Sub regions

Sub-regions, also known as dual-regions, are regional franchises which are again subdivided into smaller regional areas.

Network Six
Such methods are used in the larger and more populous Network Six franchise areas, and give more specific emphasis to sub-regional issues. It is most commonly only used for regional news programming, with a specific franchise company splitting their news services into smaller operations, each covering a smaller area of the franchise area. Another method is retaining a single "main" regional news programme, with short (2-5 minutes) of smaller sub-regional headlines at the end of the programme. In addition, it can also be extended to regional programmes targeting specific communities within a franchise area. Sub-regions are also very attractive to advertisers, enabling more local advertisements to be specifically broadcast to a certain area. A regional franchise only usually splits its area for regional programming, and is not usually extended onto its on-air identity and other programming, which remains consistent throughout the region.

ITV Network
Sub-regions were introduced into the ITV network in the 1970's, firstly into ATV and its successor, Central Independent Television, and TVS in 1982. ATV originally split its franchise into East and West News operations, however after its corporate changes and return as Central in 1982, split again into East, West and South variations. TVS, which was awarded the South and South East contract in 1980, split its region into South and South East subregions, and did make use of sub-regional on-screen branding, however it was later scrapped in the mid 1980's. TVS's successor, Meridian, again split the region into three, offering a South East, East and Thames Valley regional news services. In 2006, Meridian's Thames Valley and Central's South sub-regional news operations were merged into a single entity, ITV Thames Valley, as part of a corporate money-saving scheme.

In 2009, most of the subregions (on Anglia News, Meridian Tonight, Thames Valley Tonight, Central News and Calendar) were re-merged, as a result of a savage cost cutting programme. Some regions, such as Tyne Tees and Border, became reclassified as sub-regions themselves.