14th September 2021 Dear Readers Roughly once a month- for a period from a week to ten days- both BBC1 North West Tonight and ITV1 Granada Reports seem to agree amongst themselves that they will not cover Cumbria in news- output for that period: In other words, it is “Just Lancastria”- meaning the ancient regionContinue reading “Both mainstream Regional TV News- services for North West England seem to have a Moratorium of Cumbrian coverage- again”
Tag Archives: North West England
Geographical Centres of Gravity and Proportions of Local News with Regional TV with Lancaster’s Localness Onion.
7th September 2021 Dear Readers It is vital that viewers of Regional Television get a news-service that is not just local, but which also covers the most relevant and geographic- appropriate wider Regional News for their communities. To that end the average geographic location of most of the content and the proportion of coverage thatContinue reading “Geographical Centres of Gravity and Proportions of Local News with Regional TV with Lancaster’s Localness Onion.”
Have ITV Granada Reports News- Programmers become aware of this Website: They are covering Cumbria.
24th August 2021 It’s good to see after all this time, but after seeming to totally ignore the half of North West England that is north of Lancaster for so long ITV1 Granada Reports have started to cover Cumbria. It is a joy to see but two significant pieces on Cumbrian affairs: The first isContinue reading “Have ITV Granada Reports News- Programmers become aware of this Website: They are covering Cumbria.”
The North West’s Gypsies would do well to watch ITV Border Lookaround
11th August 2021 In this article I discuss the fact that the Gypsies and Travellers of North West England are failed by both BBC North West Tonight and ITV Granada Reports when they refuse to cover Appleby Horse Fair- the largest gathering of it’s kind for Gypsies and the Romany community in Europe. It isContinue reading “The North West’s Gypsies would do well to watch ITV Border Lookaround”
BBC North West Tonight is better than ITV Granada Reports for North Lancastrians
10th August 2021 This evening there were two more news- features about South Cumbria were on BBC North West Tonight– a news-feature about a Kendal-based Indie pop-group and another news- feature about wildlife at Foulney Island- just off the coast near Barrow-in-Furness. There was also a news- feature about the Isle of Man and twoContinue reading “BBC North West Tonight is better than ITV Granada Reports for North Lancastrians”
Better Coverage of northern North West England on North West Tonight
9th August 2021 The return of Roger Johnson, the main News- anchor on BBC North West Tonight from his holidays- plus the end of the Tokyo Olympics (2020) has brought a revival in the extent of coverage north of the M62 Corridor: Barnoldswick in north-east Lancashire and Blackpool were covered, the plight of a youngContinue reading “Better Coverage of northern North West England on North West Tonight”
Viewers of Regional TV in South Cumbria should watch ITV Border’s Lookaround
5th August 2021 Dear Readers If you live in Cumbria, your go-to news-service for Local and Regional Television should be ITV Border’s Lookaround, which almost invariably has 50% of it’s news-coverage devoted to the county. It is, by far the best geographic- appropriate and all round regional and local TV news-service that there is forContinue reading “Viewers of Regional TV in South Cumbria should watch ITV Border’s Lookaround”
Another Cumbrian News Drought from the North West Regional TV Producers
4th August 2021 Dear Readers Last night, 3rd August 2021 saw no Cumbrian news on either BBC North West Tonight and ITV1 Granada Reports– which seems to have been the case so far this week. Viewers of Regional Television, who live in northern North West England but who nonetheless have the main North West RegionalContinue reading “Another Cumbrian News Drought from the North West Regional TV Producers”
North Lancastrian Viewers of Regional TV. On 30th July 2021 You Would Have Been Better Watching Look North (NE/ Cumbria) for Local News!
31st July 2021 Updated 13th September 2021 I have just caught up on BBC1 Look North (NE/ Cumbria version) which aired at 6.30.pm on 31st July 2021 across North East England and northern Cumbria. Although they do not usually do this, there were in fact four separate news-items about Cumbria on the programme, two ofContinue reading “North Lancastrian Viewers of Regional TV. On 30th July 2021 You Would Have Been Better Watching Look North (NE/ Cumbria) for Local News!”
BBC North West Tonight News Reporter Steven Saul Goes Native – and Did Not Cover Cumbria.
