The Newsroom

Northern England and Southern Scotland Thread

(February 2009)

This site closed in March 2021 and is now a read-only archive
KP
KelpieP0921
ColonelRed posted:
pakokelso posted:
South Today posted:
Indeed I was surprised to see Kenny back - probably freelance for some extra pennies for christmas.


Yeah he is... i emailed him and he confirmed it


Didn't know he left - where did he go and why?


Went away to be a lecturer at Napier University in Edinburgh - Career change who knows - but it wa his choice
KP
KelpieP0921
ignore

9 days later

JJ
jjne
So, Andrew Friend and Jonathan Morrell join the UTV consortium for the local news.

Excellent news IMO.

Ofcom need to get this in place before the Tories scupper things. I have had enough of ITV's rubbish excuse for a service in this region and welcome any replacement with open arms.

Tyne Tees has been dead now for the last five years, and it is high time its corpse was swept away.
KP
KelpieP0921
jjne posted:
So, Andrew Friend and Jonathan Morrell join the UTV consortium for the local news.

Excellent news IMO.

Ofcom need to get this in place before the Tories scupper things. I have had enough of ITV's rubbish excuse for a service in this region and welcome any replacement with open arms.

Tyne Tees has been dead now for the last five years, and it is high time its corpse was swept away.


If you guy's got back Morrell you would be happy - must have been highly regarded. couple of vid's I have seen of him he sounds just like Adrian Chiles! Who is Andrew Friend??

You say TT has been dead for five years - wasn't the Opt-outs between 2006-2009 after Mike left not good? Your news was really regional at 6pm? I have to say I do think Ian Payne is not as bad as you lot make out. I think he seems bad with Pam Royle sometimes - although this has improved. I would still get him in with Pip she joins in with his humor.
CR
City Road
pakokelso posted:
If you guy's got back Morrell you would be happy - must have been highly regarded. couple of vid's I have seen of him he sounds just like Adrian Chiles! Who is Andrew Friend??


Quite why Morrell got dropped over the likes of Ian Payne is beyond anyones guess, Pam and Jonathan worked really well together after Mike retired, and had a decent chemistry, she wasn't as frosty as she is now, his on screen presence with Pip was also notable.

Andrew Friend was a newsreader on Tyne Tees news back in the 90s then went onto produce it.
Last edited by City Road on 1 February 2010 2:11pm
CR
City Road
Quote:
UTV has appointed Tony Baker, one of the UK's most experienced public affairs journalists as Project Leader of its bid for the Government's Independently Funded News Consortium (IFNC) pilot project in the Border and Tyne Tees area. He will be joined by Andrew Friend, former Head of News at Tyne Tees and Jonathon Morrell, former main anchor at Tyne Tees to complete the local team working with UTV management on this bid.

Michael Wilson, Managing Director, UTV Television said: 'As three of the most experienced senior television executives and broadcasters in the North of England, I am delighted to welcome Tony Baker, Andrew Friend and Jonathan Morrell to our Border Live and North East Live team. Their significant media experience gained over many years working on the ground in this area brings considerable expertise, knowledge and unrivalled relationships in politics, business, education and media to our team to ensure our plans are firmly focused on local news for local people.

'UTV produces the most watched regional news in the whole of the UK, our UTV Live audience share in 2008 was 35.9% more than double that of ITV North East Tonight's 16.8% share and considerably more than ITV Lookaround's 24.1% share.

'I grew up in the Durham watching Tyne Tees news and I got my first job as a journalist at Metro Radio so I understand how important high quality local news is to the audience in the North of England. UTV's experience along with the wealth of expertise from Tony and his team will ensure that there is a strong alternative to BBC Look North and an innovative and exciting approach to regional news online and on radio.'

In a career spanning 40 years, Tony Baker was co-presenter of BBC's flagship political programme The Politics Show in the North East. He joined the BBC as a freelance presenter in 1979, after spells working in regional newspapers, on Fleet Street and as an ITV reporter and news editor. Specialising in political and business journalism, he has been a presenter of BBC Business Breakfast, BBC File on Four, BBC Look North, BBC Close Up North and BBC North of Westminster. He is a former Royal Television Society Journalist of the Year. In addition to his broadcasting, Tony also runs his own business, the Public Affairs Bureau Ltd, with offices in London and Northumberland.

Andrew Friend is the former Head of News at Tyne Tees. Born and bred in Durham, Andrew was the youngest ever correspondent (aged 15) for the Durham Advertiser newspaper. After completing a BBC Trainee scheme in 1989, he joined BBC Radio Newcastle as a news producer in 1989 before becoming the York reporter for Tyne Tees TV in 1990. Andrew went on to produce the award-winning North East Tonight programme in 1996 and was one of the members of the project group responsible for moving ITV Tyne Tees to new studios in Gateshead in 2005.

