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BBC Midlands Today

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BBC Midlands Today
Title card used since April 2022
Theme music composerDavid Lowe
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
Production
ProducersBBC News
BBC West Midlands
Production locationsThe Mailbox, Birmingham
Camera setupMulti-camera
Running time30 minutes (main 6:30pm programme)
10 minutes (1:30pm and 10:30pm programmes)
Various (on weekends and Breakfast)
Original release
NetworkBBC One West Midlands
Release28 September 1964 (1964-09-28) –
present
Related

BBC Midlands Today is the BBC's regional television news service for the West Midlands. It was launched in 1964 and is presented by Mary Rhodes, Nick Owen, Elizabeth Glinka, Rebecca Wood and Shefali Oza.[1]

Overview

Midlands Today is produced by BBC Midlands and broadcasts on BBC One seven days a week. The programme is produced and broadcast from the BBC studios in The Mailbox, Birmingham. Journalists are also based at newsrooms in Coventry, Shrewsbury, Stoke-on-Trent, Worcester and Gloucester.

The programme began on 28 September 1964, broadcasting from a small room in the Birmingham Register Office before moving to the custom-built Pebble Mill broadcasting centre in Edgbaston on 10 November 1971. It remained there until the studios closed on 22 October 2004 when the BBC Birmingham operations were switched to the current studios at The Mailbox.

Until 1991, the programme also served the East Midlands, which has since received its own BBC regional news service. The programme's editorial area consists of the West Midlands, Warwickshire, Staffordshire, Shropshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire and northern Gloucestershire (even though Gloucestershire is not formally within the Midlands, being in the South West England region - it is also covered by BBC Points West).

Midlands Today is broadcast from the Sutton Coldfield transmitter in the West Midlands and can be watched in any part of the UK on Sky, Freesat and in the rest of Europe via Astra 2E at 28.2° East (10788V 22000 5/6). The latest edition is also available to view again on the Midlands Today website and on BBC iPlayer.

On 6 February 2023, new studio upgrade was revealed resembling that of Studio B at Broadcasting House launched in June 2022 to include a whole new studio presentation, enhanced graphics and additional presentation locations within the studio. The upgrade brings the studio up to full HD capabilities for the first time.[2]

On air

On weekdays, 6 breakfast bulletins air as part of BBC Breakfast around every 30 minutes, between 6:26am and 9:06am. A fifteen-minute lunchtime bulletin airs at 1:30pm, following the BBC News at One. The main edition of Midlands Today is broadcast every weeknight between 6.30pm and 7.00pm. The late night bulletin airs at 10.30pm on weeknights, following the BBC News at Ten.

Midlands Today also airs short early evening bulletins on Saturday and Sunday evenings, although times usually vary. A late night bulletin is also broadcast on Sundays, following the BBC News at Ten.

Presenters

News anchors

Person Duties
Mary Rhodes Mondays – Fridays main evening programme alternating
Nick Owen
Michael Collie Cover and Bank holidays
Joanne Malin Mondays BBC Breakfast / lunchtime, some late cover
Nicola Beckford Tuesdays – Fridays BBC Breakfast / lunchtime[3]
Amy Cole Fridays late, Saturdays
Shefali Oza Sundays

Weather presenters

Person Other Notes
Shefali Oza

Main weather presenter

Rebecca Wood Weather Presenter
Sara Thornton Relief Weather Presenter
John Hammond Relief Weather Presenter

Past presenters

Former presenters have included Tom Coyne (presented the first episode from Pebble Mill studios in 1971), Kay Alexander (the programme's longest serving presenter), Alan Towers (see below), Alastair Yates, David Davies, Richard Uridge, Sue Beardsmore (left to become the public space coordinator at The Mailbox), Nina Nannar (moved to ITN in 2001), Stuart Linnell, Matt Smith, Julian Worricker, Ashley Blake (who was sacked in August 2009 after a criminal court case), Suzanne Virdee (who abruptly left in 2012 after an undisclosed row with management), Steve Clamp (moved to Central ITV in 2005) and Jackie Kabler who is now a regular presenter on QVC UK. Olympic Gold medalist Denise Lewis DBE also guest presented sport briefly during 2005, as did Rob Curling in 2002.

Senior presenter Alan Towers' on-air departure in July 1997 (after 25 years) brought about one of the most controversial moments in the programme's history when he shared indignant views on BBC management, describing them as "pygmies in grey suits wearing blindfolds".[4]

References

  1. ^ "BBC One - Midlands Today - Presenters". BBC. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  2. ^ "BBC's 'Midlands' and 'East Midlands' get set upgrades to match Studio B". 10 February 2023.
  3. ^ "@nicolabeckford" on Twitter
  4. ^ "BBC man explains why he spoke out". The Independent. London. 28 July 1997. Archived from the original on 14 May 2022. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
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