30th July 2021 This evening was an eye- opener: No coverage of Cumbria on BBC North West Tonight, and that’s despite the News Reporter Steven Saul (he comes from Preston) whom one might appreciate what makes good all-round local news- coverage for his Lancastrian viewers- he comes from Lancashire. The question is, has Steven SaulContinue reading “BBC North West Tonight News Reporter Steven Saul Goes Native – and Did Not Cover Cumbria.”
If you live in Central and Northern Cumbria then ITV1 Border Lookaround should be your Go-To Regional News- Service.
DUSK NEAR MALLERSTANG, JUST SOUTH OF KIRKBY STEPHEN, CUMBRIA. (AUGUST 2020) 18th July 2021 Dear Readers If you live central, northern and West Cumbria- that is everywhere from Kendal northwards to the Scottish Border (but with the small exception of Alston Moor in the extreme east of the county) your default ITV1 Region is ITV1Continue reading “If you live in Central and Northern Cumbria then ITV1 Border Lookaround should be your Go-To Regional News- Service.”
Good Local Television that informs Viewers is a vital Public Service- and it should be treated as such.
15th July 2021 Dear Readers The main reason why the main Regional News- broadcasters- both ITV.Plc and the BBC assert that they cannot provide more localised, relevant Regional Television for areas like northern Lancashire, South Cumbria and the Isle of Man is that they cannot afford it. But is that acceptable in view of theContinue reading “Good Local Television that informs Viewers is a vital Public Service- and it should be treated as such.”
Preferences of Regional Television amongst Viewers in North Yorkshire have real relevance for North Lancastrian Viewers of mainstream NW Regional TV- services- and a Warning for Programmers.
13th July 2021 Dear Readers The very fact that the two main North West Regional News- broadcasters are happy to just provide occasional snippets of news- coverage for viewers north of Preston and the Isle of Man- on the grounds that these viewers have no real alternatives and that the two big metropolises of GreaterContinue reading “Preferences of Regional Television amongst Viewers in North Yorkshire have real relevance for North Lancastrian Viewers of mainstream NW Regional TV- services- and a Warning for Programmers.”
Neither BBC North West nor ITV Granada have got North of Preston in run-up to Euro-final Week-end!
11th July 2021 Dear Readers I don’t know what it is about the run- up to major national Sporting events (like the Euro 2020 finals)- or when Manchester United or Liverpool Football Club get into the Champions League, but it seems major sporting events involving England or Manchester United/ Liverpool Football Club seems to makeContinue reading “Neither BBC North West nor ITV Granada have got North of Preston in run-up to Euro-final Week-end!”
ITV Border’s Lookaround covers Cumbria very well, occasionally touches on Lancashire issues. ITV1 Granada- Beware!
12th June 2021 Dear Readers NOT for the first time during the Coronavirus pandemic has ITV1 Border’s flagship Regional News programme Lookaround– which is broadcast to most of Cumbria and to southern Scotland- touched upon developments with regard to rising Covid-19 cases in Lancashire and Greater Manchester in order to warn their loyal Cumbrian viewersContinue reading “ITV Border’s Lookaround covers Cumbria very well, occasionally touches on Lancashire issues. ITV1 Granada- Beware!”
BBC North West Tonight covers northern North West England better than ITV1 Granada Reports
7th June 2021 Dear Readers This evening BBC1 North West Tonight devoted close to 50% of its coverage to Cumbria, Lancashire and the Isle of Man only, which is has not done for a while. Roger Johnson was- as is normally the case- cheerful and outgoing as the main news- presenter and he engaged withContinue reading “BBC North West Tonight covers northern North West England better than ITV1 Granada Reports”
South Cumbrians and North Lancastrians should watch ITV Border then BBC North West for Best all-round Local News.
1st June 2021 Updated 10th August 2021 Dear Readers This evening I watched BBC1 North West Tonight, ITV1 Granada Reports and ITV1 Border’s Lookaround: It is amazing what the Internet age has bought to enable viewers with a computer to watch Regional News programmes from different BBC and ITV1 Regions. For a limited period, ITV1Continue reading “South Cumbrians and North Lancastrians should watch ITV Border then BBC North West for Best all-round Local News.”
