New Meridian, BBC South & South East Thread

I was in the south this weekend and sawSouth Today its a good regional programme and well me and my friend were looking it up andsaw soem really funny old clips of South Today. The best has to be in 2002 where everyone got that awful red and creeam look . Sally said at the end of a programme "Tell us what you think of our new studio".

The fact is that the new studio was bare. It seemed that someone hadnt paid the maintenance charges the sofas and newsdesk and everything else had gone apart from the plasma screens.we thought it was highly amusing. Thank gawd thewy changed the set a few months after.
Sally is a great presenter though and is best suited to working on her own. She seems full of life She's very good at interviewing people as well!!!

Ian and Sangeeta

Aaaaaaargh

No South East Today this morning? BBC London at 7:25.

Yeah, I think they have a habit of not being ready in time. Or sleeping in.

No South Today at 6.25 this morning, BBC London instead.

ROFL, Caroline Feraday ( ex LBC , The Mint ) was reporting for BBC SE . I don't know what impression they are trying to give using a lightweight like her. I think she's more of a showbiz reporter than a local news one.

Meridian Tonight SE is all over the place tonight. Sangeeta jumbling her words, VT sound covering them speaking...oh dear.

Yep, I only caught the full half tonight but that was more than enough.

How long have they had the voiceover (sounded like Glenn Thompsett) at the start of the programme? Harking back to the old days a bit.

Content wise, it really was lame - report one a follow up on the Tesco petrol issue from a few weeks ago which was fair enough then a 'new story just in' about some school/hospital sandwiches being contaminated - no report just over to the newsroom.

Then "your views" about some story they ran the other night then a plug for ITV's people's millions with a constant ticker of the web address and phone number and then, the cheek of it, a roundup of the 2 (count 'em!) stories so far covered. Stick in a "we'll help you beat smoking before the ban...as long as you participate with our reporter" report and over half the programme had gone before they gave more of the news from today .

Maybe I have a bee in my bonnet about it at the moment. Meridian Tonight was never a programme I caught too much of but I seem to be getting in and having my dinner while it's on lately.

Totally agree. It was very spotty. Its as if they can't be bothered to do local news for the South East anymore. Maybe we should just go pan-regional with Fred and Debbie in the South.

The camera-pan at the beginning has been happening since Ian and Sangeeta took over. I think the v/o is Glenn. Its a poor attempt at trying to go back to the Coast to Coast days.

It is Glen, but with only one n.

Only just found this forum...fascinating stuff

What does anyone think of Gemma Humphries ?! Let's say it hardly matters what the weather will be like when she's 'presenting'

Really is all rather DULL isn't it? Yes I believe the v/o at the start is that of Glenn. Pity he's not doing the show instead of Ian whatshisname. Then again, he probably doesn't mix with the right people!
The programme seems to have lost its direction, what is it trying to be? Who is it trying to appeal to? Is it news or is it feature-led.....??? answers on the back of a matchbox please.