East Midlands Today
Encyclopedia
East Midlands Today is the BBC
's regional television
news
programme for its East Midlands
region, which covers Nottinghamshire
, Derbyshire
, Leicestershire
, Rutland
, and the Grantham and Stamford areas of Lincolnshire
.
The programme is broadcast on BBC One
from studios at the BBC's East Midlands broadcasting centre in Nottingham
, also home to Radio Nottingham
. The main transmitter for the programme is Waltham
near Melton Mowbray
in Leicestershire. The programme can be watched in any part of the UK (and Europe) on Sky Digital
channel 980 on the BBC UK regional TV on satellite
service and online around an hour after the main programme has been broadcast.
, which now solely covers the West Midlands
region. The split arose from criticisms of Midlands Today as being too centric on West Midlands coverage, although a service of separate opt-out bulletins for the region had been provided during the eighties.
On February 5 1996, the show introduced double-manned presentation with Quentin Rayner and Kathy Rochford. The programme's newer (generic) 'look', in line with most other BBC regional TV news programmes, was introduced on September 16 2002, with an update on September 6 2004. The current titles and graphics were introduced in April 2008.
Over the past several years, East Midlands Today has overtaken the rival Central News East
in ratings to become the region's most popular local news programme.
area of Derbyshire, North West Tonight
. All of Northamptonshire can receive East Midlands Today, but that area is covered by Look East. Some parts of south and west Leicestershire receive the West Midlands edition of Midlands Today.
In most of Lincolnshire, BBC regional news is supplied by Look North, broadcast from Hull. East Midlands Today still covers Grantham and Stamford and a band of western Lincolnshire in between.
at 27 and 57 minutes past each hour. A fifteen-minute lunchtime programme follows at 1:30pm and a short mid-afternoon update at 3pm before the main half-hour edition at 6:30pm. A short 30-second headlines update during the 8pm BBC News Summary and a seven-minute late update is shown at 10:25pm, following the BBC News at Ten.
East Midlands Today also airs four bulletins during the weekend: a lunchtime bulletin on Saturday, early evening bulletins on Saturday & Sunday and a late night bulletin on Sundays, following the BBC News at Ten. The times of these bulletins usually vary.
The latest edition of the main evening and lunchtime programmes can be watched again via the East Midlands Today website.
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's regional television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
news
News
News is the communication of selected information on current events which is presented by print, broadcast, Internet, or word of mouth to a third party or mass audience.- Etymology :...
programme for its East Midlands
BBC East Midlands
BBC East Midlands is the BBC English Region covering Derbyshire, Leicestershire, south Nottinghamshire, South Kesteven and Rutland.-Television:...
region, which covers Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
, Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
, Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
, Rutland
Rutland
Rutland is a landlocked county in central England, bounded on the west and north by Leicestershire, northeast by Lincolnshire and southeast by Peterborough and Northamptonshire....
, and the Grantham and Stamford areas of Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
.
The programme is broadcast on BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
from studios at the BBC's East Midlands broadcasting centre in Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
, also home to Radio Nottingham
BBC Radio Nottingham
BBC Radio Nottingham is a BBC Local Radio station serving the English county of Nottinghamshire. It broadcasts on FM, AM, and digital DAB radio from studios located on London Road in Nottingham city centre.-Transmission frequences:...
. The main transmitter for the programme is Waltham
Waltham transmitting station
The Waltham transmitting station is a broadcasting and telecommunications facilityat Waltham-on-the-Wolds, 5 miles north-east of Melton Mowbray. It sits inside the Waltham civil parish near Stonesby, in the district of Melton, Leicestershire, UK. It has a guyed steel tubular mast...
near Melton Mowbray
Melton Mowbray
Melton Mowbray is a town in the Melton borough of Leicestershire, England. It is to the northeast of Leicester, and southeast of Nottingham...
in Leicestershire. The programme can be watched in any part of the UK (and Europe) on Sky Digital
Sky Digital (UK & Ireland)
Sky is the brand name for British Sky Broadcasting's digital satellite television and radio service, transmitted from SES Astra satellites located at 28.2° east and Eutelsat's Eurobird 1 satellite at 28.5°E. The service was originally launched as Sky Digital, distinguishing it from the original...
channel 980 on the BBC UK regional TV on satellite
BBC UK regional TV on satellite
The BBC broadcasts all of the BBC One and BBC Two regional variations on digital satellite television from the SES Astra satellites at 28.2° east; providing local news programmes and other regional programming with local continuity and presentation for Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales...
service and online around an hour after the main programme has been broadcast.
History
East Midlands Today was established as an independent programme on the 7th January 1991, having previously been a part of Midlands TodayMidlands Today
Midlands Today is the BBC's regional television news programme for the West Midlands region, which covers the north of Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire and the West Midlands county...
, which now solely covers the West Midlands
West Midlands (region)
The West Midlands is an official region of England, covering the western half of the area traditionally known as the Midlands. It contains the second most populous British city, Birmingham, and the larger West Midlands conurbation, which includes the city of Wolverhampton and large towns of Dudley,...
region. The split arose from criticisms of Midlands Today as being too centric on West Midlands coverage, although a service of separate opt-out bulletins for the region had been provided during the eighties.
On February 5 1996, the show introduced double-manned presentation with Quentin Rayner and Kathy Rochford. The programme's newer (generic) 'look', in line with most other BBC regional TV news programmes, was introduced on September 16 2002, with an update on September 6 2004. The current titles and graphics were introduced in April 2008.
