Last updated 21:58, Wednesday, 06 August 2008

ITV HAS ripped up its plan to scrap ITV Border’s Lookaround news programme.

The broadcaster had planned to axe the Carlisle station and its flagship nightly current affairs show – the most watched in Britain – to save cash.

But a concerted campaign, led by Border staff, MPs and councils has forced network bosses to abandon that option.

Instead they are planning to keep Lookaround in an altered form.

The new proposals would still see combined lunchtime and weekend bulletins with Tyne Tees TV. But the nightly 6pm show would feature a 15-minute section on Cumbria and southern Scotland, rather than a five-minute opt-out and would still be called Lookaround.

There would be one late bulletin focused on the Border region.

Border’s Carlisle TV studio would still be scrapped, though, and jobs would still be lost.

The U-turn was revealed in a leaked email by ITV director of regions Michael Jeremy.

In the email, Mr Jeremy, says: “Following extensive conversations with local authorities in the Border region and consultation with a number of MPs, we have now amended our favoured way forward.

“We now propose one combined Tyne Tees/Border news region with combined lunchtime and weekend bulletins.

“The 6pm flagship programme would include a 15-minute opt-out for Border and the same for Tyne Tees. Viewers would see one or the other.

“The Border opt-out would include Cumbria, southern Scotland and the Isle of Man. The programme would continue to be called Lookaround in the Border region. We expect it to have a Tyne Tees brand in the north east.

“There would be one late news focused on Border and one on Tyne Tees. There would be strong newsgathering across both Border and Tyne Tees.”

More than 15,000 people have signed a petition to save Lookaround since the start of the campaign.

A spokesman for Ofcom said: “No decision has been made yet over ITV’s request to reduce its regional news production.”

Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk MP Michael Moore said the revised proposals were “a step in the right direction”.

Mr Moore is continuing to challenge regulator Ofcom to protect the local services.

He said: “I have stressed repeatedly to Ofcom that they have a duty to protect the interests of local ITV viewers in news and current affairs provision.

“While the ITV proposals are a step in the right direction, the regulator must ensure it publishes a robust requirement in September to ensure there is no reduction in coverage, in both time on air, as well as breadth of coverage across the new region.”