Cumbria and North Lancashire Community Television
30th May 2021 Dear Readers Regional Television receives proportionally less funding as a share of Britain’s Gross Domestic Product than it did thirty years ago when the only choices of television were BBC1, BBC2, ITV and Channel 4. Few would deny that the digital age has opened up a wealth of choice of different televisionContinue reading “Cumbria and North Lancashire Community Television”
All North West Regional Coverage South of Preston- again
26th May 2021 From time to time, viewers who live in northern North West England- but still in those areas where the two main default choices for Regional Television are ITV1 Granada Reports and BBC1 North West Tonight– must get the impression that the two main choices on offer Close Ranks- against them! How elseContinue reading “All North West Regional Coverage South of Preston- again”
Travel Times from North Lancashire Call Into Question whether ITV1 Granada Reports is Best for North Lancashire
LANCASTER CASTLE: FROM LANCASTER NORTHERN CUMBRIA IS QUICKER TO GET TO AND MORE ATTRACTIVE THAN THE BIG CITIES OF MANCHESTER AND LIVERPOOL. THIS CALLS INTO QUESTION WHETHER NORTH WEST REGIONAL NEWS SERVICES ARE LOCALLY APPROPRIATE. Courtesy of Northern_Punkie (Pixabay) 22nd May 2021 Dear Readers The ITV and BBC Regions approaching those that exist today wereContinue reading “Travel Times from North Lancashire Call Into Question whether ITV1 Granada Reports is Best for North Lancashire”
Cumbrian Viewers of BBC North West Tonight Should have been Made Proud of a Local Hero.
21st May 2021 This evening, there was a marathon- runner called Gary McKee who ran a 26.2 mile circuit near his home in Cleator Moor, West Cumbria. He did this every day for 110 successive days to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support and the local Hospice at Home West Cumbria. He ended up raisingContinue reading “Cumbrian Viewers of BBC North West Tonight Should have been Made Proud of a Local Hero.”
The Geographical Affiliation of Lancastrians Is More Northerly than BBC North West and ITV Granada Care To Admit
May 2021 Dear Readers This article sheds some light on what preferences that folk in central and northern North West England (i.e., in Lancashire and Cumbria) have in the places that they would like to visit on days out, or even move to, given the choice. It blows the lid off assumptions that “People inContinue reading “The Geographical Affiliation of Lancastrians Is More Northerly than BBC North West and ITV Granada Care To Admit”
Wanted: A North West Regional News- Service that majors on Lancashire and Cumbria
30th April 2021 Updated 26th July 2021 Dear Readers Again, over the last week neither ITV 1 Granada Reports nor BBC 1 North West Tonight have touched on Cumbria. Although BBC North West does cover Lancashire and south Cumbria better than ITV 1 Granada, neither can be said to cover Lancashire and Cumbria well. And,Continue reading “Wanted: A North West Regional News- Service that majors on Lancashire and Cumbria”
BACK TO BASICS: DOES REGIONAL TELEVISION SERVE NORTH CUMBRIA AS IT SHOULD?
March 2021 Updated 3rd June 2021 Dear Readers In a recent post, I posed the question: What Purpose is Regional Television supposed to serve in relation to communities across the English North West? I then explained that Regional Television is supposed to provide news that is much closer to (and relevant to) local communities, toContinue reading “BACK TO BASICS: DOES REGIONAL TELEVISION SERVE NORTH CUMBRIA AS IT SHOULD?”
BBC North West Tonight goes back to being Just Lancastria this Week before Christmas
18th December 2020 Dear Readers, IF EVER the viewers of Regional Television in the northern North West of England and on the Isle of Man at all needed a sharp Reality Check as to how much either ITV1 Granada or BBC North West Tonight covers areas of North West England north of Preston they gotContinue reading “BBC North West Tonight goes back to being Just Lancastria this Week before Christmas”
Viewers of Regional Television in North West England like Local news- and Exciting News a bit to the North of them
18th November 2020 Dear Readers A couple of months ago BBC North West posted a news- item about Alton Towers in northern Staffordshire (closed by Covid-19 restrictions) on their Twitter feed. Many tourists with young families who live in Manchester, Liverpool or Cheshire would happily visit Alton Towers for the day- to enjoy the funContinue reading “Viewers of Regional Television in North West England like Local news- and Exciting News a bit to the North of them”
South Cumbrian and Manx Viewers have a Strategy to Put Pressure on ITV1 Granada and BBC North West to “Up Their Game” for the Northern North West and Isle of Man- or Else!
