A regional variation generally refers to times when a radio station or television station simultaneously broadcasts different programs, continuity or advertisements to different parts of its coverage area. This may be so as to provide programming specific to a particular region, such as local news, or to allow advertisements to be targeted to a particular area. Some regional variations are the consequence of a federal style television network or radio network, in which a local station is a part of a larger broadcast network and broadcasts the network's programs some of the time and its own programming the rest of the time. The latter is therefore sometimes considered a regional variation. Examples of this include the UK's ITV network throughout much of its history, and US network affiliate stations. Regional variation is also a common term used in British television listings publications, such as magazines and newspapers, to show the different programs broadcast in different areas of the country.
By country
Canada Commercial television in Canada generally used a model similar to the that of the US, with networks composed of first-party owned and operated (O&O) stations and third-party affiliates. However, from the 1990s through the 2000s, Canada's major commercial networks were largely consolidated under conglomerates: CTV, Global, Citytv, and TVA. Nearly all its respective stations are owned by Bell Media, Corus Entertainment, Rogers Media, and Quebecor, respectively. The major English-language networks—including advertising-funded public network CBC Television—have largely used similar schedules and consistent branding and on-air continuity, with little variation besides local newscasts and public affairs programs (for example, some CTV stations, especially in Western Canada, substitute the network's national morning show Your Morning for the local format CTV Morning Live), and time zone variations to allow for simultaneous substitution of programming carried by US broadcast stations available on subscription television in the market. There are relatively few third-party affiliate stations of Canada's commercial networks; they typically follow the schedule of an O&O in a nearby major market but with opt-outs for local newscasts and other local programming, and may also simulcast that station's newscasts in time slots where they do not air their own, essentially acting as a third-party semi-satellite. Corus Entertainment's private CTV affiliates substituted CTV News programs with Global News programs, and CHEX-TV-2 additionally branded as "Global Durham" despite otherwise being a CTV affiliate. CHEX-DT/Peterborough is within the range of CTV's Toronto station CFTO-DT, and both are carried on cable locally; the stations ultimately became Global stations after the affiliation expired. These stations were previously private CBC affiliates. When Hockey Night in Canada aired games regionally, CHEX aired an alternate game over CBC's Toronto station CBLT to provide an additional option for viewers where both stations were readily available. CJON-DT has more significant variations due to having sublicensed different types of programming from Global, CTV, and Yes TV.
Philippines Regional variation in the Philippines is more an exception than a rule, as most of a network's stations across the country simulcast the entire programming lineup seen on that network's flagship station (usually based in Metro Manila). This practice effective renders most regional stations as relay stations of their parent network's flagship station. However, some national networks, like GMA, have regional variations in selected parts of the country. They feature regional news programmes (each network decides how many different regional variations it wishes to have and which provinces constitute which viewing region). Sometimes, whilst network programming is ongoing, stations may insert a ticker tape of advertisements from local/regional companies. Prior to ABS-CBN's free-to-air stations' shutdown due to the non-renewal of that network's broadcasting franchise, its regional stations used to feature regional programmes beyond news. However, most had been scaled back dramatically or cancelled altogether due to cost-cutting measures and preparations for the network's impending digital switchover. When ABS-CBN offered regional free-to-air TV, it featured regional variations of TV Patrol, which were standalone news programmes that aired late in the afternoon immediately before the main national edition. From 2011 to 2016, TV5 featured regional variations in its Cebu station DYET-TV with a local news programme entitled Aksyon Bisaya. Since then, DYET-TV has reverted to a relay station of DWET-TV.
… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.