Over the past several years, East Midlands Today has overtaken the rival Central News East
Central Tonight
Central Tonight is a regional television news and current affairs programme, produced by ITV Central, serving the English Midlands.-History:...
in ratings to become the region's most popular local news programme.
Coverage area
Parts of the Government-defined East Midlands region may variously also receive BBC Look North (from Leeds or Hull), Look East, or even, towards the BuxtonBuxton
Buxton is a spa town in Derbyshire, England. It has the highest elevation of any market town in England. Located close to the county boundary with Cheshire to the west and Staffordshire to the south, Buxton is described as "the gateway to the Peak District National Park"...
area of Derbyshire, North West Tonight
BBC North West Tonight
BBC North West Tonight is a nightly regional news programme covering the North West of England. Produced by BBC North West, the programme airs at 6.30pm and at 10:25pm every weekday evening and is broadcast from the BBC's MediaCityUK studios at Salford Quays.-BBC North West region:The BBC North...
. All of Northamptonshire can receive East Midlands Today, but that area is covered by Look East. Some parts of south and west Leicestershire receive the West Midlands edition of Midlands Today.
In most of Lincolnshire, BBC regional news is supplied by Look North, broadcast from Hull. East Midlands Today still covers Grantham and Stamford and a band of western Lincolnshire in between.
On Air
On weekdays, East Midlands Today broadcasts six three-minute opt-outs during BBC BreakfastBBC Breakfast
BBC Breakfast is the morning television news programme simulcast on BBC One and the BBC News channel. It is presented live from BBC Television Centre in White City, West London, and contains a mixture of news, sport, weather, business and feature items...
at 27 and 57 minutes past each hour. A fifteen-minute lunchtime programme follows at 1:30pm and a short mid-afternoon update at 3pm before the main half-hour edition at 6:30pm. A short 30-second headlines update during the 8pm BBC News Summary and a seven-minute late update is shown at 10:25pm, following the BBC News at Ten.
East Midlands Today also airs four bulletins during the weekend: a lunchtime bulletin on Saturday, early evening bulletins on Saturday & Sunday and a late night bulletin on Sundays, following the BBC News at Ten. The times of these bulletins usually vary.
The latest edition of the main evening and lunchtime programmes can be watched again via the East Midlands Today website.
Sports presenters
- Colin Hazelden (Main presenter)
- Natalie Jackson (Relief)
- Angela Rafferty (also reporter)
- Mark Shardlow (also reporter)
Weather presenters
- Sara BlizzardSara BlizzardSara Louise Blizzard is a weather presenter for East Midlands Today. Her surname is rather apt for the job and is not a stage name....
- Sally Pepper
- Nicola Beswick (part time)
- Anna Church (part time)
Reporters
- Helen Astle
- Jeremy Ball (Social Affairs Correspondent)
- Colin Hazelden (Sport presenter)
- Jo Healey
- Mark Heathcote
- John Hess (Political Editor)
- Carol Hinds (also newsreader)
- Natalie Jackson (Sport presenter)
- Sumeer Kalyani
- Geoff Maskell
- Andy Mayer
- Carolyn Moses
- Mike O'Sullivan (Consumer Affairs Correspondent)
- Geeta Pendse
- Kylie Pentelow
- Quentin Rayner (Chief Reporter, also presenter)
- James Roberson (Special Features Correspondent)
- Kathy Rochford (also presenter)
- Mark Shardlow (Sports Editor)
- Rob Sissons (Health Correspondent)
- Angelina Socci
- Peter Snow
- Sarah Teale
- Simon Ward
- Nina Warhurst
Past presenters
- Shulie Ghosh (now with Al-Jazeera English in Doha)
- Ian Woods (now with Sky News)
- Lukwesa Burak
- Martine Croxall (now with the BBC News channel and BBC World News)
- Lynette Lithgow
- Mike Ramsden (now with BBC London NewsBBC London NewsFor other uses of the BBC London brand, see BBC London .BBC London News is the BBC's regional television news programme for the English region encompassing London and surrounding suburbs...
) - Des ColemanDes ColemanDesune "Des" Coleman is a British actor and presenter. He has appeared in numerous stage musicals, but is best known for playing the role of Lenny Wallace in BBC's EastEnders...
(Weather Presenter Sacked after breaching on-air guidelines.)
- Janet Mayo
- Jo Matthews
- Jo WheelerJo WheelerJo Wheeler is an English weather forecaster who currently works for Sky News.-Early life:Wheeler's father and uncle worked in the broadcasting industry...
- Lisa Dransfield
- Nick Thatcher (now with ITV NewsITV NewsITV News is the branding of news programmes on the British television network ITV. Since 1955, ITV's news bulletins have been produced by Independent Television News . The channel's news coverage has won awards from the Royal Television Society, Emmy Awards and BAFTAs. Between 2004 and 2008, the...
) - Priya-Kaur JonesPriya-Kaur Jones-Early life:Kaur-Jones was born in 1979 in Walton near Wakefield in West Yorkshire, and attended Wakefield Girls High School. After completing her A-levels in French, Chemistry, General studies and biology, she began a three-year Genetics degree at Nottingham University, graduating on 14 July 2000...
(now with GMTVGMTVGMTV was the national Channel 3 breakfast television contractor, broadcasting in the United Kingdom from 1 January 1993 to 3 September 2010. It became a wholly owned subsidiary of ITV plc. in November 2009. Shortly after, ITV plc announced the programme would end...
) - Marie Ashby (now with The Politics Show East Midlands and Inside Out East Midlands)