New Meridian, BBC South & South East Thread

Yes, good old Ron, Mike and Liz. Theres a clip somewhere of the very last Coast to Coast from Dover and the Royal Marines Band playing the end-theme. Huge studio that was! Those were the days - the REGIONAL days.

I also remember Geoff Clark doing the SE Sports Report when Meridian Tonight started in 1993. More importantly, I bet people remember Meridian's tacky Christmas graphics and theme! "Look in the jingle library under 'Christmas'"

And the producer's name on the end credits of that final Coast to Coast? Philip Hornby.

I like Glen Thompsett so much more, with all due respect to Mr Hornby.

The Maestro Carl Tyler's continuing his encore today. So nostalgic to have him on still.

Yep - though AIUI the final Maidstone Coast To Coasts were from the much larger studio at Vintners Park (also used for Motormouth or Whats Up Doc or similar at the same time?), rather than the normal news studio, as Meridian had already moved in and were piloting Meridian Tonight from the smaller studio that Coast to Coast would normally have come from. Any studio wide shots you saw on the final show would have been even bigger than usual!

(Meridian hadn't built their own studio centre in the South East region by this point, so rented TVS facilities until they could move into their own. Ironically the Meridian Studios were recently closed, and Meridian moved the news operation BACK to the TVS - now Maidstone Studios - site, in fact the same newsroom space I believe?)

HOWEVER - the Coast to Coast studio, and the Meridian studios at Northam, Newbury and New Hythe were all far larger, and far better suited to actually making quality TV - than the current apologies for studios that Meridian now use for local news. They are far too small, have poor cameras and camera mountings, and seem to be running on VERY multi-skilled staffing set-ups, which have effectively reduced the craft standards of the shows. (Particularly lighting and sound)

This thread needs some South Today images...

http://www.lazyorange.net/junk/st_01.jpg
http://www.lazyorange.net/junk/st_02.jpg
http://www.lazyorange.net/junk/st_03.jpg
http://www.lazyorange.net/junk/st_04.jpg
http://www.lazyorange.net/junk/st_05.jpg

What the bent plastic desk is for I don't know, nor the BLUE light panels on the wall.. I loved the "news cafe" But I also loved the "window on the world"

I just love the way Sally co-ordinates with the set. With her red shoes and CSO jacket

What a hideous set, such a shame, because whenever I have stayed in the down on the south coast, South Today has actually been a rather fine programme.

South Today had such good pre-corporate presentation. Everything since then has been a let-down IMO.

Yeah, the current studio as with the most of the regional ITV newsrooms are pathetic. Even replacing the old chairs for that excuse of a soft bench didn't help much. We have a problem in SE where Mr Hornby, being short nearly tucks his knees under the desk but can never reach and for Charlotte the desk is just in the way.

Bring back this!...
http://www.eyecatchingdesign.co.uk/images/set_design/meridian_news2.jpg

ITV slammed for Dubai news report like "a promotional video"

I happened to see these reports and I did think they were a bit close to the line in terms of being obvious press freebie junkets.

Yes - whilst the design is a bit "early 90s" - the sheer space, decent lighting and craft standards totally separate that incarnation of Meridian from the current pale-imitation.

is this a new studio? when did they change? Something looks different