Birmingham
hosts regional TV awards ceremony
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Nations
and Regions are marking the fortieth anniversary of the start of
nightly regional news programmes on ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Television with a special
event at Birmingham's International Convention Centre on Thursday
13 February 2003.
Producers
from the 14 different ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ regional news programmes across the country
will be gathering to mark the anniversary, with ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Director-General
Greg Dyke the guest of honour. He will present awards for the best
contributions to ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ regional news during 2002.
In
the autumn of 1962 the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ first decided to strengthen its commitment
to the nations and the regions in response to the arrival of the
new regionally based ITV companies.
The
ten minute regional news bulletins were replaced with longer 25
minute news magazine style programmes such as Midlands At Six -
though initially just for an experimental six month period.
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½
Nations and Regions Director Pat Loughrey said: "Despite some
early misgivings, the experiment proved very popular with audiences
which is why, 40 years ago, the decision was taken to make the programmes
a permanent fixture.
"They
are now a cornerstone of ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ ONE's daily schedules and attract higher
audiences than any other news programme on British television."
All the
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s digital services are now available on ,
the new free-to-view digital terrestrial television service, as well
as on satellite and cable.
Freeview
offers the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s eight television channels - including ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ THREE
- as well as six ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ radio networks.
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