Jonathon Morrell is a former main anchor at Tyne Tees. Born in Yorkshire, Jonathan moved to the North East to study at University in 1989. His first job was as a presenter with BBC Radio Newcastle where he won a Sony Award. He trained as a journalist with the BBC before joining the Tyne Tees newsroom as a reporter/presenter in 1996. Since then he has worked as a presenter/reporter for Yorkshire TV, Sky News and the ITV News Channel. In 2005 he began fronting the Tyne Tees evening news before leaving the company at the end of 2008. Jonathan currently works for GMG Radio as a presenter for Real Radio North East.

Tony Baker, Project Leader of the proposed Border Live and North East Live service said: 'I am delighted to be asked to lead the team in seeking delivery of truly local news coverage in the North East and Border region. Having now worked in the area for 35 years I am passionate about restoring and developing high quality television and multiplatform coverage for the people who deserve that service.

'To this end our team hopes to make a compelling case for delivery working alongside the award winning professionals at UTV, who have a record in meeting local aspirations which is unique and unfaltering.'

Three IFNCs are being created by the Government in Wales, Scotland and the Tyne Tees and Border area to develop sustainable multiplatform regional news. As well as broadcasting on the regional news slots on Channel 3 (ITV and stv), the consortia will be expected to provide increased local news using multimedia technology.

Michael Wilson said: 'Through our websites border-live.tv and northeast-live.tv we have received tremendous feedback from the public in each of these areas on what they want from their local news service. We will continue to promote these sites throughout this process to ensure what we offer in each region meets local audience demands and is sustainable in the longer term.'


http://u.tv/newsreleases/release.aspx?cat=Press&pr=697&y=2010
JO
Jonny
jjne posted:
Tyne Tees has been dead now for the last five years, and it is high time its corpse was swept away.

Speaking of decaying corpses:

http://i50.tinypic.com/np52ro.jpg

Anyone who isn't heartbroken by that image... obviously doesn't live in the Tyne Tees area. Razz

Triple points for spotting the magpie; one for sorrow?
KP
KelpieP0921
Jonny posted:
jjne posted:
Tyne Tees has been dead now for the last five years, and it is high time its corpse was swept away.

Speaking of decaying corpses:

http://i50.tinypic.com/np52ro.jpg

Anyone who isn't heartbroken by that image... obviously doesn't live in the Tyne Tees area. Razz

Triple points for spotting the magpie; one for sorrow?


It look's sad even from a non-tyne teeser.

Fiona Armstrong clearly hasn't disappeared to the BBC yet as she is doing these reports for TT&B this week.
HO
House
pakokelso posted:
Fiona Armstrong clearly hasn't disappeared to the BBC yet as she is doing these reports for TT&B this week.


Given the lack of spaces seemingly available on the News Channel, I'm wondering if Fiona will just be working on the channel as a freelancer, perhaps, which would mean continuing at Tyne Tees! Surely she isn't an employee there still?
ST
South Today
House posted:
pakokelso posted:
Fiona Armstrong clearly hasn't disappeared to the BBC yet as she is doing these reports for TT&B this week.


Given the lack of spaces seemingly available on the News Channel, I'm wondering if Fiona will just be working on the channel as a freelancer, perhaps, which would mean continuing at Tyne Tees! Surely she isn't an employee there still?


Fiona has only ever been freelance at Border since the merger with Tyne Tees.
HO
House
South Today posted:
House posted:
pakokelso posted:
Fiona Armstrong clearly hasn't disappeared to the BBC yet as she is doing these reports for TT&B this week.


Given the lack of spaces seemingly available on the News Channel, I'm wondering if Fiona will just be working on the channel as a freelancer, perhaps, which would mean continuing at Tyne Tees! Surely she isn't an employee there still?


Fiona has only ever been freelance at Border since the merger with Tyne Tees.


That's what I thought. I suspect the only presenter actually 'joining' the NC will be Julia Somerville, with Fiona continuing to freelance with Tyne Tees and presenting relief shifts on the NC, Carole Walker continuing as a political correspondent (again relief presenting) and Zeinab continuing on World (we know this is happening) and relief shifts.

Back to TT, or rather ITV Regional news generally, do they ever do close up shots of the presenters? During the main programme it appears they use a two-presenter shot most of the time. One of the reasons I don't watch much - plus their re-coloured set, although nicer than the teal one, isn't anywhere as good as Look North NE&C.


Also on Look North, does anyone know what's going to happen when Carol Malia returns? Apparently she's back over the coming weeks, so does that mean Jeff will go back to sport (and what then for Dawn?) or will they rotate/ co-present?
JJ
jjne
Jonny posted:
jjne posted:
Tyne Tees has been dead now for the last five years, and it is high time its corpse was swept away.

Speaking of decaying corpses:

http://i50.tinypic.com/np52ro.jpg

Anyone who isn't heartbroken by that image... obviously doesn't live in the Tyne Tees area. Razz

Triple points for spotting the magpie; one for sorrow?


I am not ashamed to admit that I shed a tear the other day when I drove past that sight. Very sad indeed.

Newer posts