Birmingham
hosts regional TV awards ceremony
BBC Nations
and Regions are marking the fortieth anniversary of the start of
nightly regional news programmes on BBC Television with a special
event at Birmingham's International Convention Centre on Thursday
13 February 2003.
Producers
from the 14 different BBC regional news programmes across the country
will be gathering to mark the anniversary, with BBC Director-General
Greg Dyke the guest of honour. He will present awards for the best
contributions to BBC regional news during 2002.
In
the autumn of 1962 the BBC 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.
BBC
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 BBC ONE's daily schedules and attract higher
audiences than any other news programme on British television."
All the
BBC's digital services are now available on Freeview,
the new free-to-view digital terrestrial television service, as well
as on satellite and cable.
Freeview
offers the BBC's eight television channels - including BBC THREE
- as well as six BBC radio networks.
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