[Stooky Bill]

What is network in this context? Since all local stations are their own entity, not part-time services opting out of a sustaining feed like on television.

Who would have heard the 18:00 bulletin that seems to have gone out across England on a normal day?

They have a service called CNS (Central News Service) which provides national news clips and bulletins for the local and nations stations. I assume it was that. I'm not sure if the bulletins are put out every hour throughout the day but most stations only seem to use it in the evenings and weekends

It replaced an older long established service called GNS a few years ago. CNS is based in Salford whereas GNS was came out of London.

During covid to save on staffing there was another generic BBC News bulletin that Radio 2 and 5 Live used amongst others. I think Radio 4 might have at some times too

[Humphrey Hacker]

They have a service called CNS (Central News Service) which provides national news clips and bulletins for the local and nations stations. I assume it was that. I'm not sure if the bulletins are put out every hour throughout the day but most stations only seem to use it in the evenings and weekends

It replaced an older long established service called GNS a few years ago. CNS is based in Salford whereas GNS was came out of London.

During covid to save on staffing there was another generic BBC News bulletin that Radio 2 and 5 Live used amongst others. I think Radio 4 might have at some times too

Whereas with local commercial radio there are various providers such as Sky, Global and Radio News Hub.

[lookoutwales]

Whereas with local commercial radio there are various providers such as Sky, Global and Radio News Hub.

IIRC, Bauer's Hits Radio network only really tends to do their own networked bulletins during weekends - once the local bulletins are out of the way, anyway.

And when they do carry IRN off-peak, they tend to put out the pre-recorded bulletins rather than the live TOTHs.

Nation has its own in-house newsroom as of last year, having cut ties with Bauer around 18 months ago (they did use RNH for a while, but also carried IRN for their local stations in Wales)

[Milkshake]

It's very rare for the network news not to be shown in one of the nations. I think it may have happened once relatively recently, probably due to an election or referendum, but it's usually avoided.

That tends to be the two reason why STV news was extended to 7pm. The only time NAT was replaced was for the Referendum.

Years ago in the old days of ITV there was a rule that each contractor had to show ITN news at the same time as the others. I imagine that's long gone now

However STV and others didn't have to take the time slot, hence why on Hogmanay ( only happens now on the BBC) you had two different bulletins going out. So that rule couldn't have been set in stone?

It will happen one of these day a MAJOR story breaks in Scotland and STV will opt out of ITV news to give it better coverage.

[BBI45]

Whereas with local commercial radio there are various providers such as Sky, Global and Radio News Hub.

Small point of pedantry, but I'm not sure you can put Global alongside the likes of Sky News and Radio News Hub in this case. Sky/IRN and Radio News Hub will happily supply their services to any station that'll pay them. "Global's Newsroom" only supplies radio stations that are operated by Global themselves (plus XS Manchester, but that's an unusual case). It's the same situation with Bauer and Nation.

[lookoutwales]

It will happen one of these day a MAJOR story breaks in Scotland and STV will opt out of ITV news to give it better coverage.

Personally, I doubt it.

There may have been the odd occasion where STV News did its own thing - i.e. when the Lockerbie bomber was released or when they did a newsflash to report Michael Martin was resigning as the Commons speaker.

But that was 2009. STV were very much at odds with ITV back then - there was a lingering legal dispute and a controversial opt-out policy at play.

Fast forward to 2024 - they tried yet again with multi-channel TV and failed, local news opts have been scaled back somewhat - as has the newsroom - and that ITV/STV dispute has been long settled to such an extent that STV are doing the bare minimum of output.

Granted in the event of a second referendum, they would probably go all out for coverage - but again, they're barely doing beyond what's required of them nowadays (i.e. they didn't break into This Morning to cover Nicola Sturgeon's surprise resignation - let alone the election of her successor)

[newsjunkie]

Small point of pedantry, but I'm not sure you can put Global alongside the likes of Sky News and Radio News Hub in this case. Sky/IRN and Radio News Hub will happily supply their services to any station that'll pay them. "Global's Newsroom" only supplies radio stations that are operated by Global themselves (plus XS Manchester, but that's an unusual case). It's the same situation with Bauer and Nation.

I'm pretty sure that Global subscribes to IRN. They definitely did in 2022 (www.skygroup.sky ) and I'm sure you do occasionally hear clips of Sky reporters on their bulletins. They definitely wouldn't have enough reporters to gather the same amount of material that IRN gives you access to.

Sky News and IRN sign broad distribution deal to continue to provide news conten…
Sky News has agreed a new multi-year deal with IRN (Independent Radio News) to c…
  Source: www.skygroup.sky

[BBI45]

I'm pretty sure that Global subscribes to IRN. They definitely did in 2022 (www.skygroup.sky ) and I'm sure you do occasionally hear clips of Sky reporters on their bulletins. They definitely wouldn't have enough reporters to gather the same amount of material that IRN gives you access to.

That is true. It just adds to my point that IRN and Radio News Hub operate in a different manner to Global and their news services.

[Humphrey Hacker]

Small point of pedantry, but I'm not sure you can put Global alongside the likes of Sky News and Radio News Hub in this case. Sky/IRN and Radio News Hub will happily supply their services to any station that'll pay them. "Global's Newsroom" only supplies radio stations that are operated by Global themselves (plus XS Manchester, but that's an unusual case). It's the same situation with Bauer and Nation.

Point accepted. I'm not au fait with the intricacies of commercial radio news provision. Its just what I hear.

[Ash101]

Global, Bauer, Wireless & everyone else all more or less subscribe to IRN. It’s run by Sky News, but Global oversee the commercial operation.

The Newslink adverts you hear around the top of the hour between 6am and 1pm are all sold/aired for the profit of IRN. Global do the sales and distribute the schedule to stations to ensure they air the correct bits of copy.