6th November 2020 Dear Readers, This first week in November was a week that BBC North West Tonight has reverted to Not Covering Cumbria- the only time the county has been mentioned is in Owain Wyn Evans’ Weather-forecast! ITV1 Granada Reports haven’t covered Cumbria either. If ever there was a week to illustrate how poorlyContinue reading “South Cumbrian and Manx Viewers have a Strategy to Put Pressure on ITV1 Granada and BBC North West to “Up Their Game” for the Northern North West and Isle of Man- or Else!”
BBC North West and ITV Granada’s coverage remains unacceptable for their northern viewers. Suggested template for BBC North West to cover Cumbria and North Lancs. better.
Dear Readers For the first time since the start of September, ITV Granada finally featured a news- item mentioning Cumbria- Barrow-in-Furness is to receive £25 million to help boost regeneration as part of the Conservative Government’s “Levelling Up” programme and Blackpool is to get £40 million. But South Cumbrian viewers of ITV Granada Reports shouldContinue reading “BBC North West and ITV Granada’s coverage remains unacceptable for their northern viewers. Suggested template for BBC North West to cover Cumbria and North Lancs. better.”
Back to No Coverage of Cumbria on both BBC North West Tonight and ITV Granada
BBC Look North (North East/ Cumbria) had two pieces of news about South Cumbria over the last two days. Firstly, there is the concern over rising levels of Coronavirus in Barrow in Furness, and this has led to the borough being put under tighter restrictions (Level 2, of the new 3- Tier System of CoronavirusContinue reading “Back to No Coverage of Cumbria on both BBC North West Tonight and ITV Granada”
If their Twitter Tweets are anything to go by ITV Granada Reports Does Not Cover Cumbria- at all!
14th October 2020 Dear Readers Looking through the last 200 tweets on ITV Granada reports’ Twitter feed is illuminating: Not a single mention of Cumbria, just one concerning Lancaster and just four concerning Blackpool. Yet one Twitter post about Coronavirus concerned the Mayor of Sheffield, another discussed Wales (tourists from Coronavirus hot-spots in England notContinue reading “If their Twitter Tweets are anything to go by ITV Granada Reports Does Not Cover Cumbria- at all!”
ITV Granada Reports doesn’t cover Cumbria. Time for a full-scale move to ITV Border (English version) for the northern North West of England.
11th October 2020 Dear Readers It has been weeks since ITV Granada Reports- which advertises as “Covering the North West” -actually covered anything from Cumbria. Programmers for ITV’s Regional News in North West England seem to forget that 100,000 viewers in the north of their transmission area actually live in Cumbria and (moreover) these areContinue reading “ITV Granada Reports doesn’t cover Cumbria. Time for a full-scale move to ITV Border (English version) for the northern North West of England.”
ITV Granada off-air, so ITV leaves North West Viewers with ITV Calendar (Yorkshire): Neither Granada or BBC North West Tonight have shown Cumbrian News for weeks.
28th September 2020 Dear Readers Another week is getting off to a not-too-promising start for any mention of Cumbria on either BBC North West Tonight or on ITV Granada Reports. There has now been no coverage of the northern half of North West England on either BBC North West Tonight or ITV Granada Reports forContinue reading “ITV Granada off-air, so ITV leaves North West Viewers with ITV Calendar (Yorkshire): Neither Granada or BBC North West Tonight have shown Cumbrian News for weeks.”
25th Sept. 2020: My E-mail to ITV Granada Reports about their absence of Cumbrian coverage
Dear Readers One of North West England’s flagship Regional News programmes, ITV Granada Reports has not covered anything from Cumbria in three weeks. I have decided to put keyboard to email because this is shocking for folk who live in more northerly parts of North West England- since they are not really getting any localContinue reading “25th Sept. 2020: My E-mail to ITV Granada Reports about their absence of Cumbrian coverage”
From 10th April 2018: A method for BBC North West and ITV Granada to improve coverage.
