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BBC Spotlight(BBC South West TV programme)

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For theBBC Northern Ireland's weeklycurrent affairsprogramme, seeSpotlight (BBC Northern Ireland TV programme).

BBC Spotlight
Title card used since April 2022
Theme music composerDavid Lowe
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
Production
ProducersBBC News
BBC South West
Production locationsBBC Broadcasting House
Plymouth, Devon
Camera setupMulti-camera
Running time30 minutes(main 6:30pm programme)
10 minutes(1:30pm and 10:30pm programmes)
Various(on weekends andBreakfast
Original release
NetworkBBC OneSouth West
BBC OneChannel Islands
Release17 September 1962(1962-09-17)[1]–
present

BBC Spotlightis theBBC's regional TV news programme for the South West of England, coveringCornwall,Devon,Isles of Scilly,southern and westernSomerset,westernDorsetand theChannel Islands.

Overview[edit]

BBC Spotlightis broadcast from the BBC Broadcasting House in Seymour Road,Plymouth,with smaller studios based inExeter,TruroandSt. Helier,from where an opt-out service for the Channel Islands is broadcast on weekdays.

The main half-hour edition of the programme airs at 6.30pm on weekdays with shorter bulletins airing duringBBC Breakfastand at 1.30pm on weekdays, after theBBC News at Tenfrom Sunday to Friday and on weekend evenings.

The programme can also be viewed anywhere in the UK (and Europe) onSkychannel 967/968 on theBBC UK regional TV on satelliteservice and on demand via theBBC iPlayer.

Its main competitors areITV West Country's main evening programmeITV News West Countryin Cornwall, Devon, Isles of Scilly, southern and western Somerset and western Dorset; andITV Channel Television's main evening programmeITV News Channel TVin the Channel Islands.

History[edit]

When the BBC introduced regional television news on 30 September 1957, viewers in the South West were initially served by a five-minute bulletin from Bristol shared with what would become theBBC WestandBBC Southregions.[2]For geographical reasons, the timeslot for regional news had to be shared with a bulletin for Wales.

In the same year, a Plymouth newsroom had been officially opened to cover Devon and Cornwall for both the television bulletins and bespoke radio bulletins, which had launched on theBBC Home Serviceon 1 October 1956.[3]

Separate bulletins for the South region were launched in January 1961, but the forthcoming launch of the rival ITV service fromWestward Televisionprompted the launch of bespokeNews from the South Westbulletins on 20 April 1961, just nine days before Westward went on air. The first ten-minute bulletin was read by Tom Salmon, who later became a producer and regional TV manager,[4]A small television studio was especially constructed within the BBC's Plymouth centre - with facilities built at a cost of £50,000.[5]

Within a year, the BBC was planning to expand the 10-minute regional slot into a 20-minute slot for daily news magazine programmes for the nations and regions. After a number of pilots were produced under the titleSix to Six Twenty,the newSouth West at Sixprogramme launched on 17 September 1962, presented by Peter Crampton withSheila Tracydeputising.[6]The programme's first editor was John Tanton, the area news editor for the South West and one of the BBC's first Plymouth-based journalists.[7]

Just over a year later,South West at Sixwas relaunched again and adopted the titleSpotlight South West(laterSpotlight) on 30 September 1963.[8][9]The programme reached its 500th edition on 13 September 1965.[10]

TV facilities at the Plymouth studios have been periodically expanded with the building of a new 1500 ft² colour television studio in 1972-73. An industrial dispute involving technicians delayed the first colour edition ofSpotlightuntil 5 August 1974.[11]In 1978, it became the first BBC regional news programme to employ its own meteorologist, Craig Rich, who continued with the BBC for 25 years.

TheSpotlightproduction team also contributed networked features and regional opt-outs to the BBC'sBreakfast Timewhen it launched in January 1983.[12]In the same year, the Plymouth studios began introducingENGcameras for newsgathering with film being gradually phased out by July 1987.[13]

A further refurbishment at the BBC's Plymouth studios led to the introduction of new computer technology and production systems in 1991, followed later in the decade by the introduction of satellite newsgathering facilities.[14]

A replacement purpose-built broadcasting centre on the opposite side of Sutton Harbour fromthe Barbicanwas due to replace the Seymour Road studios in 2011[15]but the plans later stalled due to the effect of the recession on the construction industry and a change in the original plans. In late 2012, the owner of the harbour expressed fears the move may never happen and admitted other parties had expressed an interest in moving to the site earmarked for the BBC.[16]

In 2013, the BBC confirmed that it was not moving to Sutton Harbour and instead opted for a further refurbishment of its existing headquarters at Seymour Road.[17]

Presenters[edit]

Victoria Graham presents the 6.30pm programme. Another longstanding presenter is Natalie Cornah, who also presents the main programme.

