By Dave Gudgeon

Last updated 11:24, Monday, 25 February 2008

A UNION leader has accused ITV chiefs of effectively trying to kill off Carlisle-based Border Television.

Rallying support: Lookaround presenters Lindsey Archibald, Adam Powell and Tim Backshall

Adam Powell, a long-serving reporter and presenter there, was speaking after it was revealed that a consortium of Cumbrian business figures had bid up to £12m for the station – but been turned down.

The group, who want to remain anonymous at this stage, made the offer in a bid to save the under-threat flagship Lookaround news magazine programme and the jobs that go with it.

ITV say they want to merge the Border TV news operation with that at Tyne Tees in Gateshead as a way of saving money.

But Mr Powell, leader of the National Union of Journalists at Border, said: “ITV’s reluctance to sell Border Television to the consortium indicates quite clearly this is not about saving money.

“It is about stripping away a much-valued news service and in doing so depriving the public here of a voice.

“The figures show that Border Television is a profitable business and is the cheapest ITV region to run. Yet ITV want to effectively kill off Border Television.

“If the plan to combine the news outputs of two very different regions gets the go-ahead it will be an act of supreme selfishness.

“ITV want Border Television’s advertising revenue but don’t want to provide a proper news service for the region.

“They don’t want that responsibility and nor are they prepared to allow anyone else to do so.”

The business consortium, which has strong Carlisle links, made a bid to take over Border just before Christmas.

Members were disappointed to have the offer rejected, believing it to be a realistic one given Border’s last financial figures that are in the public domain.

ITV Border Limited reported a profit (after tax) of £2,744,153 in the year up to December 31, 2006, on sales of £12,166, 279. Staff costs were £1,631,000 and other costs £7,563,000.

Carlisle MP Eric Martlew, who has been heavily involved in the fight to save Lookaround, accused ITV bosses of greed over the threat to the programme.

He said news of the consortium bid and Border’s profitability proved that there was no need for ITV to axe Lookaround.

If ITV’s plans to merge the news operation of Border and Tyne Tees are approved, it would signal the end of Lookaround.

The half-hour programme – Britain’s most-watched regional news magazine – is then likely to be replaced by about 10 minutes of local coverage slotted into nightly news broadcast by Tyne Tees.

Despite the proposals to merge the news operations, ITV executives have said they have no plans to shutdown the entire Border operation.

A public consultation on the plans will be launched by broadcast industry regulator Ofcom – which will have the final say on whether they go ahead – later this year. A decision is expected by spring 2009.

Make your voice heard. Sign the News & Star online petition to save Lookaround at www.newsandstar.co.uk/lookaround

DGudgeon@cngroup.co.uk