“ITV should provide better news” says MSP
Written by author on February 4, 2013
South of Scotland MSP Joan McAlpine last Thursday led a debate in Parliament on television programming in the south of Scotland. Ms McAlpine secured the debate in light of Ofcom research that showed widespread dissatisfaction with ITV’s local news provision.
The research also highlighted that viewers in the south of Scotland were significantly less satisfied than those further north with the coverage of Scottish news, with only 49% responding positively compared to 64% and 74% in central and northern Scotland respectively.
Ms McAlpine has sent the Official Report to the UK Culture Secretary Maria Miller, to demonstrate the strength of feeling on the issue.
Speaking during the debate, Ms McAlpine said:
“I am pleased that Maria Miller has asked Ofcom to work with ITV to address the poor news offering in the Borders region. However, I am extremely concerned that ITV is in denial about the problem.
“There is a long way to go and Ofcom must be forceful on the matter. It must demonstrate that, although it reports to the UK Parliament, it appreciates the distinctive needs of Scotland as a nation and the particular requirements of our rural communities, such my region in the south of Scotland.
She added:
“There is an easy way forward. ITV could negotiate with STV to take its non-news programming, including “Scotland Tonight”. ITV could provide a local opt-out, which could give in-depth coverage for the south of Scotland.
“Given the political choices that Scotland faces, I expect Ofcom to be proactive in facilitating an agreement as soon as possible, long before the licence is renewed, for the sake of democracy and choice.”
Commenting after the debate she said:
“There are great things happening across the south of Scotland that get ignored in favour of the urban north east. Not only that, at a time of such political importance in the lead up to the referendum on Scottish independence, it is vital that viewers in this area receive the same coverage from both sides of the debate as the rest of the country. It is clear that this is simply not the case at the minute.
“I was pleased with the debate last night, and the strength of feeling on the issue from all sides of the political spectrum. We may not agree on the solution, but what we can agree on is the fact that the current situation is not good enough.
“I sincerely hope that ITV, Ofcom, and the Culture Secretary will work together to come up with a better offer for the south of Scotland.”
