Regional variations is a common term used in British television listings publications to show the different programmes broadcast in different areas of the country.

Magazines and national newspapers print different editions of their TV listings for different areas - some just for the four nations of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, while others produce seperate editions for the regions within England also. For example, the Radio Times produces eight different editions in total (five of them in England), while its oldest rival TV Times now produces only four; newspaper supplements are usually printed in just one edition for the whole of the UK.

A Regional Variations column shows programmes in adjoining areas which differ from those in the main listings columns. Generally, in broadcasting, programming that differs from the main schedule (known at the BBC as "network"), is called an opt-out. It is these programmes that make up regional variations.

Regional variations are only listed for the BBC One, BBC Two (nations only) and ITV columns (ITV1 in England and Wales; in Scotland, STV; Northern Ireland, UTV), as these are the only channels that can broadcast different programmes for different areas.

In England- and UK-wide editions, the main BBC One or ITV1 column shows programmes in the London region, with other regions (and nations) in the Regional Variations column. Listings for Welsh channel S4C are commonly included as a regional variation since it simulcasts some Channel 4 programming, although it is itself a seperate channel. In Welsh and Scottish editions, adjoining English regions are usually listed. In Northern Ireland, some services from the Republic of Ireland are often listed as regional variations, although they are not.

Regional variations are less common these days than they used to be. Especially so on ITV1 following the various mergers that ultimately created ITV plc. In the past, a programme that was shown by the whole ITV network could be seen at different times in different regions. Now that all ITV1 regions are played out from the same network centre, virtually all programmes are shown in all regions (including STV and UTV) at the same time.

The most common regional variation on BBC One and ITV1 is the local news programme which differs for each region. Some listings magazines which produce one single edition for the whole of England simply print "Local news" or "Regional news" in place of the programme title, thus utilising space in the Regional Variations column more efficiently.

Regional variations are more common in the nations (Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland), than they are among the various regions in England.

See also

• Opt-out
• TV listings
• Listings magazine

British television