BBC Points West
BBC Points West (known as News West from June 1991 until May 2000) is the BBC's regional TV news programme for the West of England, covering Bristol, the majority of Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, northern, eastern and parts of western and southern Somerset & North Dorset.
BBC Points West | |
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![]() Title card used since April 2022 | |
Theme music composer | David Lowe |
Country of origin | England, United Kingdom |
Original language | English |
Production | |
Producers | BBC News BBC West |
Production locations | Broadcasting House, Bristol, England |
Camera setup | Multi-camera |
Running time | 30 minutes (main 6:30pm programme) |
Release | |
Original network | BBC One West |
Original release | September 1957 – present |
History
Regional television news in the West of England began in September 1957 with daily short bulletins. Around this time, news bulletins for the West shared a 5–10 minute timeslot with Welsh news bulletins as the Wenvoe transmitter on the western outskirts of Cardiff was serving viewers in both south Wales and the West of England. The West's regional bulletins were relaunched in 1962 as Points West but still shared the new 25-minute timeslot with Wales Today.
The launch of a dedicated BBC Wales television station in February 1964 allowed Points West to become a full-length regional news programme broadcast only to the West of England. Between 1991 and 2000, the programme was known as BBC News West.
Notable presenters and reporters
- David Garmston
- Alex Lovell
- Ian Fergusson
- Fiona Lamdin
- Dan Johnson (network correspondent for BBC News)
Former presenters and reporters
- Chris Vacher
- Susan Osman
- Gerald Hine-Haycock (as Gerald Haycock)
- Michael Buerk
- Armine Sandford
- Vivien Creegor
- Sue Carpenter
- Clive Myrie
- Saima Mohsin
- Richard Angwin (weather)