Overview
North East News/Tonight was first broadcast on Monday 2 September 1996 following the defection of the popular Mike Neville to Tyne Tees from the BBC's Look North programme after 32 years. Prior to its launch, since 1959, the regional news programmes were broadcast under various names - namely North East Roundabout, North East Newsview, Today at Six, Northern Life, Tyne Tees Today/Network North and Tyne Tees News/Tonight.
Mike Neville announced his retirement from the programme on 5 June 2006.
In July 2005, following chief presenter Mike Neville's departure, North East Tonight's main 18:00 programme was split into opt-outs:
- North: (Northumberland and Tyne and Wear), broadcast from the Pontop Pike and Chatton transmitters.
- South: (County Durham, Tees Valley and North Yorkshire), broadcasting from the Bilsdale transmitter.
Originally in 1993, the above was in practice, however either opt-out had different titles, Tyne Tees Today and Network North respectively.
Other bulletins including GMTV bulletins, weekday lunchtime, weekday late, and weekend early evening were pan-regional.
The last 'North' and 'South' editions of North East Tonight aired on 13 February 2009.
Read more about this topic: North East Tonight