National Co-ordinator BBC:

Anita Bhalla
Head of Political and Community Affairs - English Regions
BBC Birmingham
The Mailbox
Birmingham
B1 1RF
tel:(00 44) 0121 567 6270
fax: 0121 567 6303
mobile: 07850 735734
e-mail: anita.bhalla@bbc.co.uk

55 million people live in the United Kingdom. About 97% of households have colour televisions, and the amount of television viewing per household is the highest in Europe.

The television services are divided between the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) which provides public service radio and television funded by a Television Licence Fee, and an expanding commercial sector funded by advertising, sponsorship and subscription.

There are four national television channels, and a growing number of satellite and cable channels. BBC-1, BBC-2, ITV, Channel 4, are the main services. S4C offers a Welsh language service. A fifth (commercial) channel, Channel 5 was launched in Spring 1997.

ITV - Independent Television - is a federal network of regionally-based stations, which although commercially funded, has public service obligations. Channel 4 does not produce its own programmes, but commissions them from independent producers, or buys them.

UNITED KINGDOM - BBC

National Co-ordinator BBC:

Anita Bhalla
BBC Birmingham
The Mailbox
Birmingham
B1 1RF
tel: 0121 432 9947
fax: 0121 432 8340
e-mail: anita.bhalla@bbc.co.uk

The biggest broadcasting organisation in the world, the BBC is over 70 years old. It now provides:

BBC-1 Mainstream high-quality popular programming of range and variety. The main news channel.

BBC-2 Alternative channel specialising in innovative subjects, arts and culture, some regional television.

Radio 1 Young people’s channel based on pop music.
Radio 2 Appealing to older listeners.
Radio 3 Classical music, jazz and drama.
Radio 4 Unique mixture of speech - news, drama, discussion, quiz, documentary, social action, comedy.
Radio 5 Live News and Sport.

Local Radio Successful network of over 39 Regional and local stations, concentrating on news and information.

World Service Radio Broadcasting across the World in 43 different languages.

World Service Television An expanding service covering Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

The BBC employs 19,000 people and has an annual income of around 1.5 billion pounds which mainly comes from the Television Licence Fee. Additional income is raised from Programme Sales and BBC Publications such as books, videos, magazines and products.

The BBC operates under a Royal Charter and Licence, renewed in 1996. It is regulated by a Board of Governors appointed by the government, and traditionally reflecting a broad range of political and business experience. The Board of Governors appoint a Director-General and board of management who are the professional managers of the BBC.

BBC REGIONAL BROADCASTING

Regional Broadcasting comes within the BBC Broadcast directorate and is run by a Director, Nations and Regions. He has overall responsibility for all the BBC's programmes and services in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and for all regional and local services in England.

Contact:
Pat Loughrey
Director, Nations and Regions
701 Henry Wood House
Langham Place
London W1A 1AA
Tel +44 171 580 4468
Fax +44 171 765 2812

Regional Television

The three National Regions
BBC Scotland, based in Glasgow,
BBC Northern Ireland based in Belfast and
BBC Wales based in Cardiff, produce a wide range of local programmes transmitted as "opt out" services on BBC-1. These include News, Current Affairs, Sport, Arts and Entertainment, Drama, and Children’s Programmes. BBC Wales also supplies programmes to the separate Welsh language channel, S4C.

English Regions
England has eleven separate regional TV services based on three administrative centres:
BBC North, BBC Midlands and East, BBC South

BBC North-West (Manchester)
BBC North (Leeds)
BBC North-East and Cumbria (Newcastle)
BBC West Midlands (Birmingham)
BBC East Midlands (Nottingham)
BBC East (Norwich)
BBC South (Southampton)
BBC West (Bristol)
BBC South-West (Plymouth)
BBC London (Elstree)
BBC South-East (Tunbridge Wells)

The English Regions Management Team is based in Birmingham
Tel: ++44-121-432-8888
Andy Griffee Controller, English Regions, ext. 28622.
John Allen Head of Strategy Development, ext. 29576
Simon Channon Chief Press and Publicity Officer, ext. 28600

The output of these centres is devoted to News and Current Affairs. Each day on BBC-1 there are ten news bulletins from 6.30am to 10.30pm, and a half-hour News programme at 6.30pm. There are also news bulletins at weekends. Two half-hour current affairs programmes are transmitted each week on BBC-2.