This is an article I originally penned on 10th April 2018. It serves as a timely reminder today that both BBC North West Tonight and ITV Granada could cover Cumbria and North Lancashire better with some efficient time-management! Dear Readers Both the BBC and ITV Granada in the North West of England can still improveContinue reading “From 10th April 2018: A method for BBC North West and ITV Granada to improve coverage.”
From 3rd May 2018: The Maps displayed by BBC NorthWest Tonight and ITV Granada Reports show a Statement of Intent of the areas they cover!
This is an article I posted on a previous site on 3rd May 2018 Dear Readers, Just yesterday BBC North West Tonight showed a map to illustrate where in the North West local council elections were taking place (see here: https://twitter.com/kevfitz21/status/991668859575955456). The map only extended up to include South Lakeland, one of the few placesContinue reading “From 3rd May 2018: The Maps displayed by BBC NorthWest Tonight and ITV Granada Reports show a Statement of Intent of the areas they cover!”
ITV Granada Reports is shocking for any Cumbrians and North Lancastrians who have no alternative Regional News- Not a mention of Cumbria in over a week!
Granada Reports is ITV’s flagship Regional News programme covering North West England and the Isle of Man. For sure the news-reports are undoubtedly popular in Manchester, Liverpool and other conurbations along the River Mersey (where over 60% of the news reported is within a 30-mile radius of such locations) and viewers there warm to LucyContinue reading “ITV Granada Reports is shocking for any Cumbrians and North Lancastrians who have no alternative Regional News- Not a mention of Cumbria in over a week!”
4th September 2020: BBC North West Tonight. Any hopes of further Cumbrian news- coverage quickly dashed!
True to form BBC North West Tonight lets down it’s viewers who live north of Preston after dangling in front of them the prospect of more consistent news- coverage of Cumbria (i.e. something about Cumbria each night). The last three evenings of the week have yielded nothing about Cumbria! At the same time BBC LookContinue reading “4th September 2020: BBC North West Tonight. Any hopes of further Cumbrian news- coverage quickly dashed!”
BBC North West Tonight. Roger Johnson is excelling himself.
The last few days have seen an improvement in the amount of Regional News- coverage given to the northern half of North West England by BBC North West Tonight. Even the Keswick outlook forecast has come back into Owain Evans weather- forecast! This evening, Roger Johnson had a piece on schools re-opening in Blackpool andContinue reading “BBC North West Tonight. Roger Johnson is excelling himself.”
ITV BORDER COULD BE THE SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEMS OF POOR LOCAL NEWS- COVERAGE IN THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE RESPECTIVE NORTH-WEST AND NORTH-EAST REGIONS.
There are good reasons why both North Lancashire and Northumberland should be transferred to ITV Border. These rural areas of the northern North West and North East England would get better coverage.
ITV could realise that South Cumbria and Northern Lancashire are not getting much local news from Granada- and shift these areas into ITV Border so that they are better-covered.
ITV is privately run, it’s revenue comes from advertising and some sponsoring of programmes. It also gets some income from ITV Hub- its online advert-free subscription service which it has recently expanded. Viewers pay £3.99 a month to view ITV programmes (including ITV Regional News programmes) online. Being dependent (as it is) on viewers (fromContinue reading “ITV could realise that South Cumbria and Northern Lancashire are not getting much local news from Granada- and shift these areas into ITV Border so that they are better-covered.”
Roger Johnson and the new weather forecaster on BBC North West Tonight- and no Cumbria!
19th August 2020 , Updated 19th October 2021 The last few days (17th- 19th August 2020) have seen, once more, an absence of coverage of the northern half of North West England on both BBC North West Tonight and ITV Granada Reports. On BBC North West Tonight there have been indications of intent NOT toContinue reading “Roger Johnson and the new weather forecaster on BBC North West Tonight- and no Cumbria!”
Eleanor Morris presented BBC North West Tonight this evening- and finally Cumbria gets covered properly.
