Thames News
Encyclopedia
Thames News was the flagship news programme of Thames Television
, serving the Greater London
region. It was broadcast between 5 September 1978 & 31 December 1992 and produced from Thames TV's headquarters at Euston Road
in North West London and during its last few years in operation, from district newsrooms in Guildford
, Surrey
, Watford
, Hertfordshire
& Dartford
, Kent
.
and Bill Grundy
. The programme was axed in 1977 not long after an infamous on-air interview with The Sex Pistols. Originally, it was replaced by a news magazine programme, presented by former ITN newsreader Andrew Gardner
yet within a year, it was replaced in favour of a more news-based programme in the form of Thames at Six (later renamed as Thames News). On the same day of Thames at Sixs launch, a lunchtime news bulletin was launched. A late night bulletin, broadcast after News at Ten
, was also due to launch but was held back until 28 April 1980 because of union problems.
(LWT) began new franchise periods. As opposed to handing over to LWT at 7:00pm on Friday nights, Thames would now handover to LWT at the earlier time of 5:15pm. Prior to the change, Thames aired a full Friday evening edition of Thames News at 6pm. However, after the franchise renewals, LWT were reluctant to start a weekend news service, despite pressure from the Independent Broadcasting Authority
.
Therefore, Thames produced special Thames Weekend News bulletins for broadcast on Friday evenings during LWT's light-hearted magazine programme The Six O'Clock Show
. The arrangement ended in 1988 when LWT launched a full strength local news service
, provided by Screen News and later, Chrysalis Television.
, who joined up with London Weekend Television
to form London News Network
, a new seven-day news service for the capital.
Thames News produced its final full-length programme on 23 December 1992, presented by Steve Clarke (a former presenter of the BBC's rival London Plus programme) and Gytha Hutton (a reporter based in Thames' Guildford newsroom). The last edition of Thames News was broadcast on 31 December 1992 and presented by regular sports anchor Graham Miller. The short bulletin closed with the Town Cryer of London, Peter Moore, announcing the end of Thames News after 13 years.
Thames Television
Thames Television was a licensee of the British ITV television network, covering London and parts of the surrounding counties on weekdays from 30 July 1968 until 31 December 1992....
, serving the Greater London
Greater London
Greater London is the top-level administrative division of England covering London. It was created in 1965 and spans the City of London, including Middle Temple and Inner Temple, and the 32 London boroughs. This territory is coterminate with the London Government Office Region and the London...
region. It was broadcast between 5 September 1978 & 31 December 1992 and produced from Thames TV's headquarters at Euston Road
Euston Road
Euston Road is an important thoroughfare in central London, England, and forms part of the A501. It is part of the New Road from Paddington to Islington, and was opened as part of the New Road in 1756...
in North West London and during its last few years in operation, from district newsrooms in Guildford
Guildford
Guildford is the county town of Surrey. England, as well as the seat for the borough of Guildford and the administrative headquarters of the South East England region...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, Watford
Watford
Watford is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, situated northwest of central London and within the bounds of the M25 motorway. The borough is separated from Greater London to the south by the urbanised parish of Watford Rural in the Three Rivers District.Watford was created as an urban...
, Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
& Dartford
Dartford
Dartford is the principal town in the borough of Dartford. It is situated in the northwest corner of Kent, England, east south-east of central London....
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
.
Today & launch of Thames News
Prior to Thames News, the station had produced Today, a local magazine show presented chiefly by Eamonn AndrewsEamonn Andrews
Eamonn Andrews, CBE , was an Irish television presenter based in the United Kingdom.-Life and career:...
and Bill Grundy
Bill Grundy
William "Bill" Grundy was an English television presenter and former host of Today, a regional news programme broadcast on Thames Television...
. The programme was axed in 1977 not long after an infamous on-air interview with The Sex Pistols. Originally, it was replaced by a news magazine programme, presented by former ITN newsreader Andrew Gardner
Andrew Gardner (newsreader)
Andrew Gardner was a newscaster on Independent Television News in the United Kingdom from 1962 to 1977. He was also one of the original presenters of News at Ten when it began in 1967....
yet within a year, it was replaced in favour of a more news-based programme in the form of Thames at Six (later renamed as Thames News). On the same day of Thames at Sixs launch, a lunchtime news bulletin was launched. A late night bulletin, broadcast after News at Ten
News at Ten
The ITV News at Ten is the flagship news programme on British television network ITV, produced by ITN and founded by news editor Geoffrey Cox in 1967. It was originally planned as a thirteen week project in July 1967 because senior figures at ITV refused to believe that a permanent 30-minute late...
