MPs attack ITV regional plan

45 MPs have signed an Early Day Motion opposing ITV's plans to "cut regional news budgets in half".

The Early Day Motion has been put forward by Labour MP John Grogan, who told Media Guardian: "It is up to the government and Ofcom to respond and find a solution which preserves ITV's position as a substantial provider of regional news and a serious competitor to the BBC".

BECTU has already attacked the plans by ITV to cut from 17 flagship programmes to a "nine region structure".

The motion reads:

That this House celebrates the contribution of ITV Regional News to the DNA of ITV, providing millions of viewers with news programmes that strongly reflect the cultural and social lives of their area; reflects that regional news has been a key obligation of the Channel 3 licence holder since its launch in 1954 providing strong competition to the BBC in this genre of programming to the benefit of all viewers; recognises that Ofcom's first PSB review concluded that the existing commercial PSB model would not be sustainable following digital switchover but also notes Michael Grade's comments in June 2007 that `if ITV got an advertising credit for its national and regional programmes....Immediately ITV would have an added incentive to invest in programming for the nations and regions'; strongly opposes the Chairman of ITV's precipitate plan announced in September 2007 to cut regional news budgets in half, from £90 million today to £40-50 million in the future, reduce regions from 17 (11 regions and 6 sub-regions) to nine, and merge areas such as Tyne Tees with Border, West and West country, East and West Midlands, the Meridian and Thames Valley; and calls on ITV and Ofcom to work together to find a solution that enables ITV to generate sufficient income to maintain a regional news network of which both the country and our regions are rightly proud.

Further details are on the Early Day Motion site.