Up-dated May 2021 This Website provides a constructive critique of BBC and ITV Regional News (as watched) in northern parts of both North West and North East England on the grounds that viewers to not get enough news that is remotely, let alone immediately “Local” to them. The ideal news for a location is oneContinue reading “Introducing the Localness Onion: Immediate Local and Regionally Local- and its relevance to Regional News.”
Tag Archives: North West Tonight
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.”
13th July 2020. Better coverage of Lancashire and Cumbria on BBC North West Tonight. But fatal Cumbrian road smash very near the transmission boundary should be covered.
There are tentative signs that BBC North West Tonight might be improving coverage of the northern two- thirds of North West England- although one seasoned watcher of BBC North West Tonight will point out that there were similar “false dawns” in the past. Anyway, one should not be churlish! This evening’s main BBC North WestContinue reading “13th July 2020. Better coverage of Lancashire and Cumbria on BBC North West Tonight. But fatal Cumbrian road smash very near the transmission boundary should be covered.”
BBC North West Tonight. Coverage of the rise in Coronavirus cases in Blackburn- but not Cumbria! BBC Look North covers death of Jack Charlton (brother of Sir Bobby Charlton) – no mention of Coronavirus!
The weekend is upon us- and BBC North West does not cover Cumbria- perhaps no surprises there! But whilst they are mentioning that there has been a rise in Coronavirus cases in the Blackburn-with-Darwen Borough Council area (not knocking the coverage of Lancashire, by the way, more is needed), they might have added that CumbriaContinue reading “BBC North West Tonight. Coverage of the rise in Coronavirus cases in Blackburn- but not Cumbria! BBC Look North covers death of Jack Charlton (brother of Sir Bobby Charlton) – no mention of Coronavirus!”
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.”
Campaign to Keep the BBC North West Tonight family together.
In my last post (here: https://northwestisnorthwest.org/2020/07/05/the-bbc-should-not-be-cutting-north-west-tonights-excellent-news-presenters-and-weather-presenter-to-save-money/ ) I explained that the BBC intends to find £125 million in savings each year. Regional Television looks set to bear some of these cuts. In particular, where more than one News- Presenter presents the Regional News, there is a high likelihood that one of the Presenters will faceContinue reading “Campaign to Keep the BBC North West Tonight family together.”
Writing to BBC North West and ITV Granada about Regional News coverage of Lancashire and Cumbria
Updated 24th August 2023 Dear Readers, As you may now know, this Site is a Critique of Regional Television in North West England, with particular regard to the northern three-quarters of the Region: In other words it is that part of the North West of England and the Isle of Man that is north ofContinue reading “Writing to BBC North West and ITV Granada about Regional News coverage of Lancashire and Cumbria”
Carlisle and northern Cumbria do not benefit greatly from BBC Regional output
Dear Readers Viewers of Regional television in northern and West Cumbria get their Regional News- services from BBC (North East/ Cumbria), which comes from Newcastle upon Tyne and from ITV Border (English version). ITV Border, which produces a Scottish flavoured programme (from an opt-out on the Scottish side of the border) and a Cumbrian- flavouredContinue reading “Carlisle and northern Cumbria do not benefit greatly from BBC Regional output”
Liverpool Football Club Win the Premier League for first time in thirty years- and North West Tonight covers little else!
For anyone living in the northern two-thirds of the English North West Liverpool Football Club’s historic win (the first time they won the Premier League in thirty years) was perhaps a very happy occasion for any that supported the team…but predictably for the rest of the viewers of BBC North West Tonight was certain toContinue reading “Liverpool Football Club Win the Premier League for first time in thirty years- and North West Tonight covers little else!”
The BBC should INCREASE resources for Regional Television in the North West of England, NOT Cut it!
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. TheContinue reading “The BBC should INCREASE resources for Regional Television in the North West of England, NOT Cut it!”
25th June: North West Tonight again had no coverage north of Wigan- except the man arrested for road-killing in Dalton-in-Furness.
“That’s Yer Lot!” is something I was told when I was a child if my parents thought I was being greedy. I am sure it it something many parents have told their glutinous offspring in this country through the generations. It also perfectly sums up the apparent attitude of BBC North West Tonight’s Programmers andContinue reading “25th June: North West Tonight again had no coverage north of Wigan- except the man arrested for road-killing in Dalton-in-Furness.”
