ESS

ESS (formally Emoa Syndicated Service; known on air only as Network Six) is a syndicated block of programmes broadcast by ERC Media on NETV, Mercia and GTV between 00.40 and 06:25 daily. It currently uses generic Network Six branding with no regional-specific references. It is also the sole back-up facility of its members, and has the ability to rebroadcast either of the pair to the other, and further afield if need be.

Since the sale of GTV to Caledonia Media in 2009, Emoa Syndicated Service was re-named as "ESS" and ownership was transferred from Emoa Television to ERC Group, which represents the franchisees in some way related to Emoa Television and its schedules. Following a successful submission, the service will be broadcast on Channel Islands broadcaster ECTV owned by Apollo Media. This would also see AM become represented in the ERC Media consortium and contribute its own programmes to the service.

Previously the service (shared between NETV and GTV) was branded as "emoa", but this practice was dropped on 1 November 2006 when it was replaced by the Network Six brand.



History
Syndicating was introduced between Emoa broadcasters in May 2006, when Emoa gained the North West Scotland and Highlands franchise, now GTV. Due to the lack of infrastructure and facilities in the new region, for a short time both GTV and the North East station, now NETV, simulcasted a generic "Emoa" identity prior to most non-regional programmes at all times. Regional programmes for GTV were produced cheaply and broadcast from temporary portacabin studios outside Oban.

When the first phase of GTV's studios opened, GTV began making its own regional continuity between 10am and 10pm, using the dual-branded name "Emoa/TV Gael", however the North East still continued to play out non-regional programming. During these hours, Emoa North East used the dual-branded name "Emoa/TV NE" on air, and all the presentation used in both regions was identical.

However when GTV's studio complex was fully complete in September 2007, both companies gained full control of their channels regionally between 9.25am and 21.59pm, and therefore took the opportunity to use full regional continuity with dual-branding, but continued to use identical presentation, with the move to the Emoa-branded overnight schedule at 22.00 appearing seamless.

The Emoa Syndicated Service saw the last ever "Emoa" ident to be used on air, at 6.25AM on 1 November 2006, leading into Metro TV. The final words spoken were "Good morning you're watching Emoa Television, and now it's time to hand over to Metro TV". The service re-started at 23.00 that evening greeting viewers to "Network Six".

The overnight service had additionally been known on-air as "Emoa Late" and "Emoa Nighttime", although presentation never used such brands.

Syndication today
This method continued until 1 November 2006, when the regional brands "NETV" and "GTV" replaced the Emoa dual-branded method during regional hours, and overnight syndicated hours were simply branded as "Six". Until January 2007, the three still continued to use identical presentation, albeit besides the main logo brand. GTV was the first to create a new and original identity.

Up until August 2007, the service had its own planning team and officially operated by Emoa Television Ltd, however as of 3 September 2007, all aspects of the service were handed to NETV. GTV however still has shared power in the content of the service, and NETV cannot make any significant changes to the service without permission of GTV and Emoa. The service was given the official name Emoa Syndicated Service in December 2007, previously known internally as Emoa Overnight Service. It was eventually just re-branded to "ess" in June 2009 following the majority sale of GTV to Forest Media, however the official name was eventually re-titled to "ERC Syndicated Service" in May 2010 to reflect the service is not wholly operated by Emoa.

ESS is and has always been used as the main back-up source in the event of emergency in any member region. Unlike dedicated emergency services, the feed of ESS is broadcast in replacement of Emoa's generic playout clean feed, and either of the regional feeds (GTV, NETV North/South, Mercia West/East/South). Because the system is used on a nightly basis for simulcasting purposes, tests are infrequent. Should ESS fail, regions are able to take the feeds of neighbouring regions or the generic network feed.

