| South Today | |
|---|---|
South Today titles |
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| Also known as | BBC Oxford News |
| Format | Regional News |
| Presented by | Sally Taylor (Main anchor, South Today) Geraldine Peers (Main anchor, BBC Oxford News) |
| Theme music composer | David Lowe |
| Country of origin | England, UK |
| Language(s) | English |
| Production | |
| Editor(s) | Lee Desty (South Today) |
| Location(s) | Southampton, England, UK |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | 30 minutes (main 6:30pm programme) |
| Production company(s) | BBC South |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | BBC One South |
| Picture format | 576i (SDTV 16:9) |
| Original run | January 7, 1961 – present |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows | BBC News, Meridian Tonight |
| External links | |
| Website | |
South Today is the BBC's regional television news programme for East Dorset, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Berkshire, West Sussex and the western fringes of Surrey. Since 2000, an opt-out of the main programme (now called BBC Oxford News) has also covered Oxfordshire, the Swindon area of Wiltshire and parts of Buckinghamshire.
Contents |
The BBC began broadcasting a regional TV news programme for the South of England (then known as South at Six) in January 1961, getting on air four months before the launch of Southern Television's rival magazine programme Day by Day. For many years, the BBC's Southampton operations were based in South Western House, the former Cunard shipping line headquarters near the city's docks.
Taking over from the original South at Six programme in the 1970s, South Today produces eleven bulletins each weekday: 6 bulletins in the morning during BBC Breakfast, a short bulletin at 15:00, a 15-minute programme at 13:30, the half-hour main programme at 18:30, a headlines update at 20:00 and a 7-minute late night bulletin at 22:25. An additional four bulletins air 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 programme is broadcast live from studios in Southampton. It can be watched in any part of the UK (and Europe) on digital satellite channel 984/985 on the BBC UK regional TV on satellite service.
Prior to September 2001, South Today's region included areas served by the Heathfield Transmitter and its relays which extended coverage as far East as Ashford and North to parts of Tunbridge Wells including the key towns of Eastbourne, Hastings, Uckfield, Lewes & Rye. These areas are now covered by the BBC's South East Today.
Since 16 October 2000, BBC South has produced a distinct news service for the area served by the Oxford transmitter. Previously, the area was covered by Newsroom South East, which also served Greater London and the South East. As part of a three-tier restructure of regional coverage, the Oxfordshire area was transferred to the BBC South region and began dedicated opt-out bulletins within South Today. A year later, London and the South East split into two distinct regions: BBC London and BBC South East.
BBC Oxford News is presented by Geraldine Peers on weekdays. Originally, South Today Oxford was broadcast from BBC South's studios in Southampton and presented by Heather McCarthy and Caroline Richardson on a rotating basis. Peers became the main anchor of the opt-outs in 2001 and studio production of the bulletins was transferred to a new television studio in Oxford in 2004.
On 21 April 2008, the South Today Oxford opt-out service was renamed as BBC Oxford News (although this is referred to on-screen as BBC Oxford). New titles and graphics were introduced as part of a on-screen overhaul across the BBC's national, international and regional news services.
From Monday to Thursday, the programme covers the first fifteen minutes of the main regional news programme at 6:30pm, before rejoining Sally Taylor in Southampton for the second half of South Today. However, on Friday, a full 30-minute programme is produced for the sub-region. BBC Oxford News (previously known as South Today Oxford) serves viewers in Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Swindon as well as parts of Berkshire, Northamptonshire and the Cotswolds.
Viewers in these areas also receive dedicated bulletins at 3:00pm, 8:00pm and after the BBC News at Ten, but see pan-regional bulletins from Southampton at breakfast and lunchtime and on weekends.
Currently, the South Today and BBC Oxford News on-air team consists of the following:
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