TV coverage weighted in bigger island’s favour

When they do a Jersey report it seems to go on for minutes, but a Guernsey report is only seconds. On the rare occasion when they do a live report from the Guernsey studio they use a film of St Peter Port and an empty Victoria Marina and you see the same lorry go past time after time. Why can’t they go down now and take a decent film or photos while we have boats in the marina?

Guernsey has many interesting events happening, but do they broadcast them? No. But if they happen in Jersey it takes up most of the Channel News.

This is supposed to be Channel News, why do they have pictures of a block of flats in their studio? Why not a selection of photos of the Channel Islands? After all this is Channel News, ah sorry no, Jersey News.

PETER GRIFFIN,

Vue de Petit Port,

Jerbourg Road,

St Martin’s.

Editor’s footnote: Karen Rankine, managing director, ITV Channel Television, replies:

ITV Channel Television takes very seriously its role in providing a distinctive and relevant regional news service for all the Channel Islands and as a team we are very conscious of the balance of coverage across our programmes.

The balance of news broadcast across the islands will vary from week to week according to events, States sittings and breaking stories, and on many occasions we will cover issues from the perspective of both Guernsey and Jersey to ensure those reports are relevant for our viewers right across the region.

Our flagship programme at 6pm regularly ‘leads’ on Guernsey stories and our reporters are live in different Guernsey locations several times a week, often more than once during one programme, bringing viewers right to the heart of the issue or story. Our programmes have consistently provided in-depth coverage of key Guernsey issues, with most notable recent examples being our extensive reporting and analysis of the States debates on assisted dying and the ‘open skies’ policy. This year the majority of our Liberation Day coverage was also based in Guernsey.

Out of the 10 weekday 6pm programmes broadcast in the past two weeks, we have led the programme with a purely Guernsey report on four occasions, a pan-island issue report on three occasions and a purely Jersey report on three occasions. In addition we have reported live on location in Guernsey in six of those programmes.

Our commitment to our Guernsey viewers has been demonstrated in the last two years by significant investment in new technology for our studio and newsroom on Bulwer Avenue, including two permanent units to allow live, on-location broadcasts. We have increased the number of editorial staff in the island and also appointed a sport correspondent who is based in Guernsey.

ITV Channel Television is the only Channel Islands broadcaster to provide local news programmes seven days a week and on virtually every bank holiday throughout the year. Our Guernsey team of journalists and technical staff are passionate about the news agenda in the island and are committed to delivering agenda-setting and high quality local coverage for the island’s viewers.