North East Tonight

North East Tonight
Also known as ITV Tyne Tees & Border News
Format Regional News
Presented by Ian Payne
Pam Royle
Country of origin England, UK
Language(s) English
Production
Executive producer(s) Lucy West
(Head of News)
Location(s) Gateshead, England, UK
Camera setup Multi-camera
Running time 30 minutes
(main 6pm show)
Production company(s) ITV Tyne Tees
(1959-2009);
ITV Tyne Tees & Border
(2009-present)
Broadcast
Original channel ITV1 Tyne Tees
Picture format 576i (SDTV 16:9)
Original run 1959 (1959) – present
Chronology
Related shows ITV News,
Lookaround,
BBC Look North
External links
Website
North East Tonight
Format Regional News
Presented by Ian Payne
Pam Royle
(Full list)
Country of origin United Kingdom
Language(s) English
Production
Executive producer(s) Lucy West
(Head of News)
Producer(s) ITV Tyne Tees (1959-2009)
ITV Tyne Tees & Border (Feb 2009-present)
Running time 30 minutes
(6pm programme)
Broadcast
Original channel ITV, ITV1 Tyne Tees
Original airing 1959
Chronology
Related shows BBC Look North, Lookaround
External links
Website

North East Tonight is a regional television news and current affairs programme, also including local sports news and local features of interest, produced by ITV Tyne Tees & Border at its studios in Gateshead, and serving the "Tyne Tees" part of the region (Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, County Durham, Tees Valley and North Yorkshire).

The remainder of the ITV Tyne Tees & Border region (i.e. the former Border area) consists of Cumbria, Dumfries and Galloway and the Scottish Borders, and receives Lookaround in these time slots.

Like all regional news programmes on ITV1 in England and Wales and Channel Television, it uses the generic ITV font and idents.

Contents

Overview

North East News/Tonight was first broadcast on Monday 2 September 1996 following the defection of the popular Mike Neville to Tyne Tees from the BBC's Look North programme after 32 years. Prior to its launch, since 1959, the regional news programmes were broadcast under various names - namely North East Roundabout, North East Newsview, Today at Six, Northern Life, Tyne Tees Today/Network North and Tyne Tees News/Tonight.

Mike Neville announced his retirement from the programme on 5 June 2006.[1]

In July 2005, following chief presenter Mike Neville's departure, North East Tonight's main 18:00 programme was split into opt-outs:

Other bulletins including GMTV bulletins, weekday lunchtime, weekday late, and weekend early evening were pan-regional.

The last 'North' and 'South' editions of North East Tonight aired on 13 February 2009.

ITV Tyne Tees and Border

In September 2007, ITV plc announced that Tyne Tees' newsroom would be merged with ITV Border, subject to Ofcom approval.[2]

On 26 September 2008, Ofcom (the Office of Communications, the UK's broadcasting regulator) authorised ITV's plans to save £40 million a year by making regional programming cutbacks. These include axing mid-morning bulletins on weekdays and lunchtime bulletins at weekends, merging a number of regions and axing most non-news regional programmes.

Up until Tuesday, 24 February 2009, ITV Tyne Tees and ITV Border regions were entirely separate. Border Television was based in studios in Carlisle, Cumbria.

During this era, North East Tonight was the name of the Tyne Tees region's main weekday evening programme only, with all other bulletins branded as "North East News". Meanwhile, the Border region received a fully regional version of Lookaround along with daily Border News bulletins.

As part of major ITV regional news cuts, taking place from November 2008 to February 2009, around 50 staff were made redundant or accepted voluntary redundancy at ITV Tyne Tees. On 16 December 2008, Press Gazette leaked that journalists were told that leaving collections were banned, along with leaving presentations and on-screen goodbyes. In a staff memo, head of news Catherine Houlihan cited the ban was because of the large number of staff being made redundant at the station.[3] One worker told Press Gazette that "morale is at rock bottom".

Broadcast times

North East Tonight and Tyne Tees & Border News airs on ITV1 Tyne Tees seven days a week.

Weekdays

Programme Scheduled Slot Presenter(s)
Tyne Tees & Border News (broadcast during Daybreak) 06:15, 07:15 and 08:15 Sarah Kelly
Tyne Tees & Border News (broadcast after the ITV News at 1:30) 13:55-14:00 Ian Payne, Pam Royle or Sarah Kelly
North East Tonight 18:00-18:30 Ian Payne and Pam Royle
North East Tonight (broadcast after ITV News at Ten) 22:30-22:35 Ian Payne or Pam Royle (Monday-Thursday). Various (Friday).

Weekends

Programme Scheduled Slot Presenter(s)
Tyne Tees & Border News Saturdays - Late Afternoon Various
Tyne Tees & Border News Sundays - Early Evening Various

Sub-regional service

The main edition of North East Tonight incorporates a 15 /18 minute opt-out within the main 6pm programme, a fully separate late night bulletin after ITV News at Ten and localised weather forecasts for the Tyne Tees region. Depending on the day's news, either one of the Tyne Tees or Border news opt-outs are pre-recorded. All other bulletins are pan-regional and cover news stories from the Tyne Tees and Border regions, entitled Tyne Tees & Border News.[4]

Personnel

Current on air team

On 3 December 2008, it was announced that the presenters for the South edition of North East Tonight, Ian Payne and Pam Royle, would become the main anchors for the new service. They also act as alternate newscasters of the lunchtime and late night bulletins. Philippa Tomson, a presenter of the North edition, was redeployed as a weather presenter,[5] and relief presenter for the new service.[6]

On 17 January 2009, it was announced Lookaround presenter Helen Pearson would be redeployed as presenter of Tyne Tees & Border News bulletins which air during GMTV (now Daybreak).[7] However she now works as a news correspondent, relief presenter and weather presenter.

Former on air team

Listing notable former presenters and journalists and their subsequent employer(s).

References

External links