4. Letter from Mr Jonathan Shaw MP to
Chairman of ITC and the Chief Executive of Ofcom
CLOSURE OF MERIDIAN TELEVISION STUDIO (LARKFIELD,
KENT)
On behalf of all Kent Labour MPs I would like
to bring to your attention our immense concerns with the decision
of Granada subsidiary Meridian TV to close their news operation
in Kent and transfer it to Hampshire.
The studio falls within my constituency and
I am of course very concerned at the prospect of local job losses.
However, there is also the wider issue of diluting the quality
of Kent news by relocating their operations.
On Wednesday 22 October, I asked the Prime Minister,
the following question:
"Given that we now have one ITV company,
do you share my belief that the regulator should take a robust
line to protect the quality and relevance of regional news programmes
up and down the country?"
The Prime Minister agreed ". . . it is
important that the regulator takes a robust line" and I therefore
look forward to receiving confirmation that this will indeed prove
to be the case.
28 November 2003
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