Former on-air team members[edit]

BBC Channel Islands[edit]

BBC Channel Islandsis the dedicatedopt-out servicefor theChannel Islands.

Although the BBC maintained a newsgathering presence on the Islands - expanded with the arrival ofRadio JerseyandRadio Guernseyin 1982 - budgetary constraints had prevented the corporation from providing its own local TV news service to compete with the established ITV service fromChannel Television.[29]

In 1988, a minimal service was established with a short two-minute bulletin following theBBC Nine O'Clock Newson weeknights, broadcast from a self-op studio at theFrémont Point transmitterand presented by an on-duty newsreader from Radio Jersey.[30]

The basic facilities at Fremont Point were later expanded when the service was expanded to two evening bulletins - an opt-out at 6.30pm duringSpotlightand a late bulletin at 10.30pm on weeknights - before production moved to the studios ofBBC Radio Jerseyat St Helier in 2005.

The opt-outs are usually presented by Charlie McArdle and produced by a team of multi-skilling journalists who write, film and edit their own stories, as well as producing and directing the bulletins on weekdays. The main opt takes up the first 12 minutes ofSpotlightat 6.30pm with a further bulletin at 10:30pm. No opt-outs are broadcast during the day and at weekends, except for special occasions such as local elections or major sporting events such as theIsland Games.

Like other BBC enterprises in the Channel Islands, funding comes primarily fromtelevision licencefees collected within the Islands.[31][32]

References[edit]

  1. ^AsSouth West at Six.
  2. ^5PY Heritage - Segue
  3. ^5PY Heritage - Segue
  4. ^5PY Heritage - Topics & Tales
  5. ^5PY Heritage - Segue
  6. ^5PY Heritage - Topics & Tales
  7. ^5PY Heritage - Segue
  8. ^Luxton, Simon."BBC South West – News".TVARK. Archived fromthe originalon 4 March 2012.Retrieved31 August2010.
  9. ^Leigh, Justin (2007). "The History of the BBC in Devon and Local Broadcasting as Part of the BBC's Worldwide Role".Report & Transactions of the Devonshire Association.139:3–5.ISSN0309-7994.
  10. ^5PY Heritage - Topics & Tales
  11. ^5PY Heritage - Topics & Tales
  12. ^5PY Heritage - Topics & Tales
  13. ^Spotlight South West: BBC Spotlight from Film to Video,bbcrewind.co.uk
  14. ^5PY Heritage - Topics & Tales
  15. ^"BBC's new Plymouth headquarters will be approved".this is Plymouth.Retrieved31 August2010.
  16. ^Inquiries over site earmarked for BBC,This is Plymouth
  17. ^"BBC South West announces major investment in Plymouth Seymour Road base", BBC Media Centre
  18. ^"BBC One - Spotlight - Victoria Graham".BBC.Retrieved24 May2019.
  19. ^"BBC One - Spotlight - Natalie Cornah".BBC.Retrieved24 May2019.
  20. ^"BBC One - Spotlight - David Braine".BBC.Retrieved24 May2019.
  21. ^"BBC One - Spotlight - Emily Wood".BBC.Retrieved24 May2019.
  22. ^"Kally Adderkin-Hall looks back at the drink drive case that changed the law".Exeter Daily. 15 December 2018. Archived fromthe originalon 23 April 2019.Retrieved24 May2019.
  23. ^abcdefghijkl"BBC South West Presenters".the tv room (archived).Retrieved24 May2019.
  24. ^abcde"The Way We Were".Spotlight (archived).BBC. 24 September 2014.Retrieved24 May2019.
  25. ^"Simon Hall".Institute of Continuing Education.University of Cambridge. 16 May 2018.Retrieved24 May2019.
  26. ^"Spotlight presenter Justin Leigh is leaving the BBC after 33 years".Plymouth Live. 12 October 2020.Retrieved12 October2020.
  27. ^"Another Spotlight presenter to go as Hamish Marshall announces departure from BBC".Plymouth Live. 23 October 2020.Retrieved23 October2020.
  28. ^"Kawser Quamer".Marathi.tv.Retrieved24 May2019.
  29. ^5PY Heritage - The Channel Islands
  30. ^5PY Heritage - The Channel Islands
  31. ^"TV licences".Guernsey Post. Archived fromthe originalon 12 May 2008.Retrieved2 July2009.
  32. ^"T.V. Licences".Jersey Citizens Advice Bureau. 13 March 2009.Retrieved2 July2009.

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=BBC_Spotlight_(BBC_South_West_TV_programme)&oldid=1217013951#BBC_Channel_Islands"