June 2008
Following the creation of a network-wide schedule of overnight programming, ESS has decided to take the Network's programming Monday to Thursday. On Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, Emoa will broadcast its own programmes continuing from the previous management, including regional Jobfinder programmes, played out to both GTV and NETV from Newcastle-upon-Tyne. However, Emoa's "Powerstation" programming will be broadcast on the Network feed and the ESS feed simultaneously, as it is part of the Network overnight schedule. Both the Network-wide and Emoa overnight services will be branded as "Network Six" by ESS.

Emoa has decided however not to use playout from the Network and ESS would continue to playout the Network's feed. Advertising will be handled by the Network Monday to Thursday, and by ESS over the weekend.

2009
In March 2009, Emoa won the Midlands franchise, which launched as Mercia Television on 13 March 2009. Mercia broadcast regionally for the first three months, but eventually joined Emoa Regional Channels and the ESS feed in July 2009. Following the sale of GTV to Caledonia Media, GTV continued to participate in the Emoa Regional Channels scheduling group, which was re-named ERC Group because of this. The three franchises continue to share the Newcastle feed, which took on a generic SIX-branded version of GTV's look in February 2010. Forest Media, which owns the majority of Caledonia Media, is currently not placing its other franchise, eire telefis in the ESS system.

2010
In August 2010, ESS resumed a 7-day service, however its Sunday-Thursday schedule was largely identical to the Network output. In addition to the added weekend programmes on health, employment and education, ESS will now also be broadcasting repeats of selected regional programming (noninclusive of news, sports and current affairs) across the three regions. Some regional programmes included which have previously not been seen outside of their original region are NETV comedy Tied and Tested, police documentary Policeforce Northumbria, Mercia talent competition Local Ear, entreupreneurial series Back or Bust and a subtitled version of the GTV Gaelic soap, An Leargaidh Ghallda.



Nighttime programming
Various programmes are shown throughout the night, although originally the service was very reliant on participation TV programming. A series of advice programmes on sexual and social health are often aired, alongside relationship and domestic problems. Taff Media News Channel has also been aired on the service, alongside a text-based information service Emoa Nightscreen.



After a series of problems with other broadcasters' interactive elements, Emoa decided to axe overnight programme, Loveline, due to its phone-in elements. Just two days after being axed however, it was revived as Lovelife, an almost identical programme, however with a much smaller interactive element, relying heavily on various "stories" and email enquiries. The opening titles were edited to match the change of name.

Since January 2007, a regional slot at 5.30AM has been introduced to show local "Jobfinder" programmes. These are preceded by a super-imposed dual-branded ident that features either the NETV or GTV name under the Network Six brand, although the announcement remains generic. All variations continue to be played out from the Cheviot Studios.

Starting in 2007 when the service operated between 23.00 and 6.26, many programmes began at 23.40 regionally, but lapsed into the Overnight Service. Times of the overnight serivce were not altered to fit the schedule, however the programmes were cut to an advertisment break just before 11pm, and the sub-networked Overnight Service began directly after the (regional) break-bumper going back into programming. Where it was known it is not possible to break at the precise time (such as in emergencies or severe schedule changes), the Overnight service was started early. Overlapping programmes were introduced regionally however end-credit continuity and advertisement breaks / promotions after 11pm were handled by the overnight service, when ESS's presentation replaced the regional presentation immediately.

This problem was solved in 2008 when the Network extended its broadcasting hours to 00.40, and Emoa followed suit by extending regional hours to 00.39, with ESS broadcasting 00.40 to 6.25. There are few lapses between regional and ESS broadcasting now, however an exception in the July 2010 schedules enabled Lovelife to begin at 23.40 and run until 01.10, switching between regional and syndicated operation.

Emergency programming
Both NETV and GTV hold over 100 hours of programmes (mainly repeats) that are able to broadcast to both regions via ESS within 90 seconds. These fast-response libraries are used in case of malfunction of the main playout suites. Programmes are updated once every 6 months, but mainly consists of episodes from the first series of The Winter Folks, Re-Do It! and Star Life, but music videos under the Powerstation brand hold a significant percentage of the library.