ITV’s RE-THINK IS FIRST STAGE SUCCESS
April 3, 2008 12:00 AM
Jim Hume, MSP for the South of Scotland, has said that today's announcement by ITV to change to their plans to cut the number of regional news programmes represents a success for the Liberal Democrats' campaign to keep local news coverage in the area, but stated that many questions remain unanswered.
In response to representations made to the company by the MSP and his Liberal Democrat colleagues in the Borders, ITV has today announced that the South of Scotland will get a guaranteed six minutes of news at 6.05pm each day. Under the revised proposals, the number of regional news services will still be cut from 17 to 9, but 18 new "sub-regional" services will be created, including one for the South of Scotland.
Jim Hume said:-
"I have been actively campaigning against Michael Grade's plans to merge ITV Border with Tyne Tees.
"These proposals are undoubtedly an improvement on ITV's original plans, which would have effectively wiped Scottish regional news off the televisions of households in the Borders. I am pleased that ITV have acknowledged the strong representations my Liberal Democrat colleagues and I have made.
The MSP continued:-
"There are many questions that remain unanswered, and I am very keen to see the detail that lies behind this change before I am satisfied that it will offer viewers in the Borders the service they deserve. For example, what level of resources will be put into this new sub-region, and how many cameramen will they employ to cover the South of Scotland?
"I hope to get answers to my questions about these proposals and hope that they will offer a much better service for my constituents."
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