# BBC Midlands Today > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/BBC_Midlands_Today > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/BBC_Midlands_Today.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC_Midlands_Today > Source revision: 1355964969 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) British TV news programme (since 1964) This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "BBC Midlands Today" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (April 2011) (Learn how and when to remove this message) BBC Midlands Today Title card used since April 2022 Theme music composer David Lowe Country of origin United Kingdom Original language English Production Producers BBC News BBC West Midlands Production locations The Mailbox, Birmingham Camera setup Multi-camera Running time 30 minutes (main 6:30pm programme) 10 minutes (1:30pm and 10:30pm programmes) Various (on weekends and Breakfast) Original release Network BBC One West Midlands Release 28 September 1964 (1964-09-28) – present Related BBC News East Midlands Today ITV News Central The Midland ***BBC Midlands Today*** is the [BBC](/source/BBC)'s regional [television](/source/Television) [news](/source/News) service for the [West Midlands](/source/West_Midlands_(region)). It was launched in 1964 and is presented by [Mary Rhodes](/source/Mary_Rhodes), [Nick Owen](/source/Nick_Owen), Ben Godfrey, Elizabeth Glinka, Rebecca Harper and [Shefali Oza](/source/Shefali_Oza).[1] ## Overview *Midlands Today* is produced by [BBC Midlands](/source/BBC_West_Midlands) and broadcasts on [BBC One](/source/BBC_One) seven days a week. The programme is produced and broadcast from the BBC studios in [The Mailbox](/source/The_Mailbox), [Birmingham](/source/Birmingham). Journalists are also based at newsrooms in [Coventry](/source/Coventry), [Shrewsbury](/source/Shrewsbury), [Stoke-on-Trent](/source/Stoke-on-Trent), [Worcester](/source/Worcester%2C_England) and [Gloucester](/source/Gloucester). The programme began on 28 September 1964, broadcasting from a small room in the Birmingham [Register Office](/source/Register_Office) before moving to the custom-built [Pebble Mill](/source/Pebble_Mill_Studios) broadcasting centre in [Edgbaston](/source/Edgbaston) on 10 November 1971. It remained there until the studios closed on 22 October 2004 when the BBC Birmingham operations were switched to the current studios at The Mailbox. Until 1991, the programme also served the East Midlands, which has since received its own BBC regional TV news programme, *[East Midlands Today](/source/East_Midlands_Today)*. The programme's editorial area consists of the [West Midlands](/source/West_Midlands_(county)), [Warwickshire](/source/Warwickshire), [Staffordshire](/source/Staffordshire), [Shropshire](/source/Shropshire), [Herefordshire](/source/Herefordshire), [Worcestershire](/source/Worcestershire) and northern [Gloucestershire](/source/Gloucestershire) (even though Gloucestershire is not formally within the Midlands, being in the [South West England](/source/South_West_England) region – it is also covered by [BBC Points West](/source/BBC_Points_West)). *Midlands Today* is broadcast from the [Sutton Coldfield](/source/Sutton_Coldfield_transmitting_station) transmitter in the West Midlands and can be watched in any part of the UK on [Sky](/source/Sky_(United_Kingdom)), [Freesat](/source/Freesat) and in the rest of Europe via [Astra 2E](/source/Astra_2E) at 28.2° East (10788V 22000 5/6). The latest edition is also available to view again on the *Midlands Today* website and on [BBC iPlayer](/source/BBC_iPlayer). [Freeview](/source/Freeview_(UK)) viewers in northern [Staffordshire](/source/Staffordshire) around [Kidsgrove](/source/Kidsgrove) and [Biddulph](/source/Biddulph) cannot receive signal from the [Sutton Coldfield](/source/Sutton_Coldfield_transmitting_station) transmitter; instead, they receive better signal from the [Winter Hill](/source/Winter_Hill_transmitting_station) transmitter that broadcasts *[North West Tonight](/source/BBC_North_West_Tonight)* from [Salford](/source/Salford). However, those areas can still watch *Midlands Today* on Channel 101, which broadcasts the [BBC One](/source/BBC_One) West Midlands variant on [Sky](/source/Sky_(United_Kingdom)) and [Freesat](/source/Freesat) by default. Even though viewers in northern [Oxfordshire](/source/Oxfordshire) around [Banbury](/source/Banbury) are served by *[South Today](/source/BBC_South_Today)*, the town can also receive *Midlands Today* from a local relay transmitter that is transmitted from the [Sutton Coldfield](/source/Sutton_Coldfield_transmitting_station) transmitter. [2] Viewers in [North West Leicestershire](/source/North_West_Leicestershire) and [Swadlincote](/source/Swadlincote) in [Derbyshire](/source/Derbyshire) receive *Midlands Today* on [Freeview](/source/Freeview_(UK)) as local news meaning those areas receive better signals from the [Sutton Coldfield](/source/Sutton_Coldfield_transmitting_station) transmitter rather than [Waltham](/source/Waltham_transmitting_station) transmitter. Eastern parts of the [Powys](/source/Powys) area in [Wales](/source/Wales), such as [Presteigne](/source/Presteigne), cannot receive signals from the [Carmel](/source/Carmel_transmitting_station) transmitter; instead, they get better signals from the [Ridge Hill](/source/Ridge_Hill_transmitting_station) transmitter, which broadcasts *Midlands Today*. On 6 February 2023, a new studio upgrade was revealed resembling that of Studio B at Broadcasting House launched in June 2022 to include a whole new studio presentation, enhanced graphics and additional presentation locations within the studio. The upgrade brings the studio up to full HD capabilities for the first time.