The regional centres also supply a service of news coverage to BBC national and international news programmes.

Contacts:
John McCormick Controller, Scotland
Menna Richards Controller, Wales
Anna Carragher Controller, Northern Ireland
Andy Griffee Controller, English Regions

REGION - SCOTLAND

BBC Scotland
Broadcasting House,
Queen Margaret Drive, Glasgow G12 8DG
Tel +44 141 339 8844
Fax+44 141 3340614
Telex 779221
Contacts:
Ken MacQuarrie
Head of Broadcast
Tel +44 141 338 2548
Colin Cameron
Head of Production
Tel +44 141 338 2548
Fax +44 141 338 2218
Blair Jenkins
Editor News and Current Affairs
Tel +44 141 338 2450
Fax +44 141 338 2789

REGION - NORTHERN IRELAND

BBC Northern Ireland
Broadcasting House, Ormeau Avenue,
Belfast BT2 8HQ
Tel +44 1232 338000
Fax +44 1232 338800
Contacts:
Tim Cooke
Head of Broadcast
Tel +44 1232 338400
Paul Evans
Head of Production
Tel +44 1232 338207
Andrew Colman
Head of News and Current Affairs
Tel +44 1232 338381

REGION - WALES

BBC Wales
Broadcasting House,
Llandaff,
Cardiff CF5 2YQ
Tel +44 1222 322000
Fax +44 1222 555960
Contacts:
John Geraint
Head of Factual Programmes ext 22939
Phil George
Head of Arts, Music and Features ext 22943
Aled Eirug
Head of News and Current Affairs ext 51378

REGION - NORTH

BBC North-West
BBC Manchester
PO Box 27
Oxford Road
Manchester, M60 1SJ
Tel +44 161 200 2020
Fax +44 161 236 1005
Contacts:
Tamsin O'Brien
e-mail: tamsin.o'brienvbbc.co.uk

BBC North
Station BBC North (Leeds)
Address Broadcasting Centre,
Woodhouse Lane,
Leeds LS2 9PX
Tel +44 1132 441188
Fax +44 1132 439387
Contacts:
Colin Philpott
Head of Regional and local Pro grammes
Tel ext 47101
Kate Watkins
Editor, Look North
Tel ext 47001
Ian Cundall
Series Producer, Features
Tel ext 47140
Peter Lugg
Political Editor
Tel ext 47133

BBC North-East and Cumbria (Newcastle)
Broadcasting Centre,
Barrack Road,
Newcastle upon Tyne,
NE99 2NE
Tel +44 191 232 1313
Fax +44 191 222 0182
Contacts:
Wendy Plimner
e-mail: wendy.plimner@bbc.co.uk

REGION - MIDLANDS AND EAST

BBC West Midlands (Birmingham)
Broadcasting Centre
Mailbox
Birmingham B1 1RF
Tel +44 121 432 8888
Fax +44 121 432 8079
Contacts:
David Holdsworth
e-mail: david.holdsworth@bbc.co.uk

BBC East Midlands (Nottingham)
City Link
London road
Nottingham, NG1 3JB
Tel +44 1159 550500
Fax +44 1159 021984
Contacts:
Aziz Rashid
e-mail: aziz.rashid@bbc.co.uk

BBC East (Norwich)
St. Catherine’s Close,
All Saints’ Green,
Norwich, Norfolk NR1 3ND
Tel +44 1603 619331
Fax +44 1603 284455
Contacts:
Tim Bishop
e-mail: tim.bishop@bbc.co.uk

REGION - SOUTH

BBC West (Bristol)
Broadcasting House,
Whiteladies Road,
Bristol BS8 2LR
Tel +44 1179 732211
Fax +44 1179 743323
Contacts:
Lucio Mesquita
e-mail: lucio.mesquita@bbc.co.uk

