Friday 28 September 2007

Friday’s news


Here is a little look at some of the stories from around our region in Friday’s prospects…

Meridian South
There are serious questions over the future of Shoreham airport. One business based on site has told Meridian it is already looking at new premises after the company which owns the airport announced nearly £4 million in losses.

Meridian South East
In a last desperate plea for clemency former West Indies and Kent cricketer Hartley Alleyne tells us that facing deportation is like being forced to leave his true home. Mr Alleyne has lived in the UK for the past 29 years but now immigration officials have decided that he no longer qualifies for a work permit.

Thames Valley
The primary school caretaker who injured eight people in a nationwide letter bomb campaign has today been sentenced to at least five years in jail. Miles Cooper was sentenced at Oxford Crown Court after targeting businesses he believed to be linked with the government. We look back at the trial of the letter bomber.

Tune in to Meridian and Thames Valley on ITV1 tonight at 6PM for all your latest news and features plus click here to see more of the latest news.

Slapstick comedies, dark dramas and freaky fish...

... are just some of what’s new on our Short Film channel!

Thanks to Screen South ITV Local are pleased to present some new Digital Shorts. Here is a small selection of the films.


Ten Thousand Pictures of you
This fantastic film tells a comedy tale about the highs and lows of relationships. It’s a fast passed slapstick about young love.

Tug
Accusations and hatred are rife in this dark tale of sibling rivalry.

Fish Can’t Fly
A short comedy about a fish with a foolproof escape plan.


Enjoy more fantastic films here.


Wednesday 26 September 2007

Amersham and Wycombe College Visit

On a day to day basis at ITV Local we deal with annoying technical issues, stressed reporters and breaking news but nothing quite prepares you for standing in front of a room of 40 teenagers - not once but 5 times in a day!

Keen to extend the ITV Local awareness in to students in Buckinghamshire I visited Amersham College on Tuesday to speak to media pupils about how they can get their work up on the website. Warmly welcomed by the head of the media department I was impressed to find the professional TV studios and animations suites the college have invested in. Equally impressive were the students.

Thrown in to the first TV and film production class it was great to see students taking an interest in the website - whether good or bad! Answering questions like ‘Why shouldn’t we just upload to You Tube’ was pleasantly challenging and it was good to see the interest grow as they saw the potential in ITV Local.

It’s just sod’s law that at times like that the thing you depend on the most is the thing that lets you down. In almost every class I visited there were firewall issues and the website didn’t work to its best ability on the big projection screens I was given to use.

That aside I felt the visit was a success. By the end of the day I had kicked away all nerves and was pleased that so many students ranging from TV production to graphics and animation were keen to send us their short films.

I hope to be receiving and uploading lots of their work in the near future so watch this space - Buckinghamshire students are out to steal it!

Monday 24 September 2007

The General Election: to be or not to be?

Gordon Brown made his first speech as Prime Minister at the Labour Party conference on Monday. So will he put an end to all the speculation and announce an early general election? Find out here.


Watch more reports about the party political season here on our politics page.

Foot & Mouth outbreak continues

Another Foot and Mouth protection zone has been set up as the sixth premises to be infected with the disease is discovered.

A 3km temporary control zone has been set up near Petersfield, Hampshire. This is a precautionary measure following a veterinary assessment of clinical signs. Lab tests are ongoing.

The discovery follows a new outbreak of the disease in Surrey two weeks ago which is still under investigation. It has been confirmed that the disease is the same strain of FMD which was found in Pirbright last month.

Over 940 animals suspected of contracting Foot and Mouth have been culled since the discovery in Surrey. Movement restrictions continue.

Visit our information page to see all the latest news and information regarding the outbreak including maps of the control zones and a list of local cancelled events.

http://www.itvlocal.com/meridian/information/


Friday 21 September 2007

From the morning meeting...


Here’s a look at just some of what’s at the top of the news agenda today…

Meridian East:
A 9-year-old boy from Kent claims he is suffering at the hand of school bullies. His mother tells us of his distress and says he is finding it hard to sleep and eat. His school has allegedly done little to stop the bullies.

Meridian South:
Three generations of the same family on the Isle of Wight are all suffering from a rare genetic condition known as Fabry Diease that leaves them in severe pain. The Wavell family now want to raise awareness of the condition ahead of a national day of fundraising.

Thames Valley:
In the second of our series to mark Ramadan - our reporter Amy Lewis has been fasting for the first time with a Reading family, to understand the self discipline involved in the holy festival.


Plus it’s voting time for the ITV Carer of the Year Awards. All week we have been looking at the nominations throughout the country and now it’s up to you to vote for the best.

Tune in to Meridian and Thames Valley news tonight at 6PM to see more of the above stories and to find out how to vote for the regions Carer of the Year.


Thursday 20 September 2007

Tough Love - Johnny Maybe and the Porn Star


Here at ITV Local we are lucky enough to get all sorts of films through the post. But nothing prepared us for this one! Johnny Maybe and the Porn Star is one of our favourite short films and well worth a watch. It’s a musical like no other!

Why is Johnny Maybe on cloud 9? The singing handy-man suffers from unrequited love for his exotic employer - that's why! Unfortunately for him, she's more than just a pretty face and perfect body!
Can Johnny woo this wild woman? Watch the hilarious story unfold here.

Written by CJ Cookson; developed and directed by Pat Garrett.

ITV's Carer of the Year Award


ITV's Carer of the Year award is now in full swing.
View the first of the Meridian finalists here at ITV Local. We’ll be bringing you more finalists later in the week.
You can vote for who you believe should go through to the nationwide final on Friday - stay tuned to your regional news at 6pm for more details.

Welcome to ITV Local's Newsroom Blog!

We will be bringing you weekly updates revealing all the latest news and gossip from the web's favourite local news service.


This week we've taken to the water with exclusive reports from the Southampton Boat Show. We're also aboard the QE2 as she sails around Britain. Click the links to see the latest highlights in Southampton and on the QE2.


Check the fearless abseilers as they conquer Arundel Castle on ITV Local's
Local Life channel - your gateway to the community.



After Saturday's tradgey Shoreham airshow flies it's flags at half mast for the crashed Hurricane pilot. Watch the our special report here.



Plus is Ming being merciful? The party conference season gets under way with the Liberal Democrats in Brighton.