Better Regional TV Coverage of northern NW England could foster Local Community Pride and Social Cohesion

6^th March 2025

Dear Readers

There was an article that I read today in The Daily Telegraph entitled The real reason Britain is doomed to lose the next World War, written by one of their well- known columnists Michael Deacon. A link to this article can be found here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/03/06/why-britain-is-doomed-to-lose-the-next-world-war/. The article explains that a generation of young men taught to be ashamed of their country, taught to be ashamed of Britain’s “Imperialist past” by the Education system are young men who less inclined to risk their lives to fight for and defend this country. Whilst that does not predetermine everything about the outcome of a war, it is certainly a contributing factor if would- be soldiers have previously been taught to be ashamed of their country rather than to be ashamed of it, they would be less inclined to see this country as a country they would be willing to sacrifice their lives for.

 

Regional TV can impact the communities it serves

This applies to other situations and the region of Britain known as North West England, regarding which this website covers in the context of Regional TV and how relevant and “patriotic”, (for want of a better word) it is to the communities it serves. The output of Regional TV is still important, as millions of viewers watch it and have the views and perceptions of their region (or ignorance of their part of the North West) propagated by Regional TV output.

How does this matter? Well, an endless diet of multi-cultural issues and urban coverage of Manchester/ Liverpool, reports of crime, with few topics that instil pride of the region leaves viewers in the northern half of the region unenthused and feeling ignored whilst further south the indigenous populations of the North West are made to feel uncomfortable about being who they are whilst topics of concern to them get overlooked. Ethnic minorities and some special interest groups may be fine with that, but that is not the still- 85% of North West England who are British by birth and who have British (or at least North European) parents. On the whole, this sort of output does not foster pride in the region, nor community cohesion from what remains by far the largest people group in the English North West- and that is White British (or White Irish, with a small smattering of White Scandinavian in the north of the region).

 

English NW TV broadcasters need to remember the vast majority of it’s viewers are white and British

For Lancashire alone, over 85% of the population in the county is White British, a further three percent is White Irish or White North European (including Roma communities who have been part of the county for a century or longer), this making up to almost 90% of the Lancashire population according to the most recent (2021) census. Details here in this article: https://www.lancashire.gov.uk/lancashire-insight/population-and-households/population-and-households-census-2021-articles/population-by-ethnicity-and-change-2011-21/. Regional TV broadcasters do need to consider the impact on Lancastrians of dominant coverage of Asian community tensions in Manchester, coverage of minority religious groups (usually in Manchester or Liverpool), issues such as Black Lives Matter, the excessive Manchester- Liverpool- Everton axis of sports-coverage. Does it showcase local folks’ interest in and concern for their local communities by covering topical and geographic areas that matter, bringing them pride, or does it turn them off.

 

It matters generally if folk are encouraged to be proud of their communities and their Region, and also the country in which they live (which would be encouraged by a more patriotic BBC and ITV National News and documentaries output). It matters because people who are encouraged to be proud of their region, who think there are nice places around to visit and to preserve are less likely to be antisocial. They are less likely to disrespect fellow North West citizens, they are less likely to make a nuisance of themselves are more likely to volunteer in their community and support neighbours in need.

 

Geographic northern North West and more Local community news can pull the English North West together

This comes back to Regional TV output as received by viewers in the English North West, particularly those who live north of a line running from Southport to Oldham who are over 85% White British and for whom news-coverage is 30 to 35% of total output from BBC1 North West Tonight and ITV1 Granada Reports if they are lucky, but is often less. This does not increase community cohesiveness, nor fosters a sense of pride and belonging that would certainly benefit Lancashire and southern Cumbria, but probably also the northern half of Greater Manchester that identifies more readily with the historical county (of which these areas were a part) which is Lancashire.

There are three things that would enthuse viewers of Regional TV in this, what is by far the largest by geographical area of the North West broadcasters’ transmission areas (and which is at least half by population too). These things are:

• Viewers want to know what is going on in their area and they need topics of concern to their daily lives addressed consistently. Coverage of local communities and projects, not concerns and issues mainly miles away to the south, is what enhances community cohesion.

 

• Lancastrians and Cumbrians, Mancunians and Scousers (or Liverpudlians) warm to news coverage that builds up pride in their areas, but also that which fosters pride in the Northwest-ness of their region. Endless coverage of places to the south that lessens their sense of Northern-ness undermines that, and to some extent irritates them. The odd news exciting news-feature about snow-bound Cumbria (as shown in the above illustration) adds a sense of zing to the Regional news and affirms viewers sense of northern-ness. On the other hand, a report about neighbours from an up-market part of south Cheshire arguing over each other’s leylandii trees is more likely to be a turn-off. Most folk living north of that line from Southport to Oldham are likely to have little time or enthusiasm for a news-report about folk whom they are more likely to regard as “toffs” as well as Southern.

 

• The population of the English North West is still, 80 to 85% White British overall and, if one restricts that to folk living north of the M62 Corridor it’s over 85% White British and almost 90% general North European White. There is a place for coverage of ethnic minority groups and religions, but in keeping with the population of North West England 10 to 15% is suffice (that’s one news-feature a night on Regional TV). The great majority of folk want news sympathetic towards the North West English, British values, topics and concerns. The Regional TV output for North West England should be less Manchester/ Merseyside focussed and more about the provincial North West: BBC1 North West Tonight, which is transmitted to more of Cumbria and which can afford to let ITV1 Granada Reports be the more “Metropolitan” Regional News outlet, is in a stronger position to provide a better geographic spread of North West Regional news, including coverage of northern Cumbria which is just north of BBC1 North West’s transmission area.

 

ITV Granada Reports and BBC1 North West Tonight should focus their combined resources so that there is Something for Everyone in NW England and on the Isle of Man

Unfortunately, none of this is liable to happen without communities pulling together to put pressure on broadcasters for change. Many areas in the North West of England, including places outside of the M62 Corridor have seen an increase in anti-social behaviour, fly-tipping and not helping those in need in recent years. Much of this is down to less visible deterrent in the form of community policing and few tough sentences for violence. Some of it is because of less local and community pride from folk, and Regional TV does have a role to play in fostering that: The North West in a manner that addresses the concerns of all communities, is relevant to all viewers and provides news and topics that “Wow”, but which don’t irritate.

None of this dismisses the fact that the English North West is a huge region, and that what might be relevant or important to a Sikh in Oldham is not going to interest a farmer in the Lakes. For this reason, ITV1 Granada Reports could be encouraged to focus on the “Metropolitan” issues whilst BBC1 North West Tonight focusses more on the so- called “Provincial” North West of England, especially the part north of the M62 Corridor.

It makes no sense for two Regional TV programmes covering North West England to cover exactly the same topics, issues and areas: At no extra cost over both broadcasters Asian viewers in Oldham, farmers in the Lakes and families on the Isle of Man could all stand to benefit from “News that is relevant, builds up their community, and fosters civic pride”. This is something that can be suggested to both broadcasters, and to local and National government. This is to push the credible case that at least one NW Regional TV outlet should radically change it’s offering to focus more on NW England proper and the Isle of Man. Manx viewers really need their own programming- funded either by the Manx government or the BBC being made to find savings to fund it.

The North West English Regional TV outlet that should greatly improve coverage of Lancashire (including northern Greater Manchester), Cumbria (including the part north of the transmission boundary) and the Isle of Man -which has in its title that it covers North West England- is BBC1 North West Tonight.