22 September – The first news bulletin is broadcast at 10pm on ITV’s launch night.
1956
17 February – ITV begins broadcasting in the Midlands -ATV Midlands launches ITV in the Midlands and the following day the Midlands’ weekend contractorABC Weekend TV broadcasts for the first time.
7 May – The first broadcast ofATV Midlands News takes place. It is a short daily summary of regional news with stories often sourced directly from the Birmingham Evening Dispatch, a local newspaper.[1] Film footage is later added with footage shot by Birmingham Commercial Films. It wasn’t until 1959 that ATV set up its own film unit for its regional news service.
8 October – ITV broadcasts its first election results programme to provide ITV with live coverage of the results of the1959 United Kingdom general election.
27 October –Anglia Television launches, bringing ITV to east England.
2 June –About Anglia launches as a twice-weekly programme accompanying the 10-minute regional evening news bulletin on weekdays. Its success prompted it to be extended to four nights a week the following September and then, every weeknight.[3]
1961
Southern opens studios inDover and launches localised news opt-outs for the east of the region, becoming the first broadcaster in the UK provide such a service.
4 April – Southern launches a weeknight 30-minute regional news programme calledDay By Day.[4]
14 September – The final part of the UK gets an ITV service whenWales (West and North) Television launches in West and North Wales asTeledu Cymru.
1963
No events.
1964
26 January –Wales (West and North) Television stops broadcasting after going bankrupt. It is replaced byTWW. However the Teledu Cymru on-air identity is retained.
30 March – Tyne Tees introduces a nightly regional news programme calledNorth East Newsview. Previously, regional news had consisted of short bulletins and a weekly Friday night programme calledNorth East Roundabout.
5 October – Following pressure from the Independent Television Authority to improve regional coverage, ATV introduces a nightly news magazine programme,ATV Today. It runs for 20 minutes and follows the teatime 15 minute-longATV Midlands News bulletin. LaterATV Today is later expanded to the full 30 minutes and the news bulletin is subsumed into the main programme.
9 October – Southern launches a weekly news magazine forSouth East England calledFriday on Ten. This is shown instead of the Friday edition of regional news magazineDay by Day.
Newsview replacesRoundabout as Ulster’s regional news programme.
4 March –TWW stops broadcasting five months before its contract was due to expire. The ITA provides an interim service calledIndependent Television Service for Wales and the West until 20 May when the new contractor,Harlech Television, takes over. The change in contractor the launch of a full half-hour evening news programme,Y Dydd (The Day) inWelsh andReport Wales inEnglish, broadcast to south Wales and the West of England. Previously,TWW had provided short evening bulletins known asTWW Reports, presented jointly from studios in Cardiff and Bristol, where the station ran a joint news operation covering the two areas.
29 July –
ATV starts broadcasting to the Midlands seven days a week and Granada starts broadcasting across the north west seven days a week. In both cases ABC loses the right to broadcast.
Yorkshire Television launches following the decision to split the north region into two resulting in a new franchise being created for the Yorkshire area. The new contractor launches its own news operation under the title ofCalendar .
June – A separate HTV West service is launched, as is a full evening news programme for the region calledReport West.
1971
No events.
1972
11 September – Scottish television launchesScotland Today, although the programme is only broadcast for ten months each year. Magazine programmes are shown during the summer break.
1973
Granada's nightly news programme is relaunched asGranada Reports. The nightly news programme had previously had various titles, includingNorthern Newscast,Scene at Six Thirty,Newsview andPeople and Places.
1974
No events.
1975
No events.
1976
6 September –Northern Life replacesToday at Six as Tyne Tees’ regional news programme.
1977
Due to the popularity of weekly magazine programmeScene South East, Southern launchesScene Midweek. This replaces part two of the Wednesday edition ofDay by Day.
5 September – Thames launches a lunchtime regional news bulletin.
Grampian Television becomes the first British television station to adoptENG video cameras for news coverage - a move which finally allows its regional news programme,Grampian Today, to extend from three to five nights a week.
Scotland Today’s annual summer break is scrapped and consequently the programme is now on air all year round.
7 January –Grampian Today is relaunched asNorth Tonight as part of an effort to reflect all of northern Scotland.
28 April – A late nightThames News bulletin is launched. It had originally been planned to launch at the same time as the lunchtime bulletin but was delayed due to union problems.
