Welcome to the weekly Wrap from How-Do - media news for the North West.

The Wrap's guest editor this week is Jim Hancock.

  Ruth Kelly was in good form on Monday night at a fringe meeting I was chairing at the Labour conference. Mistress of her brief, the Transport Secretary batted away rude questions about London getting squillions of pounds for transport, while we were getting all excited about £1.5bn (with congestion charge strings attached) for Greater Manchester.

A day later she was gone. Few bought the “family” story, although I suspect it is at least half true.

Anyway it was the sting in the tail of a conference that had been as calm as the weather from the Labour spin doctors’ point of view. Marketing Manchester could hardly contain its glee as the bar tills rattled and the conference stands reported good business under the magnificent old station arch. Expect Labour back in two years time.

If there was little in the way of drama at the Labour conference, at least the local media scene hasn’t disappointed this week.
 
The formal announcement that Ofcom is allowing cuts in Granada and Border’s regional output had been anticipated. Some will believe the regulator has behaved as haplessly as the referee who allowed the goal that wasn’t at Watford last weekend. I could reminisce about my good old days at Granada when the company was as proud of its local programmes as Brideshead Revisited, but the media world has changed.

The once dull regional business media world has livened up considerably since the arrival of Crain’s. Word reaches me that the newcomer’s desire to be first with the news has scuppered some deals that hadn’t been sealed. Now comes news of Chris Barry’s move from the Manchester Evening News to TheBusinessDesk.

I’m on the Royal Television Society’s North West committee, but as they haven’t asked me to be a judge this year, I feel free to make some personal choices now that the awards shortlist has been announced. North West Tonight for James Purnell MP’s fake photo, Abbie Jones Best Reporter, Andy Crane Best Presenter and Inside Out Best Regional Programme. Oh!...... and Ruth Kelly to host the evening now that she has more time on her hands!

Jim Hancock is a journalist and broadcaster

Elsewhere on How-Do this week: 

• Edwin Booth and John Bishop confirmed for the Top 100 Brands evening on 18 November 
• CIPR Northern conference gives the PM some PR
• TBWA designs Man U's season review
• Capitalize wins PR brief for regional international badminton events 
• ITV premieres flagship show Britannia High online
• Lime Pictures signs up for ethnic minority pledge
• magneticNorth wins two design awards 
• The Raft creates print Smart for Brother UK
• Waste management company Veolia appoints IAS
• ...and Biss Lancaster picks up recycling brief from Corus 
• Radio 3's Free Thinking festival in Liverpool attracts Greer and Street-Porter
• Made in Manchester wins Radio 4 7/7 commission
• Sports production indie Input Media opens regional production base
• ILC Media to produce Bolton Wanderers 200 goal compilation
• Journalist enlists support of Dave Spikey and Christopher Eccleston
• Fuse Sport signs England RL captain Jamie Peacock 
• The Foundry helps Johnstone's and Leyland paints with online POS
• Bus operator First Manchester appoints Citypress
• True North to update environmental advocacy organisation Climate Group's image 
• Is this the sound of Radio Republic?
• Focal Radio in Stoke looks to launch in November
• Bigmouthmedia's McKay takes job job at Lake Star Media
• Digital agency Doctor Net adds staff 
• Just Search launches Just Content to boost Google rankings 
• Tangerine PR rebrands stressing broader business interests
• NHS Information Centre seeks suppliers for its £3m marketing needs
• The Image Group secures place on Yorkshire Forward roster
• GAP to promote Max Skincare's new range of products
• Amaze merger delayed as parent Hasgrove reports healthy growth
• MEN loses business editor as Barry moves to TheBusinessDesk.com
• Multiple moves at UTV ahead of Central Radio launch 
• Northwest Vision & Media's Chris Moll steps down
• BBC and charity Action for Children collaboration launches online 
• Merseyrail seeks an advertising sales contractor
• Parker Sandford to revamp pub group Mitchell's online presence 
• Zen picks up its fifth successive 'best broadband supplier' annual award
• Ofcom backs ITV plans for regional cuts 
• RTS North West shortlist announced 
• Three How-Do workshops focus on blogging, writing and developing ideas 
• Rattle's online lingerie support for Gok Wan
• NUJ launches stressed out campaign appealing to newspaper bosses 
• Management changes at GMG Regional Media
• Krypton Factor could return to our screens 
• Two applications for North & Mid Wales radio licence 
• The future of Public Service Broadcasting 
• PSB ITV versus the unions 
• Stiff Rowlands to redesign the Manchester International Festival website

How-Do! 

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