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The ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ's English Regions are to launch a new football magazine programme, based on the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ's existing rights to Football League highlights.

The new programmes will transmit across seven macro ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ regions on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ One in the North West; North East; Yorkshire; West & East Midlands; East; London and South East; South, West and South West.

Three of these programmes will be commissioned from the independent sector in the East; the North East; and in the South, West and South West of England.

Taken together with existing ER output, notably the Superleague Show and The Politics Show, this means that English local programmes has substantive work out to the independent sector in over half of the 12 England regions.

Each programme will have a run of around 16 weeks, from January 2010 until the end of the football season.

The new programme is entirely funded from existing savings in English Regions and is part of a package of local programme funding agreed by the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Trust last month.

David Holdsworth, the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ's Controller of English Regions, says: "I’m delighted that we have been able to use the opportunities offered by the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ's rights to create a magazine programme that will focus on the local teams that fans want to talk about.

"More than a chat show; more than a highlights programme, we'll be analysing the games, talking to the managers and the players and dissecting the moves. We're aiming for a must-see programme for any football fan."

The ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ's English Regions are also commissioning 11 x 30-minute, location-based films from independent film-makers to be delivered in February next year, for transmission on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ One.

These programmes, which will form part of the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ's A History Of The World, will each highlight and reflect a period of great historical change across England.

The programmes will seek to reflect important moments in a region's history that have shaped its place in the wider world – articulated through landscape, people and iconic historical objects.

Craig Henderson, Head of Programmes for ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ English Regions, says: "I’m pleased to be able to offer a range of work across all of England as part of our commitment to sustaining independent production and programming at a local level."

MP