North East Tonight
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| North East Tonight | |
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| Also known as | Tyne Tees & Border News |
|---|---|
| Format | Regional news |
| Presented by | Ian Payne, Pam Royle |
| Country of origin |  United Kingdom |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | ITV Tyne Tees (1959-2009) ITV Tyne Tees & Border (2009-) |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | ITV1 Tyne Tees |
| Original airing | 15 January 1959 (as North East Roundabout) |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows | Lookaround |
| External links | |
| Official website | |
North East Tonight is a regional television news and current affairs sub-regional programme, produced by ITV Tyne Tees & Border at its studios in Gateshead, and serving the "Tyne Tees" part of the region (Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, County Durham, Tees Valley and North Yorkshire).
The remainder of the ITV Tyne Tees & Border region (i.e. the Border part) consists of Cumbria, Dumfries and Galloway, the Scottish Borders, and the Isle of Man, and receives Lookaround instead.
Like all regional news programmes on ITV1 in England and Wales and Channel Television, it uses the generic ITV font and idents.
On 2 December 2007, ITV News and the ITV regional newsrooms (except ITV Westcountry) switched from the traditional 4:3 format to 16:9 widescreen.[1]
Contents |
[edit] Overview
[edit] Pre-July 2005
North East News/Tonight was first broadcast on 2 September 1996 following the defection of the popular Mike Neville to Tyne Tees from the BBC's Look North programme after 30 years. Prior to its launch, since 1959, the regional news programmes were broadcast under various names - namely North East Roundabout, North East Newsview, Today at Six, Northern Life, Tyne Tees Today/Network North and Tyne Tees News/Tonight.
Mike Neville announced his retirement from the programme on June 5 2006.[2] He was the main anchor from 1996 to 2005.
[edit] July 2005 - 24 February 2009
In July 2005, following chief presenter Mike Neville's departure, North East Tonight's main 18:00 programme was split into opt-outs: North (for those who receive their broadcasts from the Pontop Pike and Chatton transmitters) and South (for those who receive their broadcasts from the Bilsdale transmitter) editions. Other bulletins including GMTV bulletins, weekday lunchtime, weekday late, and weekend early evening were pan-regional.
North: (Northumberland and Tyne and Wear).
South: (County Durham, Tees Valley and North Yorkshire).
The last North East Tonight which were split into North and South versions aired on 13 February 2009.
[edit] 25 February 2009 - present
The main edition of North East Tonight incorporates a 15 or 18 minute opt-out within the main 6pm programme, a fully separate late night bulletin and localised weather forecasts for the current Tyne Tees region. Depending on the day's news, either one of the Tyne Tees or Border news opt-outs are pre-recorded. Other bulletins are pan-regional covering news stories from the Tyne Tees and Border regions, titled Tyne Tees & Border News.
[edit] 2009 ITV regional news changes
[edit] Merger with ITV Border
In September 2007, ITV plc announced that Tyne Tees' newsroom would be merged with ITV Border, subject to Ofcom approval.[3]
On 26 September 2008, Ofcom (the Office of Communications, the UK's broadcasting regulator) authorised ITV's plans to save £40m a year by making regional programming cutbacks. These include axing mid-morning bulletins on weekdays & lunchtime bulletins at weekends, merging a number of regions and axing most non-news regional programmes.
Up until Tuesday 24 February 2009, ITV Tyne Tees and ITV Border regions were entirely separate. Border Television was based in studios in Carlisle, Cumbria.
During this era, North East Tonight was the name of the Tyne Tees region's entire main weekday evening programme only, with all other bulletins branded as "North East News". Meanwhile, the Border region received a fully regional version of Lookaround along with daily Border News bulletins.
[edit] On-screen staff cuts
As part of major ITV regional news cuts, taking place from November 2008 to February 2009, around 50 staff were made redundant or accepted voluntary redundancy at ITV Tyne Tees. On 16 December 2008, Press Gazette leaked that journalists were told that leaving collections were banned, along with leaving presentations and on-screen goodbyes. In a staff memo, head of news Catherine Houlihan cited the ban was because of the large number of staff being made redundant at the station.[4] One worker told Press Gazette that "morale is at rock bottom".