BBC South (Southampton)
Broadcasting House,
Havelock Road,
Southampton SO14 7PU
Tel +44 1703 226201
Fax +44 1703 634683
Contacts:
Eve Turner
Acting Head of Regional and Local Programmes
Tel ext 74540
Lee Desty
Editor, Newsgathering
Tel ext 74540
Cathy Burnett
Output Editor
Peter Pitt
Series Producer, Features
Tel ext 74309
Bruce Parker
Political Editor
Tel ext 74202

South-West (Plymouth)
Broadcasting House,
Seymour Road,
Mannamead, Plymouth PL3 5BD
Tel +44 1752 229201
Fax +44 1752 234595
Contacts:
John Lilley
e-mail:  john.lilley@bbc.co.uk

BBC London (Elstree)
BBC
35 Marylebone High Stret
London W1M 4AA
Tel +44 181 953 6100
Fax +44 181 953 7549
Contacts:
Mike McFarlan
e-mail: mike.mcfarlane@bbc.co.uk

BBC Yorkshire & Lincs
Queens Court
Queens Gardens
Hull HU1 3RH
Tel +44 181 953 6100
Fax +44 181 953 7549
Contacts:
Cath Hearne
e-mail: cath.hearne@bbc.co.uk

BBC South-East (Tunbridge Wells)
The Great Hall
Mount Pleasant
Tunbridge Wells, Kent
Contacts:
Laura Dalgleish
Head of Local and Regional Programmes
Rod Beards
Editor

CARLTON TELEVISION

Region - London and the South East

Station Carlton Television
101 St Martinís Lane
London WC2N 4AZ
Tel +44 171 240 4000
Fax +44 171 240 4171

Contacts:
Chief Executive: Clive Jones
Managing Director, Carlton Productions: Waheed Alli
Director of Programmes: Steve Hwlett
Managing Director, Carlton Broadcasting: Colin Stanbridge
Managing Director, Carlton International: Rupert Dilnott-Cooper
Chief Executive, Carlton Sales: Martin Bowley

Carlton Television is a major producer and supplier of programmes for ITV Network Limited, with a diverse range of factual programmes: the award winning series THE SECOND WORLD WAR IN COLOUR, a series of SPECIAL REPORTS BY JOHN PILGER, the popular hard-hitting series THE KRAYS and LATE NIGHT LIVE, a live studio audience which examines the issues making the news; and quality dramas such as MONSIGNOR RENARD, THE RAILWAY CHILDREN and GOODNIGHT MISTER TOM.

Carlton offers a diverse range of programmes for the London region including the video-based music programme VIDEOTECH and FIRST EDITION, Carlton's flagship series of half hour documentaries which highlights social issues affecting Londoners.
London News Network , jointly owned by Carlton and London Weekend Television, offers a valuable insight into what happening in our region combined with a review of national breaking stories.

Carlton's Community Programme Unit (CPU) produces a variety of programming on a number of social issues from consumer affairs to health and childcare. Major programmes include the nine-part series THE PROPERTY SHOW, three half-hour dramas focusing on the issue of homelessness as part of a planned social action campaign in November, a planned four part series on how to use the internet and YOUR SHOUT, a regular public access slot

Carlton International is a leading media rights owner and distributor which represents over 200 independent producers world wide and holds a catalogue of over 18,000 hours of quality television programming.

Carlton has joint ownership of ONdigital with Granada Television.

CARLTON BROADCASTING - CENTRAL REGION
Region - East, West and South Midlands


Station Carlton Broadcasting - Central Region
Gas Street, Birmingham BI 2JT
Tel. + 44 121 643 9898
Fax + 44 121 634 4740
Web www.carlton.com

Contacts:
Clive Jones, Chief Executive, Carlton Television
Steve Hewlett, Director of Programmes, Carlton Television
Ian Squires, Managing Director, Carlton Broadcasting - Central Region
Duncan Rycroft, Acting Head of Regional Programmes
Laurie Upshon, Controller of News & Operations, Carlton Broadcasting

Carlton's Central Region is the largest seven days a week ITV company serving around 9 million viewers across the heart of England. Its licence area stretches from the borders of Wales in the west to Lincolnshire in the east and from Cheshire in the North to the Home Counties in the south.

The company's new purpose-built headquarters in Birmingham was opened by The Princess Royal in July 1997. The L15 million centre is the most advanced in Europe, boasting disc-based server technology.

