This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/uk-wales-16206671

The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 2 Version 3
NUJ current affairs concern over ITV Welsh news 'change' ITV Wales current affairs threat denied
(40 minutes later)
By Huw Thomas BBC Radio Wales NewsBy Huw Thomas BBC Radio Wales News
Current affairs programmes on ITV Wales will be cut if the channel changes its news schedule, according to claims by the National Union of Journalists (NUJ). There are hopes current affairs programmes on ITV Wales will be not be cut if the channel changes its news schedule.
A union official claims jobs would be lost and programmes could disappear.
ITV is conducting a review which could mean an hour-long programme combining network and Welsh news would begin at 18:00ITV is conducting a review which could mean an hour-long programme combining network and Welsh news would begin at 18:00
ITV said it had no plans to make changes, calling speculation misplaced. It said it had no plans to make changes and any speculation was "misplaced".
The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) said it was positive the programmes would remain.
The broadcasting licence held by ITV Wales requires it to produce one and half hours of current affairs programmes such as The Ferret and Wales This Week each week.The broadcasting licence held by ITV Wales requires it to produce one and half hours of current affairs programmes such as The Ferret and Wales This Week each week.
The NUJ says the proposed changes next year would eat into that requirement and result in established programmes being discontinued.The NUJ says the proposed changes next year would eat into that requirement and result in established programmes being discontinued.
Nicholas Whitehead, an NUJ official at ITV Wales, said: "If we're going to be doing that every weekday, we pretty surely will not be making programmes called The Ferret or Wales This Week because that sort of content would be put into those 10-minute slots. Nicholas Whitehead, an NUJ official at ITV Wales, said after a pilot of the news hour, involving current affairs slots, he was hopeful about the future of current affairs programmes such as The Ferret and Wales This Week.
"It looks to me that it's inevitable that those well-known and much-loved programmes would come to an end."
Liberal Democrat AM Peter Black, who sits on the assembly's Task and Finish Group on the outlook for the media in Wales, told BBC Radio Wales he was concerned about the potential changes.Liberal Democrat AM Peter Black, who sits on the assembly's Task and Finish Group on the outlook for the media in Wales, told BBC Radio Wales he was concerned about the potential changes.
"My understanding of current affairs is you tend to look at the news in more depth, and it's very difficult to see how you can do a deeper analysis of what's going on in a 10-minute slot," he explained."My understanding of current affairs is you tend to look at the news in more depth, and it's very difficult to see how you can do a deeper analysis of what's going on in a 10-minute slot," he explained.
Pass judgementPass judgement
"It seems to me that the half-hour programme is much better suited to that sort of approach."It seems to me that the half-hour programme is much better suited to that sort of approach.
"I've got concerns about this new format, but we've got to wait and see what the outcome of this is."I've got concerns about this new format, but we've got to wait and see what the outcome of this is.
"I understand it's a pilot, an experiment on ITV's part, and until you see what the product looks like it's very difficult to pass judgement on it, but I do have concerns and I think other people are going to have concerns about that too.""I understand it's a pilot, an experiment on ITV's part, and until you see what the product looks like it's very difficult to pass judgement on it, but I do have concerns and I think other people are going to have concerns about that too."
In a statement, ITV said: "This speculation is misplaced.In a statement, ITV said: "This speculation is misplaced.
"We have no plans to make any changes to current affairs output in Wales.""We have no plans to make any changes to current affairs output in Wales."
During an internal staff meeting last week, ITV's director of news Michael Jermey said he expected current affairs programmes to continue to be made by ITV Wales, once a final decision on the "news hour" had been taken.During an internal staff meeting last week, ITV's director of news Michael Jermey said he expected current affairs programmes to continue to be made by ITV Wales, once a final decision on the "news hour" had been taken.