1981
31 December –ATV,Southern andWestward stop broadcasting at the end of their day's programming and the day sees the final editions of the three companies’ regional news programmes -ATV Today,Day By Day andWestward Diary are broadcast for the final time.
TVS broadcasts the first main edition of its new regional news magazineCoast to Coast At first, the programme airs between 5:30pm & 6:30pm, consisting of two sub-regional segments at 5:30pm & 6:20pm, ITN'sNews at 545 bulletin and a pan-regional segment at 6pm.
8 January – Due to the earlier Friday start time for LWT, LWT becomes contractually responsible for providing a Friday London news service. Rather than launch its own news service, LWT pays Thames to provide a 15-minute insert intoThe Six O'Clock Show, LWT’s Friday teatime magazine. The bulletin is calledThames Weekend News. Over the weekend, LWT's news coverage consists ofLWT News Headlines, which are aired mid-afternoon and late evening. These bulletins usually consisted solely of the duty continuity announcer in-vision reading copy sourced from theIndependent Local Radio stationLBC, and later, from local wire agencies.
Spring – The main evening edition ofCoast to Coast is cut to a single 30 minute programme, beginning at 6pm. The change also sees the launch of fully separate editions for the south and south east.
31 October – Programmes in Welsh, including news bulletins, are broadcast on HTV for the final time as from the following day, allWelsh language programmes both onBBC Wales and HTV transfers to the new Welsh fourth channelS4C.
1 November – Following the launch of S4C, HTV Wales becomes a fullyEnglish language service and it renames its news programme toWales at Six.
1983
September –Central finally launches itsEast Midlands service. An industrial dispute had prevented Central from launching its East Midlands service until 21 months after Central actually launched.
1984
8 October –Scotland Today is relaunched as a features-led magazine format with the news relegated to brief summaries before and after the programme.[7]
1985
No events.
1986
20 October – Following considerable criticism, including from theIndependent Broadcasting Authority, the 1984 changes introduced by Scottish Television toScotland Today are reversed and the programme once again becomes a news bulletin with the feature elements transferred to a new lunchtime programme calledLive at One Thirty.
1987
20 July – Thelunchtime news programme moves to 12:30pm and the regional news bulletins are moved accordingly, to 12:50pm.
7 September –
ITV launches a full morning programme schedule, with advertising, for the first time. The new service includes hourly five-minute national and regional news bulletins.
Ulster's evening news magazine programme is renamedSix Tonight.
December –Thames Weekend News is broadcast by LWT on Friday evenings for the final time.
TSW changes the name of its regional news programme fromToday South West toToday.[8]
1988
8 January – Following concern from the IBA over LWT’s regional news output, LWT launches its own news service calledLWT News. The service is outsourced and is provided byScreen News[9] until the start of 1990 when Chrysalis takes over the contract.
Grampian launches weekend regional news bulletins and at the same time, all of Grampian's news bulletins are renamed asGrampian Headlines.
7 March – Thelunchtime news returns to the 1pm slot with regional bulletins moving to 1.20pm.
June – For the first time,Yorkshire Television broadcasts regional news bulletins at the weekend.
12 December – TVS launches a new sub-region, providing viewers in Berkshire and north Hampshire, who are served by theHannington transmitting station with a more localised news service as an opt-out from regional news magazine programmeCoast to Coast.
Border begins providing a sub-regional service for Scottish Borders viewers served by theSelkirk transmitter, consisting of a short opt-out duringLookaround each weeknight.
TSW renames its news programme fromToday toTSW Today.[11]
20–24 November – TVS pilots a 30-minute late night edition ofCoast to Coast, entitledCoast to Coast Late. The pilot runs for a single week and is not taken up.[12]
2 January –Granada Television's nightly news programmeGranada Reports is rebranded asGranada Tonight and the shorter bulletins are rebranded asGranada News.
31 December –Thames,TVS andTSW broadcast for the final time. Consequently, the companies’ regional news programmes -Thames News,TSW Today andCoast to Coast - are seen for the final time.
1993
1 January – At the stroke of midnight,Carlton,Meridian andWestcountry start broadcasting and at 6amGMTV goes on air for the first time. AlsoTeletext launches as ITV's new teletext service.