Separate regional news and weather services are broadcast to the East, West and South sub regions, with Central News for the West Midlands from Birmingham. Central News East is based in the Carlton Studios in Nottingham which is also the Company's main production facility for regional, network, cable and digital production. Abingdon, near Oxford, is home of Central News South which launched in 1989 and led the Company's introduction of automated news production.

Carlton provides the ITV Network with a large amount of programming, including The Vice and Peak Practice (Drama), Mad for It (Childrens), The Second World War in Colour (Factual) and OK TV! (Entertainment).

Carlton also operates the London weekday and South West ITV licences. Carlton is a 50% shareholder in ONdigital, the digital terrestrial broadcaster which launched in late 1998. We operate a number of online destination sites, accessible through the hub carlton.com

Region - London

Station Station LWT
London Television Centre,
Upper Ground
London Se1 9LT
Tel +44 171 620 1620

Contact Circom Regional:
Liam Hamilton
Tel +44 171 261 3969
Director of Broadcasting
Fax +44 171 928 0396

London Weekend Television broadcasts to nearly 11 million people in London and the South East at weekends. Over 80% of these viewers watch LWT every week.

LWT makes over a third of ITV’s network output at the weekend. These include some of Britain’s favourite programmes - three of the highest rating entertainment series Gladiators, Blind Date and Barrymore; popular dramas including London’s Burning, one of ITV’s highest rating dramas, and The Knock; plus ITV’s flagship arts show The South Bank Show; and the leading political interview programme Dimbleby.

As Britainís leading entertainment producer, LWT works with many of ITVís most well known stars such as Cilla Black, Michael Barrymore, Bruce Forsyth, Jeremy Beadle and Hale & Pace.

LWT’s facilities arm - The London Studios - is one of Britain’s most successful studio complexes. Shows made in the studios are seen on the BBC and Channel 4 as well as ITV.

Regionally, LWT has entered into an arrangement with Carlton Television by forming a joint company, London News Network Limited, which provides a seven day a week local London news service. LWT continues to make additional strong local programming itself including The London Programme, Crime Monthly and Des Res.

LWT is owned by Granada Group, one of the UK’s leading and most dynamic companies.

Region - London

Station GMTV
The London Television Centre, Upper Ground
London SE1 9TT
Tel +44 171 827 7000
Fax +44 171 827 7249

Contacts:
Circom Regional:
Peter McHugh
Tel +44 171 827 7201
Director of Programming
Fax +44 171 827 7079
Other:
David Briggs
Head of Programme Marketing
Malcolm Douglas
Head of News

GMTV is the UK’s national breakfast television station broadcasting on ITV Channel 3 each day from 6.00a.m. to 9.25a.m. GMTV’s current weekday format starts with the "News Hour", a programme which includes news, sport, weather, current affairs and topical features. From 7.00a.m. onwards the programming has a softer, magazine style and concentrates on topical issues and features of interest to the predominately female audience. Regular features include holiday destinations, health and family matters, social issues, education, keep fit with "Mr Motivator" and celebrity interviews.

At weekends, the company’s programmes include a children’s quiz show and "The Sunday Programme", a current affairs show featuring topical political interviews and a round-up of the week’s news and events.

It also features children’s entertainment including "Disney" from 07.45 on Saturdays and 08.00 on Sundays.

GMTV broadcasts from the London Television Centre and intakes material from its outside-broadcast units and associated regional centres throughout the UK.

Region - North East England

Station Tyne Tees Television
City Road
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 2AL
Tel +44 191 261 0181
Fax +44 191 261 2302
E-mail: Tyne.Tees@granadamedia.com

Contacts Circom Regional:
Graeme Thompson
Tel +44 191 269 3502
Director of Broadcasting

Tyne Tees serves the North East of England from the Scottish Borders to South of York providing a regional television service to 3 million viewers in its transmission area. Its current broadcasting licence came into operation on 1st January 1999, but the company has served the region since 1959 as part of the ITV Network.

The bedrock of the regional service is its news operation, which now provides a round the clock service. With the development of an expanded news room and studio at Billingham, on Teesside, Tyne Tees now offers two distinct news service for the North and South of the region respectively. It's flagship programme North East Tonight has won awards from the Royal Television Society and the New York Television Festival.