A new BBC North West Region for Lancashire, Cumbria and the Isle of Man
On 27th September 2004 a new BBC Region, BBC Look North (East Yorkshire/ Lincolnshire) with their broadcasting centre based in Hull was born. This new BBC Region was transmitted to East Yorkshire, parts of North Yorkshire and Lincolnshire and it catered for a potential 1.5 million viewers. This new BBC Region, whose viewers previously receivedContinue reading “A new BBC North West Region for Lancashire, Cumbria and the Isle of Man”
Television Regions with Hard Transmission Borders and Viewers on the Edge
BBC and ITV Regional Television in the North of England, particularly in the North West and- to a lesser extent- in the North East of England do not seem to like covering any news on their programmes- other than that which occurs within the areas where viewers can see the respective Regional programmes. These HardContinue reading “Television Regions with Hard Transmission Borders and Viewers on the Edge”
It takes a huge tragedy to get Cumbrian coverage on BBC North West Tonight and ITV Granada
There were two separate tragedies in North West England over the weekend of 20th/ 21st June 2020. The first incident was a shooting at an illegal rave in the Moss Side area of Manchester in the early hours of Sunday morning. Two men sadly lost their lives as a result of the shooting. The secondContinue reading “It takes a huge tragedy to get Cumbrian coverage on BBC North West Tonight and ITV Granada”
15th June 2020: BBC North West Tonight. Still nothing to report about Cumbria.
South Cumbrian viewers of BBC North West Tonight must be getting heartily sick of being ignored. For a week-and-a-bit now we have had nothing north of Preston on the flagship BBC Regional Programme for North West England, nothing for the northern two- thirds of the geographical North West of England. The Isle of Man hasContinue reading “15th June 2020: BBC North West Tonight. Still nothing to report about Cumbria.”
The BBC spends less on Regional Television in North West England than elsewhere.
Dated 10th February 2018, Dear Readers If you live in the North West of England, particularly if you live anywhere north of Preston and wonder why the regional news on BBC’s North West Tonight has little of relevance to your area; it is because the BBC spends less per head of population and per square kilometreContinue reading “The BBC spends less on Regional Television in North West England than elsewhere.”
The BBC could spend much more money on Regional Television in the North West if it was more Efficient.
Dated 17th April 2018 Dear Readers, I stumbled across this article written for The Daily Mail on 14th June 2015: It is entitled “BBC Spends less than half its Cash on Programmes”. It details expenditure for the Accounting Year ending April 2014- this after the BBC was made to cut 20% off expenditure in realContinue reading “The BBC could spend much more money on Regional Television in the North West if it was more Efficient.”
The North West of England Proper: Perspectives on Regional Television output.
19th May 2018 Dear Readers, I aim to look at how the perception of Regional Programming changes within the North West of England that those making the programmes need to bear in mind. What people in the North West of England consider to be “North West” will vary as one travels north from Cheshire, throughContinue reading “The North West of England Proper: Perspectives on Regional Television output.”
Again No Coverage North of Preston on North West Tonight. That’s the Whole Week!
I have watched BBC North West tonight again, protesters of rioters defacing a “Penny Lane” sign in Liverpool, Sikhs in Manchester discussing the opening of their places of worship, the Manager of Bolton Wanderers having to resign after the football club’s relegation to Division 2, TT Races Not Going Ahead on the Isle of ManContinue reading “Again No Coverage North of Preston on North West Tonight. That’s the Whole Week!”
BBC North West Tonight and North West England Politics
On the night of the General Election- the evening of 12th December 2019- a telling little feature of BBC North West’s Election Night coverage for the North West was a Whiteboard display showing all the counties and the Parliamentary Constituencies in each county. What might have incensed Cumbrian viewers of BBC North West’s coverage wasContinue reading “BBC North West Tonight and North West England Politics”
The North West Gypsies Not Told about Appleby Fair
In June every year, if you live anywhere in Cumbria, Lancashire or indeed in Northumberland and Durham in the North East of England, and you live in a relatively rural area you will notice an annual phenomenon: Lots of horse- drawn carriages on the roads, sometimes groups of two or three of them together. YouContinue reading “The North West Gypsies Not Told about Appleby Fair”
BBC North West Tonight on 11th June 2020: Nothing for Cumbria and Lancashire
I have just watched North West Tonight on I-player. What an indictment to viewers in the North West of England who live north of the River Mersey. There was nothing about their area at all. The exception was coverage of the Isle of Man being Coronavirus free after three months. However, for someone living inContinue reading “BBC North West Tonight on 11th June 2020: Nothing for Cumbria and Lancashire”