South Today

Infobox Television
show_name = South Today


caption = "South Today" titles
show_name_2 = BBC Oxford News
format = Regional News
picture_format = | 720x576 anamorphic 16:9
runtime = Main bulletin:
30 minutes
presenter = Sally Taylor MBE
(Main anchor, South Today)
Geraldine Peers
(Main anchor, BBC Oxford News)
Georgie Palmer
(Weather presenter)
channel = BBC One South
first_aired = 1961 (as "South at Six")
last_aired = present
producer = BBC South

"South Today" is the BBC's regional television news programme for East Dorset, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Berkshire, and West Sussex; it also covers Brighton, Oxfordshire, and parts of Surrey, Wiltshire, and Buckinghamshire. Taking over from the original "South at Six" programme from the 1970s, South Today has ten daily weekday slots: 6 bulletins in the morning during BBC Breakfast, a short bulletin at 15:00, a 15-minute programme at 13:30, the half-hour main programme at 18:30, a headlines update at 20:00 and a 7-minute late night bulletin at 22:25.

The programme is broadcast live from studios in Southampton. It can be watched in any part of the UK (and Europe) on digital satellite channel 984/985 on the BBC UK regional TV on satellite service.

South Today switched to the BBC's generic design for regional news programmes on 22 May 2000. The design was revamped on 16 September 2002 and again on 8 August 2005, though on this occasion it did not adopt a new studio until 3 October. A new look Breakfast bulletin was unveiled on Monday 2 July 2007. The information on-screen was given a new colour scheme, with yellows and whites replacing the dark red feel. The opening titles were also revamped to resemble the BBC Breakfast titles. There were no set changes.

Further new titles and graphics were introduced on 21 April 2008 as part of an on-air relaunch across BBC national, international and regional news programmes.

BBC Oxford News

Since 16 October 2000, BBC South has produced a distinct news service for the area served by the Oxford transmitter. Previously, the area was covered by Newsroom South East, which also served Greater London and the South East. As part of a three-tier restructure of regional coverage, the Oxfordshire area was transferred to the BBC South region and began dedicated opt-out bulletins within "South Today". A year later, London and the South East split into two distinct regions - BBC London and BBC South East.

"BBC Oxford News" is presented by Geraldine Peers on weekdays. Originally, "South Today Oxford" was broadcast from BBC South's studios in Southampton and presented by Heather McCarthy and Caroline Richardson on a rotating basis. Peers became the main anchor of the opt-outs in 2001 and studio production of the bulletins was transferred to a new television studio in Oxford in 2004.

On 21 April 2008, the "South Today Oxford" opt-out service was renamed as "BBC Oxford News" (although this is referred to on-screen as "BBC Oxford"). New titles and graphics were introduced as part of a on-screen overhaul across the BBC's national, international and regional news services.

Weekday bulletins

From Monday to Thursday, the programme covers the first fifteen minutes of the main regional news programme at 6:30pm, before rejoining Sally Taylor in Southampton for the second half of "South Today". However, on Friday, a full 30-minute programme is produced for the sub-region. BBC Oxford News (previously known as "South Today Oxford") serves viewers in Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Swindon as well as parts of Berkshire, Northamptonshire and the Cotswolds.

Viewers in these areas also receive dedicated bulletins at 15:00 (3:00pm), 20:00 (8:00pm) and after the "BBC News at Ten", but see bulletins from Southampton at breakfast and lunchtime and on weekends.

The team

Currently, the "South Today" and "BBC Oxford News" on-air team consists of the following:

Main presenters

South Today
*Sally Taylor MBEBBC Oxford News
*Geraldine Peers

ports presenters

South Today
*Roger Johnson (also stand-in for Sally Taylor MBE)
*Tony HusbandBBC Oxford News
*Jerome Sale (also stand-in for Geraldine Peers)

Weather presenters

*Georgie Palmer
*Mike Powell (stand-in)

Other presenters

*Roger Finn (also reporter)
*Caroline Richardson (also reporter)
*Allen Sinclair (also Thames Valley Correspondent/Video Journalist)
*Dani Sinha
*Jo Kent (also reporter)
*Stuart Norval

Reporters

District Correspondents

*Joe Campbell (Thames Valley)
*Emma Douglas (East Dorset)
*Danielle Glavin (West Sussex)
*Tom Hepworth (North Hampshire)
*Sean Killick (East Sussex)
*Ben Moore (Berkshire)

pecialist reporter

*Peter Henley (Political Editor)

General reporters

*David Allard (also programme producer)
*Rachel Barker
*Sarah-Jane Bungay (also programme producer)
*Sarah Burbedge
*Chris Coneybeer
*Alistair Fee
*Steve Humphrey
*Nicky Mitchell
*Steve Nibbs
*Briony Leyland
*Freddie Rostand
*Charlotte Stacey
*Jeremy Stern

Former presenters

*Jane Hill
*Harry Gration
*Jenni Murray
*Bruce Parker
*Andrew Harvey
*Pauline Brandt
*Richard Drax
*Alina Jenkins (former weather forecaster)
*Dorcas Henry (former weather forecaster)

External links

*bbc.co.uk|id=england/southtoday|title=BBC "South Today"