manager, Press & Publicity *  BBC Bristol /  BBC West & Southwest
Room 20, Broadcasting House, Whiteladies Road, Bristol BS8 2LR, England, UNITED KINGDOM
T (+44)-(0)117-974-2109  Int. 0142109  MOBEX 071-42109 M 07736-481172  F (+44)-(0)117-923-7147   
ian.fergusson at bbc.co.uk
http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice * http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature 
> British Isles: A Natural History....3 billion years in the making     Wednesdays, 9pm on BBC ONE        bbc.co.uk/nature
> 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/ - World Wide Wonderland

This e-mail (and any attachments) is confidential and may contain
personal views which are not the views of the BBC unless specifically
stated.
If you have received it in error, please delete it from your system. 
Do not use, copy or disclose the information in any way nor act in
reliance on it and notify the sender immediately. Please note that the
BBC monitors e-mails sent or received. 
Further communication will signify your consent to this.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mailman-new.greennet.org.uk/pipermail/comtv-l/attachments/20041012/f9135f1c/attachment.htm