WHAT WAS ITV first regional news?

scottish Television = STV

meh. ALL regional news broadcasts are magazine-format. Even Scotland Today, and always have been. If anything the nearest regional news has to a "hard-news" broadcast is in Northern Ireland due to the troubles. Ulster TV had the first 5-day half hour broadcast to the best of my knowledge, it contained at least as much news as Scotland today and it started in October 1959. And as I previously stated Tyne Tees had the first half-hour regional news programme, but it had not gone 5-day before Ulster.

By around 1962 *all* regions had a full 5-day regional news programme.

That's the only statistic worth bothering about. Are STV saying that their pre-Scotland Today programme *wasn't* a regional news magazine? Come off it. And in any case, I've seen plenty of Scotland Todays over the years. Hard news it is not. News for the first 10 minutes then sports and frippery, just like anywhere else.

Scotland Today certainly wasn't the first regional news programme - however STV did have the first daily regional news programme on the ITV network. That was back in 1957 and I believe it was called Dateline.

Until the mid 80s, Scotland Today was very much a "bright and breezy" magazine. Indeed for a period the Scottish News bulletin at 1800 and Scotland Today were distinct programmes. When Gus, now Lord, Macdonald became director of programmes at STV in 1986 it was revamped dramatically. Now, of course, it's much lighter and brighter again. All swings and roundabouts.

thank you fro the information

I don't remember very much being "bright and breezey" when I watched in the 70's. If memory serves we had the late John Toye standing in front of a black curtain delivering news in a somber way. The "banter" (such as it was) only came about when Haig Gordon and Sheena McDonald double headed the show on the couches with the separate newsreaders doing the East/West opt.

Much as I am loathed to say that 654321 might be right, I've yet to read anything firm in this thread that disproves the assertion that Scotland Today was the first regional "News" programme.

Besides, if the presenter said it on air, one would like to think they had done their homework first.

That was a good one!

UTV was also the first regional franchisee to have an hour-long news programme 5 days a week, as far as I know. It was in 1979 and was called Good Evening Ulster. Although Northern Ireand has more than its share of hard news it also contained a lot of lighter items. (Gloria Hunniford was the first presenter.)

BTW, BBC NI was (it ended after the ceasefires) the only newsroom in the BBC (outside London HQ) to have a 24-hour newsroom. This was thoruhgout the 70s, 80s and first half of the 90s.

" Much as I am loathed to say that 654321 might be right, I've yet to read anything firm in this thread that disproves the assertion that Scotland Today was the first regional "News" programme. "



UTV and BBC NI were broadcasting half-hour regional news programmes, certainly since the start of "The Troubles" in 1968/9 if not before. At the start of The Torubles, UTV eeven broadcast a nightly half-hour at 10.30pm called Flashpoint. This was in addition to the half-hour produced at teatime.

[quote="Gavin Scott"]

What??? Regional TV presenter doesn't do his homework???

I remember Scotland Today being quite upbeat. John Toye would always anchor then hand over to the news desk where Marion White would read the news.Then it would be back to John with some strange reports sometimes from Paul Murricaine,Jim White and Caroline Dempster. There was always a bit of banter between John and Marion i don't recall it being that somber.

Oh. Well you certainly remember more than I do.

I stand corrected.

STV was indeed the first long-form regional news broadcaster. The show was called 'Here & Now' and was presented from Studio C at Hope Street (Theatre Royal, Glasgow) from the mid-fifties by Bill Tennant.

This was replaced by 'Dateline' circa 1968 when STV went 'colour'; it was also presented by Tennant. The programme had unique titles for each day of the week. Due to a fire that gutted Theatre Royal, its main Studio A and CAR just ahead of their colour launch date, STV had to borrow a scanner van from ATV through which all its colour output originated for quite some time.

'Scotland Today' was dual presented from 1972 by John Toye and American expatriate Bob Cuddihy, also from Studio C. The initial set was actually fairly adventurous for the time, although blue was the predominant background colour. Toye and Cuddihy sat at separate news desks with the same background and occasionally threw to STV's studio in Edinburgh, The Gateway, for east coast//Lothian/Borders news input. Back in Glasgow, there was a 'soft' area for studio-bound interviews.

Incidentally, the charismatic Toye had an immense following in Scotland. He aslo presented a weekly political debate series, the name of which eludes me, but he was certainly in my opinion the most competent TV anchor that Scotland ever produced.