Now part of of the Granada Media Group, Tyne Tees produces a range of regional programmes including the documentary series Magnetic North and the religious series, The ABC of Christian Heritage.

Some regional programmes are commissioned from independent producers.

The company provides the successful Catherine Cookson dramas to the ITV Network as well as games shows such as Cross Wits and children's programmes such as Wild Thing. It also produces Sign On, the service for deaf viewers on Channel 4.

The viewing area has 3 million inhabitants.

Region - Wales

Station S4C
Ty glas Business Park, Llanishen,
Cardiff CF4 5DU
Tel +44 1222 747 444
Fax+44 1222 754 444

Contacts Circom Regional:
Iona Jones
Tel +44 1222 741409
Head of Corporate Development

The Welsh Fourth Channel Authority was established by the Broadcasting Acts of 1980 and 1981 with responsibility for a service of Welsh and English programmes on the fourth channel in Wales. The service, known as S4C, consists of about 33 hours per week of Welsh language programmes and some 97 hours English language output from Channel 4. The Welsh programmes are provided by the BBC (10 hours per week), independent producers (18.5) including HTV and 5.25 hours of narrative repeat.

The Broadcasting Act 1990 requires that programmes between 18.30 and 22.00 on S4C should be ‘mainly in the Welsh language’. Most of Channel 4’s programmes are transmitted on the channel although the majority are rescheduled to fit in with S4Cís schedule.

The service is presented by S4C and broadcast on the ITC’s fourth channel transmitter network in Wales. S4C is funded by an annual budget from the Department of National Heritage calculated as a fixed percentage of UK terrestrial television revenues and is responsible for selling its own advertising time. S4C International handles all programme sales and merchandising and has sold to over 90 countries across the world.

The station specialises in all types of programmes especially Welsh language programmes.

Region - Scotland

Station Scottish Television
Cowcaddens,
Glasgow G2 3PR
Tel +44 141 300 3000
Fax +44 141 300 3519

Contacts Circom Regional:
Donald Emslie
Tel +44 141 300 3780
Managing Director, Broadcasting

Scottish Television provides the ITV service to 3.5 million viewers in Central Scotland from studios in Glasgow and Edinburgh. Its programmes are distinctively Scottish and reflect life in a country which sustains its own forms of law, education, religion and sport.

The company's network production through Scottish Television Enterprises has a growing reputation as a provider of popular network drama. Its thriller series Taggart has a loyal 15 million following in Britain. In addition Scottish Television Enterprises has also established a high reputation for its network children's programmes.

Scottish Television has the biggest and most varied regional output of any of the ITV companies - everything from drama and entertainment through to Gaelic and children's programmes.

Region - Northern Ireland

Station Ulster Television - UTV
Havelock House, Ormeau Road,
Belfast BT7 1EB
Tel +44 1232 328 122
Fax +44 1232 246 695

Holder of the independent television licence for Northern Ireland since 1959, UTV is proportionally the most-viewed channel in the UK. Research indicates that this popularity depends on the strength of the company’s regional programmes which attract 17% more viewership than the average across the whole of the UK

In 1996, UTV’s output included more than 600 hours of local programming, much of that news and current affairs. UTV Live at Six, the company’s hour- long weekday news and features programme, is Northern Ireland’s most-watched news programme with the largest lead in the Network over its BBC rival. Local programmes prove especially popular with the Northern Ireland audience, particularly news and entertainment programmes such as Kelly, a Friday evening chat show.

Much of UTV’s local programming comes from three studios in its Belfast headquarters and is complemented by a studio in the North West of the Province in the city of Londonderry.

CARLTON BROADCASTING - WEST COUNTRY REGION
Region - South West of England

Station Carlton Broadcasting - West Country Region
Western Wood Way, Langage Science Park,
Plymouth. PL7 5BQ.
Tel +44 (1752) 333 333
Fax +44 (1752) 333 379
Minicom +44 (1752) 333 030

Contacts:
Clive Jones, Chairman
Tel. 44(20) 7240 4000
Mark Haskell, Managing Director
Tel: 44(1752) 333010
Jane McCloskey, Director of Programmes
Tel: 44(1752) 333376
Brad Higgins, Controller, News & Current Affairs
Tel: 44(1752) 333360
Caroline Righton, Controller, Features & Programme Development
Tel: 44(1752) 333381

Carlton's West Country region is the ITV licensee for South West England and broadcasts more than eleven hours a week of regional television to its audience of some 1.7 million.

