ITV PULLS OUT OF LOCAL ELECTION COVERAGE

30-04-2008

Central ITV has pulled the plug on its traditional local election coverage from Birmingham Town Hall. And follow-up reports the next day will be forced to fight for space with the anniversary of Madeleine McCann’s disappearance.

In previous years, Central has had a crew at the Birmingham count delivering live inserts and regional updates into ITV’s national programme.

Insiders at the company’s Gas Street HQ tell us this won’t happen this time around, simply because the national boys haven’t requested it – and the local company has no scope to go it alone.

There will be a report during Central’s 10.30 news bulletin on Thursday night, before the first result is declared – but after that, the presenter and camera operator will pack up and go home.

Coverage the following day will, in any case, be restricted because the channel plans to “go big” on the McCann anniversary.

No one can doubt the news value of that story, but the lack of election coverage is a further marker in the sad decline of Central’s ability to deliver on its public service commitment to the West Midlands.

Anyone who’s seen the Midland Journey film series at MAC or The Lighthouse will know what a proud tradition they have in covering local issues in depth and with passion.

(Stirrer editor Adrian Goldberg will be hosting Birmingham City Council’s live webstreaming of the election results, which will be available via The Stirrer website or http://www.birminghamelections.org.uk/)

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