An article in the Liverpool Echo (dated 5th May 2020) reports that the BBC, citing the tough Economic climate, plans to mothball two of its bases in Lancashire from where reporters and editors edit news- items to report on the north of the BBC North West Region. This article can be found here: https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/bbc-close-offices-north-west-18202450.
The BBC, of course, deny that this will mean redundancies and even worse coverage for the north of the BBC North West Region. However, it is inevitable that through moving resources out of the northern two-thirds of the North West (by closing offices in Lancaster and Blackpool) that this is exactly what should happen. Television license payers in the North West pay £157.50 per annum and (arguably) the BBC is getting more money than they did over thirty years ago when BBC North West not only covered all of Cumbria (and had a base in Carlisle), but also provided opt-out news coverage for Cumbria in lunchtime North West regional bulletins.
The BBC’s priorities are wrong, not its money. They should NOT be cutting Regional Television resources for the North West, but INCREASING these resources because Lancashire and South Cumbria are given scant regard as it is. The move to mothball offices in Lancashire will make for even worse news- coverage!
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Published by northwestisnorthwest
My name is Ian Pennell and I am a freelance Book-keeper. I live near Alston in the North Pennines in north-east Cumbria. I used to live and work in Lancaster until 19 years ago and have friends in northern North West England. I have two Websites devoted to campaigning for local, relevant Regional TV, one for Cumbria/ North Lancashire the other for Northumberland/Scottish-Border.............................................................................................................................. A big problem is that the Regional Television Bulletins for the North West covers the southern third of the Region about 90% (plus a part of Derbyshire which is NOT the North West of England), covers the middle third of North West England poorly and covers the northern third of North West England not at all! When I was studying at Lancaster University, I used to watch BBC1 North West Tonight because it covered areas up around where I was brought up- in northern Cumbria as well as more immediately locally around Lancaster. Then I came home one day, turned on BBC1 North West Tonight wondering why they were silent on Cumbria and discovered why: Most of Cumbria had been chopped off the weather-map! ........................................................................
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In rural and northern Northumberland too, Regional TV, as is received by viewers, tends too often to be Tyneside/ Wearside/ Teesside- focussed with little news locally. Communities in North Northumberland have strong links across the Border into south-east Scotland and towards Edinburgh but none of the Regional TV News- services serving Northumberland today ever goes across the Scottish Border to cover significant happenings of interest to North Northumbrians. The region of Northumberland/ Scottish Borders/ East and Mid Lothian area is vast- but it is largely overlooked by mainstream Regional TV! .................................................................................................................... ................
In two websites, one for northern North West England and the Isle of Man (a country in it's own right that does not have it's own TV service!), and another Website focussing on Northumberland, North Yorkshire and the North Pennines I make the point that Regional TV that informs viewers of important things in their local area is a Public Service that must be funded better, in order that rural areas of northernmost England get good geographic- appropriate local news-coverage.
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