ISLE of Man viewers are likely to see a reduced version of the Lookaround regional ITV news show due to a cost-cutting shake-up of the network.
But the Island's Border TV correspondent says the recommendations, made today by TV regulator Ofcom, are good news as it offers a commitment to cover Manx stories on ITV.
The Ofcom proposal is for a 15-minute Lookaround slot within a 30-minute regional news programme for the Border and Tyne Tees regions.
This may include a commitment to show six minutes of Scottish news too as part of the 15-minute opt-out. However, as Ofcom is yet to clarify this it remains unclear whether the Lookaround slot which focussed on the Border TV area, which includes the Isle of Man, would be nine minutes or 15 minutes
The Border and Tyne Tees regions are likely to be merged as ITV has to save £40m per year on the cost of providing regional news.
'Personally I'm happy that the Isle of Man is still going to get news coverage on ITV,' said correspondent Paul Moulton, who covers Manx stories for Lookaround.
'The option was news or no news.
'If we were to go to a larger region, like Granada, we wouldn't get any Isle of Man news at all so this was probably the best option.'
He said that the proposals laid out by Ofcom meant that when big stories broke in the Isle of Man viewers could expect to see coverage on the Lookaround slot.
Mr Moulton, who has been supplying Manx coverage to Border TV for two years, will meet bosses from the station next week to discuss the proposed changes to regional news coverage and how it will affect him and the Isle of Man.
He works for his own company, pmc-tv, which provides Manx coverage for Lookaround.
In order to save costs Ofcom also recommends that daytime regional news broadcasts be dropped to allow quality coverage to be focussed on its 6pm news slot.
When the ITV plan to merge Border and Tyne Tees regions was announced many Lookaraound viewers feared the show would be axed.
Around 14,000 postcards were sent by Lookaround viewers to ITV bosses demanding that the show be saved.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?Send your comments to newsviews@newsiom.co.imYOUR COMMENTSWhy doesn't the IOM get it's own tv channel via SKY, with it's own studios based on the island ELLAN VANNIN TV !( run by Greenlight ! )
JOHN H.