Credit where credit is due. Finally, after days without coverage of the county there were three reports about Cumbria in BBC North West Tonight, presented by Eleanor Morris. The swimmer who swam all 13 lakes in the English Lake District was covered, there was a report on the rescue of a little boy who slippedContinue reading “Eleanor Morris presented BBC North West Tonight this evening- and finally Cumbria gets covered properly.”
It is not OK for Cumbria to not get covered at all in North West Regional News bulletins
BBC Look North (Newcastle) featured two pieces about the English Lake District- very much in North West England- on it’s bulletins. The first featured a family group of six people who attempted to cycle from Windermere to Wasdale Head in poor weather- they got lost on the high fells in between and had to beContinue reading “It is not OK for Cumbria to not get covered at all in North West Regional News bulletins”
Please Annabel Tiffin, Can you cover something from Cumbria?
Updated 19th October 2021 Annabel Tiffin presented BBC North West Tonight this evening (3rd August 2020)- and there was nothing about Cumbria or indeed North Lancashire. It is now ten days since BBC North West Tonight (and ITV Granada) produced any news about Cumbria at all. How much longer do the good people of SouthContinue reading “Please Annabel Tiffin, Can you cover something from Cumbria?”
A Letter to the Secretary of State for Digital Culture Media and Sport.
1st August 2020 Updated 19th October 2021 I have penned a letter to the the Secretary of State for Digital Culture Media and Sport- for the time has come to act and say something on behalf of 200,000 viewers in Cumbria who often don’t get coverage of their county for a week or more onContinue reading “A Letter to the Secretary of State for Digital Culture Media and Sport.”
BBC North West Tonight and ITV Granada: Coverage is Really Not Good Enough for the Northern Half of North West England.
To get an accurate picture of how well the northern two- thirds of North West England are getting covered by Regional Television one has to watch it over a period of time. You get the odd day when two items of news- coverage about Cumbria might be covered in the main evening bulletins followed byContinue reading “BBC North West Tonight and ITV Granada: Coverage is Really Not Good Enough for the Northern Half of North West England.”
South Cumbria is Definitely in North West England. There should Never Be a situation where BBC North West covers NOTHING from Cumbria for Six Days- but BBC North East covers two South Cumbrian news items (plus a further two Cumbrian items) over a weekend!
This weekend -of 18th/ 19th July 2020 illustrates something very amiss with BBC Regional Television in the North West and North East of England: It is that Cumbria has not been covered at all all weekend on BBC (and nothing about Cumbria has been covered for six days) whilst BBC Look North (North East andContinue reading “South Cumbria is Definitely in North West England. There should Never Be a situation where BBC North West covers NOTHING from Cumbria for Six Days- but BBC North East covers two South Cumbrian news items (plus a further two Cumbrian items) over a weekend!”
17th July 2020: Nothing about Cumbria on BBC NorthWest tonight for last four days-no coverage of woman who died after Cleator Moor murder.
If you thought BBC North West Tonight was covering Cumbria a bit more regularly- and it certainly began to seem that way- then another week without any Cumbrian news- coverage on the BBC’s flagship main news-bulletin for North West England comes along to squash any hopes that South Cumbrian and North Lancastrian viewers might haveContinue reading “17th July 2020: Nothing about Cumbria on BBC NorthWest tonight for last four days-no coverage of woman who died after Cleator Moor murder.”
9th July 2020: Better coverage across much more of North West England on BBC North West Tonight.
When BBC North West Tonight shows signs (and intent) towards improving news- coverage across the northern two- thirds of North West England it is good to point this out. Tonight’s Regional Bulletin (with the wonderful Annabel Tiffin) is a case in-point: Out of ten big news stories there were two about Cumbria (and part ofContinue reading “9th July 2020: Better coverage across much more of North West England on BBC North West Tonight.”
If you live in Lancashire, Cumbria, the Isle of Man- or Northumberland and watch Regional Television- Your Views and Feedback are Welcome
I would like to take this opportunity to remind anyone who visits this Website who lives either in the northern two- thirds of North West England, the Isle of Man or indeed Northumberland to share their views on the BBC and ITV Regional Television where they live: Is the Local News where you live reallyContinue reading “If you live in Lancashire, Cumbria, the Isle of Man- or Northumberland and watch Regional Television- Your Views and Feedback are Welcome”