East Midlands Today

Infobox Television
show_name = East Midlands Today


caption = "East Midlands Today" titles
genre = Regional News
picture_format = PAL (576i, 16:9)
runtime = Main bulletin:
30 minutes
presenter = Dominic Heale,
Anne Davies
producer = BBC East Midlands
channel = BBC One East Midlands
first_aired = January 1991
last_aired = present
related = "Midlands Today" (for the West Midlands)

"East Midlands Today" is the BBC's regional television news programme for its East Midlands region, which comprises southern Derbyshire, Leicestershire, parts of Lincolnshire, southern Nottinghamshire and Rutland (note that this area coincides only partly with that of the East Midlands government region). Many homes in Peterborough also receive Waltham transmitter pictures, despite this city being covered by BBC East.

The programme is broadcast on BBC One from its studio at the BBC [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/457345 centre] in Nottingham on " [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/444047 London Road] ", also home to Radio Nottingham and is watched by around 250,000 viewers each night. 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 on broadband about an hour after the show has been broadcast.

History

East Midlands Today was established as an independent programme in January 1991, having previously been part of the Midlands Today programme, which now solely covers the West Midlands. The split arose from criticisms of Midlands Today being too centric on the West Midlands, although a service of separate opt-out bulletins for the region had been provided during the eighties.

On February 5 1996, the show introduced the (current) 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.

Transmission

Viewers in Lincolnshire may also receive Look North, with stories often duplicated by both newsrooms. Similarly, other parts of the "East Midlands Today" region may variously also receive Look East, or even, towards the Buxton area of Derbyshire, North West Tonight. All of Northamptonshire can receive East Midlands Today, but that area is also covered by the dominant Look East.

chedule

BBC East Midlands Today has morning updates at 6:25, 6:55, 7:25, 7:55, 8:25 and 8:55 each lasting between three and five minutes. The Breakfast bulletins feature weather from a BBC Met Office National forecaster, a travel update and a preview of what is to come on the East Midlands local radio stations, BBC Radio Derby, BBC Radio Leicester and BBC Radio Nottingham. The lunchtime programme is broadcast from 1:30-1:45pm and contains the latest headlines and weather from one of the two forecasters based in the region. A short mid-afternoon update follows at 3:00pm. The main evening programme is shown from 6:30-7:00pm and features the day's news, sport, weather and features from around the East Midlands. The late bulletin runs from 10:28-10:34pm and features a final look at the news, weather and on occasion, sport.

The latest edition of the main evening programme can be watched again via the East Midlands Today website.

The team

Currently, the "East Midlands Today" on-air team consists of the following:

Main anchors

*Dominic Heale
*Anne Davies

Other presenters

*Mel Coles (breakfast bulletins)
*Angelina Socci (breakfast/weekend bulletins)
*Carol Hinds (breakfast/lunchtime bulletins, also reporter)
*Geeta Pendse (breakfast bulletins)
*Carolyn Moses (weekend bulletins, also reporter)
*Kylie Pentelow (8pm update/late night bulletin)
*Jo Healey (late night bulletin)
*Sarah Teale (8pm update relief presenter)
*Victoria Hicks (weekend bulletins)
*Emma Hill (weekend bulletins)
*Quentin Rayner (stand-in for 6:30pm bulletins, also reporter)
*Kathy Rochford (weekend bulletins)
*Geoff Maskell (stand-in for weekend bulletins)

ports presenters

*Colin Hazelden (also stand-in news presenter)
*Natalie Jackson (relief)
*Angela Raffety (also reporter)
*Mark Shardlow (also reporter)
*Geoff Maskell (also reporter)

Weather presenters

*Sara Blizzard
*Des Coleman
*Nicola Beswick (currently on maternity leave)
*Sally Pepper

Reporters

*Quentin Rayner (Chief Reporter, also presenter)
*John Hess (Political Editor)
*Kathy Rochford (also presenter)
*Carol Hinds (also newsreader)
*Rob Glass
*Jeremy Ball (Social Affairs Correspondent)
*Matt Youdale (Education Correspondent)
*Rob Sissons (Health Correspondent)
*James Roberson (Special Features Correspondent)

Past presenters

*Shulie Ghosh
*Ian Woods (now with Sky News)
*Lukwesa Burak
*Martine Croxall (now with BBC News Channel and BBC World News)
*Lynette Lithgow
*Janet Mayo
*Jo Wheeler
*Lisa Dransfield
*Nick Thatcher (now with ITV News)
*Priya-Kaur Jones (now with GMTV)

External links

*bbc.co.uk|id=eastmidlandstoday|title="East Midlands Today"
*bbc.co.uk|id=england/realmedia/eastmidlandstoday/bb/eastmidlandstoday_16x9_bb.ram|title="East Midlands Today" catch up
*bbc.co.uk|id=insideout/eastmidlands|title="Inside Out - East Midlands"
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/politics_show/regions/east_midlands/ "The Politics Show - East Midlands"]