South East Today

BBC South East Today is the BBC South East regional television news programme, serving Kent, East Sussex, part of West Sussex and a small part of Surrey. Prior to its launch on 3 September 2001, most of the viewers in the region received Newsroom South East, though some had been receiving South Today.

BBC South East Today
Production
ProducerBBC South East
Production locationsGreat Hall Studios, Royal Tunbridge Wells
Running timeMain bulletin:
30 minutes
Lunch time bulletin:
15 minutes
Release
Original networkBBC One South East
Picture format
Original release3 September 2001 (2001-09-03) –
present
Chronology
Related showsBBC South Today
ITV News Meridian
ITV News London

South East Today is produced and broadcast live from the BBC's South East broadcasting studios in Royal Tunbridge Wells with district reporters covering Brighton, Chatham, Dover and Hastings.

Overview

Launched on 3 September 2001, South East Today airs with short programmes and bulletins at varying times.

The programme can be watched in any part of the UK (and Europe) on digital satellite on the BBC UK regional TV on satellite service.

Launched with a sole main presenter Laurie Mayer, the programme was briefly the centre of a minor BBC scandal, after Mayer resigned amid accusations of management bullying.[1] Mayer lost his case, but the managers concerned have since moved on.

The show then became double-headed, with Beverley Thompson (formerly the programme's health correspondent) and Giles Dilnot presenting. In 2004, Geoff Clark joined the programme . Clark and Thompson presented the programme together for five years until their departure in September 2009.[2] Long-serving weather presenter Kaddy Lee-Preston, who had been with South East Today since its launch left the programme in March 2012.[3]

The main presenter is Rob Smith with weather presenter Rachel Mackley.[4] The programme's editor is Quentin Smith and the sports producer is Ben Moore. Rob Smith left the programme in November 2020.

The main transmitters that carry the regional news are Heathfield, Bluebell Hill and Dover, with associated relays including Hastings, Tunbridge Wells and Whitehawk Hill. As of 7 March 2012 (following digital switchover), the Whitehawk Hill relay transmitter (which serves the Brighton & Hove area) now carries BBC South East output instead of BBC South, and the region extends as far west as Worthing.[5]

In 2020, the weekday lunchtime bulletin of South East Today merged with that of BBC London News to join forces with the latest on COVID-19 as BBC London and South East, hosted by the South East Today team in Tunbridge Wells. All other bulletins remain separate between the two regions.

Presenters

News

Weather

Former presenters

See also

References
  1. "Mayer loses BBC sacking case". BBC News. 16 October 2003. Retrieved 7 April 2008.
  2. BBC axes well-known TV presenters, Kent Online, 12 June 2009
  3. Popular weathergirl Kaddy Lee-Preston leaves South East Today Archived 15 June 2012 at the Wayback Machine Kent News, 4 April 2012
  4. The reason BBC South East news presenter Polly Evans has not been seen on TV recently, Surrey Mirror, 15 March 2017
  5. Brighton transmitters will be in BBC South East from 7 March 2012 UK Free, 6 August 2011
  6. The reason BBC South East news presenter Polly Evans has not been seen on TV recently, Surrey Mirror, 15 March 2017
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