Sorry if this has been covered but ive only just moved back to the area - for how long has South Today Oxford been doing the full 30 minutes show at 6.30 rather than just a 10 minute opt out at the beginning?
Sorry if this has been covered but ive only just moved back to the area - for how long has South Today Oxford been doing the full 30 minutes show at 6.30 rather than just a 10 minute opt out at the beginning?
Since October 2005, Oxford have done a full opt on Fridays. They continue to do 10-15 minutes at the beginning of the opt for the rest of the week.
Sorry if this has been covered but ive only just moved back to the area - for how long has South Today Oxford been doing the full 30 minutes show at 6.30 rather than just a 10 minute opt out at the beginning?
Since October 2005, Oxford have done a full opt on Fridays. They continue to do 10-15 minutes at the beginning of the opt for the rest of the week.
I watched a few tiny bits of a Friday edition of South Today (Oxford) online t'other day. For a region that consists of not very much more than literally just Oxfordshire, it seems odd having a dedicated 30-minutes. Surely there isn't enough news generated in a single county (especially a not-particularly-"urban" one) to fill 30-minutes?
I bet it's only Fridays because that gives them a week's worth of "fluffy" news story gathering, to pad the programme out with? Maybe if the programme expanded into Hannington land as per ITV Thames Valley, or something, its existence might be slightly more worthwhile?
The "Oxford" weathermap is also particularly amusing, featuring such major UK settlements as Henley-on-Thames...
Oxford's reach goes well into Buckinghamshire, bits of Northamptonshire, Gloucestershire and half of Swindon. Yes, it is a small region but not much smaller than the South East region. Admittedly, Tunbridge Wells broadcasts to more people than Oxford. Cambridge's patch is probably more similar in terms of population but they only do 6 1/2 minutes a night at 1830 and 2225. Oxford do longer 1830 sub opts, afternoon news and the 2225, plus the aforementioned half hour on Friday nights.
The Beeb had plans to merge the Cambridge and Oxford sub-opts a while ago and even identified a plot in Milton Keynes on which to build a broadcasting centre, but it's officially been shelved. Whether ITV's virtual withdrawal from ultra-regional news presence means the BBC will press to make the sub-opts longer or decide it doesn't need them either remains to be seen...
Look East had once or twice produced two completely separate editions of Look East on Fridays for the two different sub regions. It was something they tried, to expand but there was no additional money so it would have probably been a challenge to produce two separate editions each week. I think Friday's is probably chosen as it means that sports coverage can be more local, and therefore provide a greater depth for local teams. I think Look East often include Friday sport within the Close Up section.
The "Oxford" weathermap is also particularly amusing, featuring such major UK settlements as Henley-on-Thames...
Which in itself is a bit daft, because that town's relay station carries London programmes, and the only other region receivable is BBC Southampton from Hannington.
