Worst regional news programme in the UK

what are people judging the programmes on? content, presenters, graphics, 'slickness', entertainment value or relevance?

its all very well throwing names of programmes around, but it doesn't make for a very interesting discussion if people do not expand on their posts.

Fair enough.

Granada Tonight's main problem is the stilted relationship between the presenters - the banter is so forced it's excruciating to watch.

On the odd occassion in the past (probably pre-generic set) Tony or Lucy had presented alone when the other was away - and it worked so much better.

BBC Midlands Today is just cheesy crap!


With regional news in general the problem across the board is they forget they are a regional news programme - and IMO the better ones are the ones who concentrate more on actual news.

Well Wales Tonight isnt anywhere near as good as it was before we got the standard ITV News setup like all the other regions, but this is ITV's fault not HTV.

Mind you the backdrop looks nice now its dark when the main bulletin is on. Wish they would use the backdrop in the GMTV and late bulletins, what a waste using that small studio.

As for the programme, well there are far more lighter storys than there used to be, and too many competitions and text us with your views on such and such. but its the same with the other regions.

Dont watch BBC Wales Today at all so cant comment.

As for other regions, I occasionally look at The West Tonight, Westcountry Live and London Tonight. The West Tonight is awful, the other 2 not that bad.

I would tend to agree with that assessment. For the presenters that ITV West has they don't seem to do a very good job. Perhaps they spent all their money on Lisa and Steve and forgot to buy in some journalists.

(i can't comment on granada - as i've never really watched it)



is that not by virtue of the content of the programme? it is a regional news magazine, with news and features. features that would sit uncomfortably with the john humphries style of presenting. maybe you are confusing familiar with cheesey


again, its a regional news magazine, not "news". i have a problem with the programmes who fill their running orders with press releases, something i don't think can be levelled at MT. and i wouldn't call it a problem per se - i mean - the regional news ratings are far from dire and can indeed be one of the strongest performers.

perhaps your perception of what should be covered is distorted by the fact your region has an assembly, and many other institutions to report on.

midlands today isn't perfect, but i don't think its one of the worst.

I don't agree about the comments about Lookaround. I don't think it's too bad to be honest. It's not really all that Carlisle centred anymore. I mean come on, how much news is going to happen in one of the most rural areas of the country, so I think they do well trying to fill 30 minutes. Sometimes their journalism is very good, they have won awards a few times.

I still think they could do a lot better, though - their Scottish opt-out isn't really fully utilised. I haven't seen it for a while but I do remember them tending to rush through Borders stories and not really covering them in depth.

I have to admit that I find Scotland Today to be very high quality regional news. Its has good journalism, captive newscaster and you always feel engaged with the show. However, it also has a lighter side which weirdly enough makes you.....enjoy watching the news .

Well I prefer North East Tonight to Look North, Just out of curiousity, how do people in Cumbria feel about getting their local BBC news from Newcastle?

Look North NE&C has a far higher journalistic standard in my opinion. The stories featured are generally more newsworthy than that on North East Tonight but from what I have seen, that situation is replicated across the country. Carol Malia is a generally decent presenter although she does seem to get some largely unwarranted flak on this forum. She is a far better presenter in my view than somebody like Jonathan Morrell on NET although her personality really comes through more on other programmes like when she is part of the Great North Run coverage.

I also don't see why people in Cumbria should have any major issues with Look North's coverage of the county. There seem to be regular stories from Cumbria which after all is in relative terms a much less newsworthy and less densely populated part of the region. It is a bit like asking a viewer of Wales Today in west Wales, how they feel about being broadcasted to from Cardiff.

North East Tonight (and ITV Plc) news programmes tend to be more magazine styley and seem to want to 'make the news' rather than report it. The programme also heavily features all the usual ITV campaigns like 'The People's Millions and 'The Big Clean Up'.

Also promotional features on ITV Tyne Tees regional programmes often feature on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Generally, it's a bit like the regional tv equivalent of a tabloid newspaper. Perhaps the most impressive aspect of NET is their sports coverage. With a large and dedicated sports team of Simon O' Rourke, Dawn Thewlis and Andy Kerr, their coverage of all sports including the more obscure ones such as basketball and ice hockey is unrivalled compared with anything else I have seen in the UK.

In my view NET has probably swung to become a little too lightweight and if I had to do without one of the two, I am afraid that NET would have to be the one to go.

I think the award for worst regional news prgramme must go to London Tonight. Apart from that 'old pro Alistair Stewart, the rest are just a bunch of monkies. The fact also that they have some of the male presenters doing the show in open neck shirt makes a mockery of the whole thing. The 'teaser' title sequence is a mess with all the different reporters popping up saying ...."and join me.....
The programme tends to veer more to the c2de audience demographic and pander to the 'tacky' features rather than do what it was once very good at, telling me the news in and around London!
And they wonder why audience figures are constantly dipping!!

Especially when half of them are recorded on the pavement outside 200 GIR!