East Midlands Today | |
---|---|
Genre | Regional News |
Presented by |
Anne Davies Dominic Heale |
Production | |
Producer(s) | BBC East Midlands |
Running time | Main bulletin: 30 minutes |
Release | |
Original network | BBC One East Midlands |
Picture format | PAL (576i, 16:9) |
Original release | 7 January 1991 – present |
Chronology | |
Related shows |
Midlands Today (for the West Midlands) ITV News Central |
East Midlands Today is the BBC's regional television news programme for the East Midlands.
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) from Astra 1N on Freesat channel 952 and Sky channel 960. The latest edition of East Midlands Today is also available to watch on the BBC iPlayer.
East Midlands Today was established as an independent programme on 7 January 1991, having previously been a part of Midlands Today, 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 5 February 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 16 September 2002, with an update on 6 September 2004. The current titles and graphics were introduced in April 2008.
Over the past several years, East Midlands Today has overtaken the rival ITV News Central in ratings to become the region's most popular local news programme.
Parts of the Government-defined East Midlands region may variously also receive BBC Look North (from Leeds or Hull), Look East, South Today or even, towards the Buxton area of Derbyshire, North West Tonight. All of Northamptonshire can receive East Midlands Today, but most of this area is covered by Look East and South Today. Some parts of south and west Leicestershire receive the West Midlands edition of Midlands Today.