BBC Wales Today
Encyclopedia
Wales Today is the BBC
's national news programme for Wales
, broadcast on BBC One Wales from the headquarters of BBC Wales
in Llandaff
, Cardiff
.
The programme can be watched in any part of the UK (and Europe) on digital satellite
channel 972 on the BBC UK regional TV on satellite
service. Selected video packages from the programme are available on the BBC news website.
. The new programme, originally presented by Brian Hoey, shared a 25-minute timeslot for regional news with Points West from Bristol - at the time, both programmes were broadcast to Wales and the West of England from the Wenvoe transmitter near Cardiff.
By February 1964, two new television regions, BBC Wales
and BBC West
, had been created with the addition of a new channel (13) for Wales on Wenvoe. Wales Today thus became a 25-minute programme broadcast only to Wales while Points West was only broadcast to the West of England. In 1969, separate UHF transmitters at Wenvoe (Wales) and Mendip (West) meant complete separation, except for overlap areas in South Wales.
. An 15-minute lunchtime programme airs at 1:30pm with a short update broadcast at 3pm. The main half-hour edition of the programme airs between 6:30pm and 7:00pm. A short 30-second headline update is broadcast during BBC News's 8pm summary with the late night bulletin airing at 10:25pm, following the BBC News at Ten.
Four bulletins air during the weekend: a lunchtime bulletin on Saturday, early evening bulletins on Saturday & Sunday and a late night bulletin on Sundays, following the BBC News at Ten.
From November 2001, a fifteen minute news bulletin was broadcast on the digital opt-out service BBC 2W
, first as 2W News and Sport and later, Wales Today on 2W. The bulletin was axed in 2007.
Specialist Correspondents
, Vincent Kane
, Patrick Hannan
, Chris Morgan
, Jason Mohammad
, David Parry-Jones
, Bob Humphrys
and chief reporter Penny Roberts.
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's national news programme for Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, broadcast on BBC One Wales from the headquarters of BBC Wales
BBC Wales
BBC Cymru Wales is a division of the British Broadcasting Corporation for Wales. Based at Broadcasting House in the Llandaff area of Cardiff, it directly employs over 1200 people, and produces a broad range of television, radio and online services in both the Welsh and English languages.Outside...
in Llandaff
Llandaff
Llandaff is a district in the north of Cardiff, capital of Wales, having been incorporated into the city in 1922. It is the seat of the Church in Wales Bishop of Llandaff, whose diocese covers the most populous area of South Wales. Much of the district is covered by parkland known as Llandaff...
, Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
.
The programme can be watched in any part of the UK (and Europe) on digital satellite
Sky Digital (UK & Ireland)
Sky is the brand name for British Sky Broadcasting's digital satellite television and radio service, transmitted from SES Astra satellites located at 28.2° east and Eutelsat's Eurobird 1 satellite at 28.5°E. The service was originally launched as Sky Digital, distinguishing it from the original...
channel 972 on the BBC UK regional TV on satellite
BBC UK regional TV on satellite
The BBC broadcasts all of the BBC One and BBC Two regional variations on digital satellite television from the SES Astra satellites at 28.2° east; providing local news programmes and other regional programming with local continuity and presentation for Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales...
service. Selected video packages from the programme are available on the BBC news website.
History
The programme began at 6:10pm on Monday 17 September 1962. Its predecessor, a short News from Wales bulletin, started in 1957 and was originally presented by Michael AspelMichael Aspel
Michael Terence Aspel, OBE is an English television presenter, known for his reserved demeanour and rich speaking voice. He has been a high-profile TV personality in the United Kingdom since the 1960s, presenting programmes such as Crackerjack, Aspel and Company, This is Your Life, Strange But...
. The new programme, originally presented by Brian Hoey, shared a 25-minute timeslot for regional news with Points West from Bristol - at the time, both programmes were broadcast to Wales and the West of England from the Wenvoe transmitter near Cardiff.
By February 1964, two new television regions, BBC Wales
BBC Wales
BBC Cymru Wales is a division of the British Broadcasting Corporation for Wales. Based at Broadcasting House in the Llandaff area of Cardiff, it directly employs over 1200 people, and produces a broad range of television, radio and online services in both the Welsh and English languages.Outside...
and BBC West
BBC West
BBC West is the BBC English Region serving Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Somerset, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire.-Television:...
, had been created with the addition of a new channel (13) for Wales on Wenvoe. Wales Today thus became a 25-minute programme broadcast only to Wales while Points West was only broadcast to the West of England. In 1969, separate UHF transmitters at Wenvoe (Wales) and Mendip (West) meant complete separation, except for overlap areas in South Wales.
Bulletins
On weekdays, Wales Today broadcasts six three minute bulletins at 27 and 57 minutes past each hour during BBC BreakfastBBC Breakfast
BBC Breakfast is the morning television news programme simulcast on BBC One and the BBC News channel. It is presented live from BBC Television Centre in White City, West London, and contains a mixture of news, sport, weather, business and feature items...
. An 15-minute lunchtime programme airs at 1:30pm with a short update broadcast at 3pm. The main half-hour edition of the programme airs between 6:30pm and 7:00pm. A short 30-second headline update is broadcast during BBC News's 8pm summary with the late night bulletin airing at 10:25pm, following the BBC News at Ten.