3 January –LWT News is broadcast for the final time.
4 January –
The first weekday edition of GMTV is broadcast and it sees the launch of regional news updates at breakfast on ITV.
London News Network goes on air, It is a joint venture between Carlton and LWT and it provides London with a seven days a week service. Previously, the two contractors had operated separate news services.
Ulster’s news service is renamedUTV Live. The programme broadcasts for 60 minutes, instead of 30.
January – Scottish launches a 30-minute lunchtime edition ofScotland Today.
31 March –Network North launches, providing the south of the region with its own regional news magazine. It is available to viewers served by theBilsdale transmitter.Tyne Tees Today therefore becomes the name of the north of the region programme for those served by thePontop Pike and Chatton transmitters.
November –Tyne Tees Today andNetwork North are renamedTyne Tees News although the separate news services for the North and South of the region continue as before.
1996
2 September – Tyne Tees' two separate regional news magazines end and are replaced by a single news programme calledNorth East Tonight.
25 November –London Today, a 30-minute lunchtime edition ofLondon Tonight is launched by Carlton Television.
1997
March – HTV West's main evening news programme is renamedThe West Tonight. The change co-insides with the opening of a digital broadcast centre at HTV's Bristol studios.[15]
31 August – Television schedules are dominated by coverage of theDiana, Princess of Wales'scar accident. ITV cancels its regular programmes to provide non-stop rolling coverage until mid-evening with a 30-minute regional bulletin broadcast at lunchtime.
1998
No events.
1999
8 March –
Major changes to ITV's news programmes take place, including different times for the channel's news programmes and the programmes were referred to as ITV News rather than ITN News. The main bulletin of the day is now considered to be theEarly Evening News and is moved from 5:40pm to 6:30pm and the evening news is controversially pushed back to 11pm although the following year the ITC forces ITV to move the late evening news back to 10pm on three nights each week with the late evening regional news now broadcast at 11:20pm.
Ulster's UTV Live is brought forward by half an hour to start at 5:30pm. The first half-hour sees feature reports, light-hearted stories and the weather forecast branded as part of a separate programme,UTV Life, which ran before the main evening news, started at 6pm and kept theUTV Live name.
April – Border's sub-regional service for Scottish Borders viewers served by theSelkirk transmitter, consisting of a short opt-out duringLookaround each weeknight, is extended to coverDumfries and Galloway and a dedicated Scottish news bulletin is introduced on weekday lunchtimes.[16]
September –London Today is broadcast for the final time.
28 September –Granada Television's flagship nightly news programmeGranada Tonight is rebranded to its original titleGranada Reports.
2002
Grampian Headlines is renamedGrampian News.
2003
September –Anglia News is renamedAnglia News Tonight and on 2 February 2004 the programme is renamedAnglia Tonight.
2004
2 February –
After several years of inconsistent scheduling of ITV'slate evening news, the bulletin moves to a five nights a week 10:30pm start time with the regional news bulletin retimed accordingly.
HTV News is renamedITV Wales News andITV West News respectively.
March – Following its acquisition of theLondon News Network, a company previously owned by the now mergedCarlton andGranada, ITN begins producing local news bulletins for theITV London region.
2005
11 April – The 15-minute regional news bulletins at 3:00pm are axed and incorporated into a new 60-minuteITV Lunchtime News.
August –North East Tonight becomes two separate programmes for the north and the south of the region. However all other regions news bulletins remain as a single pan-regional bulletin.
12 September – HTV West's regional news programme is once again namedThe West Tonight, six years after the name had originally been dropped.[17]
14 November —ITV Wales News is renamed back toWales Tonight.
2006
4 September – TheITV Lunchtime News reverts to being a 30-minute programme and its start time is moved back to 1:30pm. Regional news is now broadcast at 1:55pm.
TheCalendar East and Calendar South regions are merged to form a new Calendar South region covering central and east Lincolnshire, east and south east Yorkshire, east Nottinghamshire and north Norfolk. The Calendar North region, broadcasting from theEmley Moor transmitter continues as before.
Viewers ofNorth Tonight begin to receive two different programmes - those in theDundee,Angus,Perthshire and north-eastFife area receive a dedicated bulletin within the mainNorth Tonight programme.