[3] ## On air On weekdays, 6 breakfast bulletins air as part of *[BBC Breakfast](/source/BBC_Breakfast)* around every 30 minutes, between 6:26am and 9:06am.A fifteen-minute lunchtime bulletin airs at 1:30pm, following the *[BBC News at One](/source/BBC_News_at_One)*. The main edition of *Midlands Today* is broadcast every weeknight between 6.30pm and 7.00pm.The late night bulletin airs at 10.30pm on weeknights, following the *[BBC News at Ten](/source/BBC_News_at_Ten)*. *Midlands Today* also airs short early evening bulletins on Saturday and Sunday evenings, although times usually vary. A late night bulletin is also broadcast on Sundays, following the *[BBC News at Ten](/source/BBC_News_at_Ten)*. ## Presenters ### News anchors Person Duties Mary Rhodes Mondays – Fridays main evening programme, alternating Nick Owen Ben Godfrey Correspondent and Presenter Joanne Malin Mondays BBC Breakfast / lunchtime, some late cover Shefali Oza Sundays ### Weather presenters Person Other notes Shefali Oza Main weather presenter ## Past presenters Former presenters have included [Tom Coyne](/source/Tom_Coyne_(broadcaster)), [Kay Alexander](/source/Kay_Alexander), [Alan Towers](/source/Alan_Towers), [Alastair Yates](/source/Alastair_Yates), [David Davies](/source/David_Davies_(football_administrator)), [Richard Uridge](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Richard_Uridge&action=edit&redlink=1), [Sue Beardsmore](/source/Sue_Beardsmore), [Nina Nannar](/source/Nina_Nannar), [Stuart Linnell](/source/Stuart_Linnell), [Matt Smith](/source/Matt_Smith_(broadcaster)), [Julian Worricker](/source/Julian_Worricker), [Ashley Blake](/source/Ashley_Blake), [Suzanne Virdee](/source/Suzanne_Virdee), [Steve Clamp](/source/Steve_Clamp) and [Jackie Kabler](/source/Jackie_Kabler). Olympic Gold medalist [Denise Lewis](/source/Denise_Lewis) also guest presented sport briefly during 2005, as did [Rob Curling](/source/Rob_Curling) in 2002. Senior presenter Alan Towers' on-air departure in July 1997 (after 25 years) brought about one of the most controversial moments in the programme's history when he shared indignant views on BBC management, describing them as "pygmies in grey suits wearing blindfolds".[4] ## References - [BBC portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:BBC) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-:0_1-0)** ["BBC One - Midlands Today - Presenters"](https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/pXHgtlbkvxfNCNCFnrQYsC/presenters). BBC. Retrieved 1 June 2021. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Freeview Light on the Bretch Hill (Oxfordshire, England) transmitter"](https://ukfree.tv/transmitters/tv/Bretch_Hill). *UK Free TV*. 1 May 2004. Retrieved 15 August 2024. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["BBC's 'Midlands' and 'East Midlands' get set upgrades to match Studio B"](https://www.newscaststudio.com/2023/02/10/bbc-midlands-east-midlands-new-sets/). 10 February 2023. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["BBC man explains why he spoke out"](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/bbc-man-explains-why-he-spoke-out-1252955.html). *[The Independent](/source/The_Independent)*. London. 28 July 1997. [Archived](https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220514/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/bbc-man-explains-why-he-spoke-out-1252955.html) from the original on 14 May 2022. Retrieved 19 October 2020. ## External links - [*BBC Midlands Today*](https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006mj57) at [BBC Online](/source/BBC_Online) v t e BBC News programmes (Regions and Nations) English regions North East and Cumbria Look North North West North West Tonight Yorkshire and North Midlands Look North East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire Look North East Midlands East Midlands Today West Midlands Midlands Today East Look East West Points West London London South East South East Today South South Today South West Spotlight Nations Scotland Reporting Scotland Reporting Scotland: News at Seven An Là Wales Wales Today Newyddion Northern Ireland Newsline --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [BBC Midlands Today](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC_Midlands_Today) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC_Midlands_Today?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.