Editing ITV Meridian (section)

===ITV Meridian===
In 2002, Granada Television and Carlton Television decided to consolidate the separate brandings for the ITV franchises that they controlled, changing the name of the region to ITV Meridian, with the on screen name of ITV1 used before all non-regional programming. The consolidation became further pronounced when Carlton Television and Granada Television merged to form [[ITV plc]] in 2004. 2004 also saw the move of ITV Meridian from their previous [[Television Centre, Southampton|Northam studio complex]] to a new studio base in [[Whiteley]], Hampshire.

In the subsequent years, ITV Meridian's workforce has been condensed slowly with its operations considerably downgraded. This came to a head when Michael Grade announced his intention to reduce the number of regional programmes from 17 to 9. As part of these plans, which were approved by [[Ofcom]] in 2008, the three editions of the news programme ''[[Meridian Tonight]]'' were replaced with a single edition with a pre-recorded opt out for either the South or South East of the region. The plans resulted in over half of Meridian's existing staff being made redundant; all employees wishing to remain with the company were obliged to re-apply for jobs.<ref>{{cite news| title = Meridian faces axe| publisher = Salisbury Journal| date = 21 September 2007| url = http://www.thisissalisbury.co.uk/display.var.1703437.0.meridian_faces_axe.php| access-date = 2007-09-21| archive-date = 26 June 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210626001044/https://www.salisburyjournal.co.uk/news/1703437.meridian-faces-axe/| url-status = live}}</ref> Some staff opted for voluntary redundancy and many others have been left without jobs. Strike action was threatened as a result of the announcement.<ref>{{cite web|last=Sturgess |first=Trevor |url=http://www.kentonline.co.uk/kol08/article/default.asp?article_id=49008 |title=TV 'carnage' as Meridian slashes newsroom jobs |publisher=Kentonline.co.uk |date=30 September 2008 |access-date=2011-01-27}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bectu.org.uk/2007/11/05/meridian-staff-act-over-news-cuts/ |title=BECTU News – Meridian staff act over news cuts |publisher=Bectu.org.uk |date=5 November 2007 |access-date=2011-01-27 |archive-date=3 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160503075358/https://www.bectu.org.uk/2007/11/05/meridian-staff-act-over-news-cuts/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6994696.stm | publisher=BBC News| title=Strike threat over ITV news cuts | date=14 September 2007 | access-date=12 May 2010 | archive-date=26 June 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210626001031/https://secure-uk.imrworldwide.com/v51.js | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/2454985.nearly_100_jobs_to_go_at_meridian/ |title=Nearly 100 jobs to go at Meridian |publisher=Bournemouth Echo |date=30 September 2008 |access-date=2011-01-27 |archive-date=2 July 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170702103307/http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/2454985.nearly_100_jobs_to_go_at_meridian/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

At present the only local programming that ITV Meridian provides for the region is regional news programming<ref name="Licence v12">{{cite web|title=South of England Regional Channel 3 Licence: Attachment to Variation 12|url=http://licensing.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/tv/itv/meridian/South_Englandvar_12.pdf|website=Ofcom Licensing|publisher=Ofcom|access-date=13 April 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150414031007/http://licensing.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/tv/itv/meridian/South_Englandvar_12.pdf|archive-date=14 April 2015}}</ref> and a pan-regional monthly late-night 30-minute political discussion programme, ''The Last Word''. In 2013 proposals were approved by Ofcom that reversed the 2009 consolidation of ITV Meridian's regional news programmes, resulting in the reinstatement of the three sub-regions (South, East and Thames Valley).<ref name="ITV Proposal 2013">{{cite web|author1=ITV|title=ITV's Proposals for Nations and Regions News for a new Channel 3 PSB Licence|url=http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/consultations/c3-c5-obligations/annexes/itvs-proposals.pdf|website=Ofcom|publisher=Ofcom|access-date=13 April 2015|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304040922/http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/consultations/c3-c5-obligations/annexes/itvs-proposals.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Ofcom Decision 2013">{{cite web|title=Channel 3 and Channel 5: Statement of Programming Obligations – Amendments to obligations for Channel 3 and Channel 5 ahead of a new licensing period|url=http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/consultations/c3-c5-obligations/statement/|website=Ofcom|publisher=Ofcom|access-date=13 April 2015|archive-date=26 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160826125503/http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/consultations/c3-c5-obligations/statement/|url-status=live}}</ref> However to maintain lower costs, the main half-hour programme at 6p.m. contains a minimum 20 minutes of regional news (10 minutes in the Thames Valley) and daily use of "shared content" from outside the region.<ref name="ITV Proposal 2013"/><ref name="Ofcom Decision 2013"/> The practice of broadcasting one programme live and pre-recording others, using the same presenting team and studio set, continues.<ref name="ITV Proposal 2013"/>