ITV EFFECTIVELY SWITCHES OFF LOCAL POLITICS: As a 50th birthday present to itself,
ITV has started to choke off the last of regional political programmes by moving them to late-night Thursdays, where they will struggle against the tail end of Question Time and This Week, throwing their scant resources at trying to cover their large patches on - well, "shoestring" would be overstating it; it's barely even string.
Of course, they make it sound like a Good Thing:
The ITV News Group chief executive, Clive Jones, said the switch to a late-night slot would not mean a drop in the network's commitment to politics.
He said: "Strong coverage of politics throughout England and Wales has long been a feature of ITV's regional programme output. These new schedule slots will ensure we have a national showcase for regional politics, while ensuring each region can produce programmes tailored to suit individual needs and interests."
Oh... and there's going to be a big
twenty programmes every year. That's not even once a fortnight.
But then ITV franchise licence renewal is now automatic; why waste money on flattering politicians by covering their doings?