BBC South - History

History

The BBC's television news operation in Southampton began on 5 January 1961 with the launch of South at Six, presented by Martin Muncaster, who had defected from Southern Television. The programme was later renamed as South Today. In 1967, Bruce Parker joined BBC South and went on to become its longest-serving presenter, anchoring South Today for over 30 years.

In 1969, South Today became part of Nationwide, with its own opt-out section of the main programme for local news. In 1984, following the end of the short-lived Nationwide replacement Sixty Minutes, South Today became a standalone programme, competing heavily ever since with the now-defunct TVS's news programme Coast to Coast and the present incumbent Meridian Tonight.

The region itself has changed in size and shape on a few occasions. On 16 October 2000, areas served by the Oxford transmitter were transferred from the large former BBC South East region, served by news programme Newsroom South East, and transferred to an opt out of the BBC South region served by South Today. Additionally, following the digital switchover of the Whitehawk Hill transmitter on 7 March 2012, the areas of Brighton and Hove served by the transmitter transferred to the coverage of BBC South East.

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