ITV hears news proposal concerns

The delegation visited ITV to voice its concerns about the plans

A group of leading councillors has travelled to London to discuss ITV news plans for the Border TV region.

Councils in the Scottish Borders, Dumfries and Galloway, Cumbria, Carlisle, Copeland, South Lakeland and Alnwick sent representatives.

They are concerned the area could be covered from Newcastle rather than its present base in Carlisle.

The delegation - which also included the Bishop of Carlisle - met ITV's regional director Michael Jerney.

Last year ITV unveiled plans to reduce its number of regional newsrooms from 17 to nine.

Revised proposals included proposals for "sub-regional" services for Cumbria, south of Scotland and Tyne Tees.

Six minutes of content in ITV's 1800 news programme and nine minutes of the post-News at Ten bulletin would be sub-regional.

Opponents to the plan have voiced concerns at the loss of the current half-hour bulletin covering the Border TV area.

'Strong views'

Peter Duncan, of Dumfries and Galloway Council, said there remained serious concerns about the proposals.

"The council has already expressed very strong views to Ofcom as part of our response to the Public Service Broadcasting Review," he said.

"We believe that ITV's proposals to run its regional service from north east England will result in a reduced regional news service for Dumfries and Galloway.

"The region covered by Border TV is already geographically large and has communities with diverse interests - we are concerned that ITV will never be able to reflect this diversity from a remote broadcasting centre."