In addition to a wide range of features, documentaries, education, religious and children's programmes, Westcountry has broken new ground for regional news in Britain. Its Plymouth headquarters is the centre for a unique regional network of seven local studios, linked by a dedicated digital microwave net. Situated in Penzance, Truro, Torquay, Barnstaple, Exeter, Taunton and Weymouth, each of these two centre presences has its own contribution studio, inject point, editing facilities and computer-linked news office.

The Truro, Barnstaple and Exeter studios also opt-out of the local Plymouth transmission to provide a four-way sub-regional split for local bulletins, so giving unparalleled coverage to this large and diverse region. All production is on Beta SP and post-production work is in the Digi Beta format.

The station's parent company is Carlton Communications plc. Carlton also operate the London weekday and Midlands ITV licences.

Region - Yorkshire and surrounding Counties

Station Yorkshire Television
Television Centre,
Leeds LS3 1JS
Tel +44 113 243 8283
Fax +44 113 234 3867

Contacts Circom Regional:
David Lowen
Tel. and Fax: +44.224.9970
ITV tel. +44.171.843.8088
ITV fax +44.171.843.8155
E-mail: david.lowen@tesco.net
Other Contacts:
Clare Morrow - extension 8702
Head of News and Current Affairs
Mike Best - extension 8705
Director of Broadcasting

Yorkshire Television provides the ITV network with many of its top-rated programmes including recent favourites like "Heartbeat", "Emmerdale", "A Touch Of Frost" and ITV's consumer show "We Can Work It Out" .

Yorkshire Television is also one of the major suppliers of programmes to Channel Four: "Countdown", the first ever programme to be seen on the channel is stronger than ever after 16 years.

The Yorkshire audience benefits from the large commitment made by the company to local programming. There are 900 hours each year of programmes about life within the region.

"Calendar" - the ever popular news magazine - goes out 7 days a week with local news and sport for the weekends. Viewers in the East Yorkshire/Humberside and Lincolnshire area, and viewers in Sheffield and Chesterfield have special opt-out editions tailored to happenings in their own locality.

In 1996 YTV also introduced a nightly regional half-hour magazine show called "TONIGHT", which covers a wide range of topics including entertainment, art, social action, education, information, documentary, religion and sport.

Yorkshire TV is now part of the Granada Media Group which has separate Licences for YTV, Tyne Tees, Granada TV and LWT.

Region - South & South East

Station Meridian Broadcasting Ltd
TV Centre,
Northam, Southampton,
S014 OPZ
Tel +44 1703 222 555
Fax +44 1703 335 050

Contacts:
Mary McAnally
Managing Director and Director of Programmes
Tel +44 1703 712129
Fax +44 1703 712 294

Meridian Broadcasting is the ITV contractor for the south and south east, with a regional audience of 5.5 million people.

Its catchment area stretches from Dover in the east to Weymouth in the west, from the Isle of Wight in the south, to Buckinghamshire and Essex in the north.

Meridian commissions much of its ITV regional and network output from independent production companies. However, with three studio complexes in Southampton, Maidstone and Newbury, it also makes a wide range of programmes in-house- including factual, social action, current affairs and news. In fact "Meridian Tonight", the flagship news broadcast from the three different news centres in the region, recently won the RTS News Award.

Meridian makes over 1,400 hours of regional programmes each year and also provides quality programmes to the ITV Network. Recent contributions include Emma, The Ruth Rendell Mysteries, Edward on Edward, The Gettys, Pet Power, No Child of Mine, Dunblane -Remembering Our Children.

Meridian also makes programmes for Channel 5, the BBC and The Discovery Channel and co-produces with a variety of broadcasters including Channel 4.

Meridian’s majority shareholder, United News and Media , also owns Anglia Broadcasting the ITV contractor for the east of England.