On 3 December 2008, it was announced that North East Tonight South presenters Ian Payne and Pam Royle would become presenters of the new service. North presenter Jonathan Morrell was made redundant and presented his final programme on 18 December 2008, his former co-presenter Philippa Tomson was dropped as a presenter,[5] but became a weather presenter and environment correspondent for the new service.[6] GMTV bulletin newscaster Mark Warr was made redundant and replaced by ITV Border presenter Helen Pearson.[7]
Weather presenter Bob Johnson retired in a move unconnected to the staff cuts, presenting his last broadcast on 19 December 2008 from The Alnwick Garden, during which a special tribute was shown of Johnson's 17 year career at Tyne Tees. He will continue with ITV Tyne Tees & Border in 2009, presenting a new series of the feature Kids Talk.[8]
ITV Yorkshire based weather presenters who also appeared on ITV Tyne Tees occasionally were also phased out. Debbie Lindley left on 28 December 2008, taking voluntary redudnancy to freelance. Jo Blythe last appeared on 25 January 2009 to become ITV Granada's main forecaster. Both Kerrie Gosney and Jon Mitchell continue on ITV Yorkshire, with Mitchell standing in occasionally on ITV Tyne Tees & Border.
Various correspondents took voluntary redundancy - Natalie Crook, Laouise Hayes, Eleanor Jeffrey, Kim Inglis, Alexandra Phillips, Alastair Martindale, Lesley McNish, Heather McWilliam, Richard Selkeld, Frances Read, Andy Kluz and Clare Wilson. The sports team was also affected with Pete Graves and Ian Haslam made redundant while Dawn Thewlis took voluntary redundancy (and later joined BBC North East and Cumbria).
ITV Border newscaster Fiona Armstrong was announced to be a freelance Features Correspondent on the new service[9]
[edit] On Air
North East Tonight airs on ITV1 Tyne Tees five days a week.
On weekdays, ITV Tyne Tees & Border provides three news bulletins during GMTV at 06:35, 07:05 and 08:05. The lunchtime bulletin follows on from the ITV Lunchtime News, giving a five minute round-up of the days developments from 13:55. All of which are branded Tyne Tees & Border News which are pan-regional, covering news from both Tyne Tees and Border.
The main evening edition of North East Tonight airs from 18:00-18:30. The late edition of the programme follows News at Ten, airing from 22:30-22:35, Mondays to Fridays.
Tyne Tees & Border News airs two bulletins at weekends: one on Saturday, in the late afternoon, and one on Sunday: in the early evening. The weekend bulletins do not have set times.
[edit] Presenters
[edit] Main newscasters
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[edit] Other newscaster
- Helen Pearson (GMTV bulletins, occasional lunch bulletin, and News Correspondent)
[edit] Weather presenters
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[edit] Reporters
[edit] News Correspondents
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[edit] Specialist Correspondents
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[edit] Notable former presenters
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[edit] Notes
- Reporters marked with an * also act as newscasters (as does weather presenter Philippa Tomson).
- Many freelancers currently report for North East Tonight though aren't listed.
- Reporters from ITV Yorkshire also appear, as the coverage area overlaps with ITV Tyne Tees & Border.
[edit] References
- ^ "ITV News goes widescreen in December". James Welsh, Digital Spy. 2 November 2007. http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/broadcasting/a79067/itv-news-goes-widescreen-in-december.html. Retrieved on 2007-11-02.
- ^ Popular news anchor stepping down, BBC News Online, 5 June 2006
- ^ "ITV to merge regional newsrooms". BBC News. 12 September 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6991206.stm. Retrieved on 2007-09-12.
- ^ http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=1&storycode=42668&c=1
- ^ Tyne Tees news presenters axed in cost cuts, ChronicleLive, 3 December 2008
- ^ Sun shines on North telly girl Philippa Tomson, Sunday Sun, 4 January 2009
- ^ Helen Pearson to present pan-regional GMTV bulletins, News & Star, 17 January 2009
- ^ Weatherman Bob makes final forecast, Shields Gazette, 20 December 2008
- ^ Full ITV Border Lookaround line-up revealed, News & Star, 17 January 2009
[edit] External links
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