STV launches separate news services for the East and West of the STV Central region, initially as a five-minute opt out within the 6pm edition ofScotland Today on weeknights.
February –UTV Live andUTV Life are split into separate programmes and all bulletins outside of the main early evening programme are retitledUTV News. This continues until April 2009.
2008
14 January –ITV News at Ten returns to the schedules on four nights each week – the Friday edition remains at 11pm.[18] The timing of the late evening regional news bulletins is adjusted accordingly.
2009
13 February – The final North and South sub-regional editions ofNorth East Tonight are broadcast onTyne Tees.
16 February – As part of cutbacks across ITV to its regional broadcasts in England the operations ofITV Westcountry and ITV West are merged into a new non-franchise regionITV West & Westcountry. The new ‘region’ results in a merged regional news service based inBristol calledThe West Country Tonight. However the first half of the main programme and the entirety of the late evening bulletin remain separate.[19]
25 February –
ITV makes major cutbacks to its regional broadcasts in England. The separate sub-regional news programmes are merged into a pan-regional programme although more localised news continues to be broadcast as a brief opt-out during the early evening programme. Also axed are the weekday mid-morning bulletins and the lunchtime bulletins at weekends.
The changes also see the merger of the Border and Tyne Tees regions to formITV Tyne Tees & Border.Lookaround is no longer broadcast fromCarlisle, instead it is transferred to the studios of Tyne Tees inGateshead. TheNorth East Tonight andLookaround titles are retained for the 6pm programme and late bulletin each weekday, whilst shorter bulletins are known simply asTyne Tees & Border News.[20]
February – Mid-morning weekday and lunchtime weekendUTV Live bulletins are axed when the station is permitted to reduce their weekly news output from five hours and twenty minutes to four hours.[21]
20 March – The last main editions ofNorth Tonight andScotland Today arew aired ahead of a major revamp of STV's news coverage in Scotland.
23 March –STV News at Six launches across Scotland, replacing theScotland Today andNorth Tonight brands.[22] The bulletins remain fully localised although sub-regional inserts are now just five minute opt-outs.
27 April – UTV launches a 30-minute late evening news and current affairs programme,UTV Live Tonight, which follows theNews at Ten on Monday – Thursday nights and incorporates the station's late news bulletin alongside extended political and business coverage.
15 July – Coverage of theIsle of Man is transferred from Border to Granada.
May – Separate half-hour editions ofSTV News at Six for the East and West are launched along with localised late night news bulletins each weeknight.
5 September – Separate weekday daytime bulletins for the west and south west of England are reintroduced.
24 October – STV launches a 30-minute late evening news and current affairs programme,Scotland Tonight, which followsNews at Ten on Monday – Thursday nights and incorporates the station's late news bulletins for Central and Northern Scotland, alongside extended political and business coverage.
2012
No events.
2013
4 January – The Tyne-Tees news service is rebranded asITV News Tyne Tees.[23] and pan-regional bulletins are branded asITV News Tyne Tees & Border
14 January – Regional news services are rebranded with the ITV name - for example,Anglia Tonight is renamedITV News Anglia.[23]
16 September – Sub-regional news coverage is reintroduced across England. The weekday daytime, late evening and weekend bulletins as well as 20 minutes of the 6pm programme are once again more localised.Lookaround andITV News Tyne Tees are restored as fully separate regional programmes on weekdays with shorter daytime and weekend bulletins reintroduced.[24] Both programmes continue to be broadcast from Tyne Tees' Gateshead studios with extra journalists recruited for newsgathering in the Border region.
2014
30 June – TheWales at Six name for ITV Cymru Wales' flagship 6pm news bulletin is reintroduced after 20 years.[25]
2015
No events.
2016
29 September – The 30-minute longUTV Live Tonight is axed and replaced by a shorter ten-minute bulletin.[26]
2017
No events.
2018
7 September – TheEdinburgh edition ofSTV News at Six ends and is replaced on the 10th by shorter opt-outs within a newly-formatted Central Scotland programme, duel-presented from Glasgow and Edinburgh.[27]
March – Regional news programmes are affected by theCOVID-19 pandemic. Sub-regional services are also impacted, running times of all short bulletins are reduced and the main 6pm programmes are fronted by a single presenter instead of two.
