The end of an era: Last night for Westcountry TV
ITV'S Plymouth news programme Westcountry Live will be broadcast for the last time tonight with current and former staff expected to mourn its decline with an off-camera party in the Langage studio.
The tea-time bulletin will be replaced by a new show called Westcountry Tonight, beamed from Bristol, from Monday.
That show will be fronted by Bristol-based newsreaders Steve Scott and Lisa Aziz.
The shake up follows the merger of ITV Westcountry and ITV West with the loss of 84 jobs.
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It is understood staff will raise a glass or two in the studio and conservatory once the cameras have stopped rolling.
They will reminisce about ITV Westcountry's 17-year run, during which it once employed about 180 people.
"One or two staff who have left over the years have been invited to the wake," said an ITV source.
The replacement show will include at least 15 minutes of dedicated news specifically for viewers in each of the ITV West and ITV Westcountry regions.
The Langage studio, which is rented from Plymouth City Council, will be vacated by April.
But ITV will retain a team of journalists, camera crew and editors in Plymouth, based at independent production firm Twofour's base in Estover.
That team will include journalists Jonathan Gibson, Claire Manning and Trina Lake.
Other well-known Westcountry faces are being retained at other bureau.
Seth Conway and Jacquie Bird will be based in Exeter, Steve Hardy and Kathy Wilshire will be in Cornwall, while Mark Tyler will be retained as a sports correspondent and weathergirl Kate Reeves will stay on a freelance basis.
However, main anchors Richard Bath, Alexis Bowater and Jemma Woodman have not been included on the ITV list.
Meanwhile, the future of the Langage building is unknown, with a city council spokeswoman saying: "We will not be in a position to start marketing the building until it is actually empty."
Comments
by DANIEL HOSKING, stithians cornwall
Thursday, March 19 2009, 9:48PM
“BRING BACK WESTWARD TV,TSW AND WESTCOUNTRY AT LEAST IT WAS LOCAL ITV PRESENTERS CARED ABOUT THEIR VEIWERS ESPECALLY POOR RICHARD AND GEMMA”
by Jon, Swindon
Wednesday, February 18 2009, 7:14PM
“People in Devon and Cornwall need not dispair. I'm from Swindon, about as far east in the region as you can get. I found it difficult to relate to stories from Taunton so why the heck I want to know what's happening in Penzance - which is over a 3 hour drive away - is anyone's guess. So believe me we're not happy up here either.
About the only decent thing is that the old ITV West presenting team have been retained. Lisa Aziz & Steve Scott are much better than the BBC equivalent in the west - some past it newsreader and that bird from defunct Channel 5 gameshow Brainteaser. But at least the news is local enough, so I suppose I'll be watching those 2 clowns on BBC from now on.”
by Matthew Hutchinson, Hooe, Plymouth
Wednesday, February 18 2009, 1:29PM
“What a shame. I miss the days when local tv was personal and amusing like antics of TSW. That's what made TSW so great, It was a family not a tv show. But now the loss of Westcountry live and everything being shipped to Bristol?!? The personality has now gone, local news isn't local anymore. To me it's ITV for everywhere not for our local area.
I'm off to watch Spotlight from the BBC as at least the guys have a bit of humour and can read real local news, but if itv thinks they will cover costs by getting rid of Westcountry live they are sadly mistaken. It will bite them in the backside! I won't be watching the adverts on ITV any more, advertisers take note.
If you want to keep viewers you need to amuse and personalise tv. Not make it so stretched out that it doesn't mean anything to the viewers.
Bring back TSW (or at least Westcountry) and bring back Gus honey bun! That's what real entertainment and good local tv is all about!”
by Margaret, North Devon
Tuesday, February 17 2009, 1:55PM
“I shall miss Westcountry News very much in particular the cover we used to receive here in the North of the county. BBC doesn't think anything happens in Devon outside Plymouth. All the best to those of the team, in particular Richard Bath, who have not been retained.”
by Benny Factor, CNN.
Saturday, February 14 2009, 1:27AM
“Good riddance to bad rubbish.”
by SC, Plymouth
Friday, February 13 2009, 10:43PM
“I shall miss Richard Bath's manner and professionalism and hope he gets snapped up by someone who recognises his quality. Sorry for the whole team that they have had this forced on them.”
by Nelad, Newcastle upon Tyne
Friday, February 13 2009, 9:40PM
“Don't worry, you won't have to suffer news from Bristol for too long as ITV is likely to pull out of regional news entirely once digital switchover is completed in 2012.
As a previous poster mentioned, we too in Tyne Tees land are soon to be joined by viewers of ITV Border. I look forward to lots of reports about sheep and Sellafield as we try to accomodate our neighbours from Cumbria & the south of Scotland.”
by Ken, Peterborough
Friday, February 13 2009, 8:14PM
“You need to get used to losing local programming. Here in the east of England, many of the original independant local radio stations in the UK have just rebranded to Heart FM. As part of the 'exciting' new and improved service, the only local content now is 2 hours of Breakfast Show and 2 hours at Drive. All the rest is networked shows broadcast across the country. Gemini FM are one of the next in your area to go along with Plymouth Sound. Remember the heady days when Devon stations broadcast live 18 hours a day...with Devonair even 24hrs for a while. Simultaneous broadcasts between Plymouth Sound and Devonair bringing local events like Navy Days to life on air. Those were the days.”
by Rick O'Shay, zog
Friday, February 13 2009, 8:03PM
“How come Richard Bath has not been given a job as anchor? Is it because his surname wouldn't fit in Bristol? At least we can still go on Gus Honeybuns train in west hoe park.”
by Alex, Cornwall
Friday, February 13 2009, 7:55PM
“It went downhill after Gus Honeybun became PM. Last one out of Plymouth turn the lights out.”