, was also due to launch but was held back until 28 April 1980 because of union problems.
Thames Weekend News
On Friday 1 January 1982, Thames and its weekend counterpart London Weekend TelevisionLondon Weekend Television
London Weekend Television was the name of the ITV network franchise holder for Greater London and the Home Counties including south Suffolk, middle and east Hampshire, Oxfordshire, south Bedfordshire, south Northamptonshire, parts of Herefordshire & Worcestershire, Warwickshire, east Dorset and...
(LWT) began new franchise periods. As opposed to handing over to LWT at 7:00pm on Friday nights, Thames would now handover to LWT at the earlier time of 5:15pm. Prior to the change, Thames aired a full Friday evening edition of Thames News at 6pm. However, after the franchise renewals, LWT were reluctant to start a weekend news service, despite pressure from the Independent Broadcasting Authority
Independent Broadcasting Authority
The Independent Broadcasting Authority was the regulatory body in the United Kingdom for commercial television - and commercial/independent radio broadcasts...
.
Therefore, Thames produced special Thames Weekend News bulletins for broadcast on Friday evenings during LWT's light-hearted magazine programme The Six O'Clock Show
The Six O'Clock Show
The Six O'Clock Show was a regional television magazine show broadcast in the Greater London area and produced by London Weekend Television between 1982 and 1988....
. The arrangement ended in 1988 when LWT launched a full strength local news service
LWT News
LWT News was a regional news service provided by London Weekend Television, serving the Greater London area in various formats between January 1982 and 3 January 1993.-London News Headlines:...
, provided by Screen News and later, Chrysalis Television.
Goodbye from Thames News
On 16 October 1991, Thames Television learnt it was to lose its ITV franchise to serve London on weekdays to Carlton TelevisionCarlton Television
Carlton Television was the ITV franchise holder for London and the surrounding counties including the cities of Solihull and Coventry of the West Midlands, south Suffolk, middle and east Hampshire, Oxfordshire, south Bedfordshire, south Northamptonshire, parts of Herefordshire & Worcestershire,...
, who joined up with London Weekend Television
London Weekend Television
London Weekend Television was the name of the ITV network franchise holder for Greater London and the Home Counties including south Suffolk, middle and east Hampshire, Oxfordshire, south Bedfordshire, south Northamptonshire, parts of Herefordshire & Worcestershire, Warwickshire, east Dorset and...
to form London News Network
London News Network
London News Network was a television news and facilities organisation in London. It was created in 1992 as a joint operation between London's two ITV contractors, Carlton Television and London Weekend Television, with each company holding a 50% stake...
, a new seven-day news service for the capital.
Thames News produced its final full-length programme on 23 December 1992, presented by Steve Clarke (a former presenter of the BBC's rival London Plus programme) and Gytha Hutton (a reporter based in Thames' Guildford newsroom). The last edition of Thames News was broadcast on 31 December 1992 and presented by regular sports anchor Graham Miller. The short bulletin closed with the Town Cryer of London, Peter Moore, announcing the end of Thames News after 13 years.
Thames News on-air team
- John Andrew (reporter/presenter, late 80s)
- Rita Carter (reporter/presenter, 1978-86)
- Lindsay Charlton (reporter/presenter, mid-late 80s)
- Steve Clarke (presenter, 1990-92)
- Teresa Driscoll (reporter/presenter, late 80s - 1990)
- Richard Edgar (weather presenter, 1988-89)
- Tim Ewart (reporter, 1980-81)
- Andrew GardnerAndrew Gardner (newsreader)Andrew Gardner was a newscaster on Independent Television News in the United Kingdom from 1962 to 1977. He was also one of the original presenters of News at Ten when it began in 1967....
(presenter, 1977-92) - Paul Green (reporter/presenter, mid 80s - 1992)
- Robin Houston (presenter, 1978 - 1992)
- Gytha Hutton (reporter/presenter, 1990-92)
- Tricia Ingrams (reporter/presenter, early 80s - 1992)
- Tina Jenkins (reporter/presenter, 1983-86)
- Graham Miller (sports presenter/relief newsreader, late 80s - 1992)
- Liz Pike (reporter/presenter, 1989-92)
- Marcus Powell (reporter/presenter, 1986-88)
- Jack Scott (weather presenter, 1983-88)
- Penny Smith (reporter/presenter, 1988-89)
- Kerry Swain (reporter/presenter, 1989-92)
- Francis WilsonFrancis Wilson (meteorologist)Francis Wilson, CMet , is an English weather forecaster who was a presenter and the Head of Weather on Sky News, from 1993 until 2010.-Career:...
(weather presenter, 1978-83)