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Anger at job losses as ITV mothballs Leeds studios
VIEWERS will "switch off" in their droves after TV bosses announced plans to shut its Leeds studio with the loss of up to 400 jobs, an MP has warned.
Hit show Countdown will be moved out of the city as part of a sweep of cost-cutting measures.
Emmerdale and Calendar News will be the only survivors after ITV bosses wielded the axe and announced it will mothball the Kirkstall Road studios.
Civic leaders said it was a "huge blow" and a "sad day" for the city and are desperately trying to launch a bid to save the studio from the cull.
Leeds West MP John Battle said the move could set a worrying trend of replacing "real location dramas" with "cheap reality TV" which would lead to viewers turning off.
ITV said it planned to lose 15 per cent of its workforce - 600 jobs nationally - and announced that in Yorkshire the figure would be 150.
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However, unions said last night they had been told 192 staff jobs would go - and said they expected that to be matched by a similar number of freelance staff.
The new-look Countdown with Sky TV's Jeff Stelling at the helm, will be moved to Manchester.
Other dramas produced in Yorkshire - Heartbeat and The Royal - have enough episodes on the shelf to last two years, with no indication of when filming might resume.
Former Calendar presenter Austin Mitchell, now Great Grimsby MP, has suggested regeneration organisation Yorkshire Forward takes over the building and makes it available to ITV, the BBC and independent producers.
Leeds City Council leader Andrew Carter said: "This is a sad day for Leeds and Yorkshire as a whole. Our city has a long association with the production and broadcast of high-quality programmes."
He said the announcement demonstrated the "massive effect" the recession was having, and added: "The council will do what it can to help staff find employment and support the continuation of ITV in Leeds."
ITV insists the efficiency savings, 155m this year rising to 245m by 2011, are necessary to counteract a decline in advertising.
Speaking last night, MP John Battle said: "I believe this is a short-term option which will result ultimately in more people just switching off."
Leeds North West MP Greg Mulholland has written to ITV executive chairman Michael Grade asking him to reconsider the cuts.
ITV has reported pre-tax losses of 2.73bn after writing down the value of assets.
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Saturday 04 February 2012
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