Four bulletins air during the weekend: a lunchtime bulletin on Saturday, early evening bulletins on Saturday & Sunday and a late night bulletin on Sundays, following the BBC News at Ten.
From November 2001, a fifteen minute news bulletin was broadcast on the digital opt-out service BBC 2W
BBC 2W
BBC 2W was a digital television channel run by the British Broadcasting Corporation in Wales until January 2009. It replaced the standard BBC Two broadcast on digital services in Wales — running on weekdays from 20:30 to 22:00. Launched on 5 November 2001, it had an initial reach of 1.1...
, first as 2W News and Sport and later, Wales Today on 2W. The bulletin was axed in 2007.
Main anchors
- Sian LloydSian Lloyd (news presenter)Sian Lloyd is a Welsh television news presenter, currently working for BBC Wales.-Biography:Born in Wales, she grew up in Wrexham and learnt Welsh during her teens, and also speaks fluent French....
- Jamie OwenJamie OwenJamie Owen is a Welsh radio and television presenter best known for presenting Wales Today.-Background:Owen was born in Withybush Hospital Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire. His father was a Pembroke Dock Solicitor, James Meyrick Owen and his mother was a health visitor and midwife. Jamie also had two...
- Lucy OwenLucy OwenLucy Owen is a Welsh television news reader.-Early life:Owen attended Howell's School in Llandaff, Cardiff, and graduated from the Royal Holloway, University of London in English.-Career:...
Bulletin presenters
- Tomos DafyddTomos DafyddTomos Dafydd is a presenter and reporter for BBC Wales Today.-External links:*-References:...
(also reporter/stand-in main anchor) - Ross Harries (also reporter/ stand-in main anchor)
- Jayne James (Lunchtime and breakfast presenter)
- Rebecca JohnRebecca JohnRebecca John is a presenter and reporter for Wales Today, BBC Wales on British television.She read for a degree in French and German at Robinson College, Cambridge University between 1989–1993, before completing a postgraduate course in journalism at Trinity & All Saints College...
(also reporter)
- Sachin Krishnan
- Garry Owen (Weekend presenter, also NewyddionNewyddionNewyddion is a Welsh-language news programme consisting of Welsh, UK, and international news, produced daily by BBC Cymru Wales and broadcast on S4C.-Overview:...
anchor) - Nicola Smith (also South West reporter)
Sports presenters/reporters
- Ashleigh Crowter
- Claire SummersClaire SummersClaire Summers is a Welsh news television presenter for BBC Wales.Born in Cardiff, but brought up in Cowbridge, Summers was educated at Howell's in Llandaff...
Weather presenters/forecasters
- Behnaz AkhgarBehnaz AkhgarBehnaz Akhgar is a weather presenter for BBC's Wales Today. She broadcasts the morning and weekend bulletins with Sue Charles and acts as a relief presenter for meteorologist Derek Brockway...
(Breakfast/weekend/stand-in) - Derek BrockwayDerek BrockwayDerek Brockway is a Welsh meteorologist employed by the Met Office and based at BBC Wales in Cardiff.- Education :Brockway first attended Holton Road Primary School and then Barry Boys Comprehensive from 1979 to 1986...
(Chief meteorologist)
- Sue CharlesSue CharlesSue Charles is a Welsh TV and weather presenter for BBC Wales. Sue presents the morning and weekend weather broadcasts for Wales Today, as well as acting as a relief weather presenter for meteorologist Derek Brockway....
(Breakfast/weekend/stand-in)
Reporters
General Reporters- Melanie Doel (also BBC Radio WalesBBC Radio WalesBBC Radio Wales is the BBC's national radio station broadcasting to Wales in the English language. Operated by BBC Wales, it began broadcasting on 12 November 1978 following the demise of the old "Radio 4 Wales" when BBC Radio 4 became a national network and moved from medium wave to long wave...
) - Caroline Evans
- Elin Gwilym (also NewyddionNewyddionNewyddion is a Welsh-language news programme consisting of Welsh, UK, and international news, produced daily by BBC Cymru Wales and broadcast on S4C.-Overview:...
reporter) - Bethan JamesBethan JamesBethan James is a BBC political reporter from Wales based in Westminster. She went to the high school Ysgol Maes Garmon, Mold.Following some intrepid trips to Colombia, Bethan joined BBC Wales' political team in 2002. She primarily works on BBC Wales opt outs of the Politics Show and BBC Wales'...
(Westminster reporter) - Carwyn Jones
- Kevin LeonardKevin LeonardKevin Leonard is a journalist and reporter for BBC news online and the BBC Wales Today news programme.-References:...
(also BBC News OnlineBBC News OnlineBBC News Online is the website of BBC News, the division of the BBC responsible for newsgathering and production. The website is the most popular news website in the United Kingdom and forms a major part of BBC Online ....
reporter) - Rhodri Lewis
- John Meredith (also BBC Radio CymruBBC Radio CymruBBC Radio Cymru is BBC Cymru's Welsh-language radio station, broadcasting throughout Wales from studios in Cardiff, Bangor, and Aberystwyth on FM since 1977. At the time of its launch it was one of the few FM-only radio services in the UK...
reporter)
- Matthew Murray
- Abigail Neal
- Nick Palit (South East reporter)
- Roger Pinney (North West reporter)
- Simon Pusey
- Matthew Richards (North East reporter)
- John Stevenson
Specialist Correspondents
- Iolo ap Dafydd (Environment Correspondent)
- David Cornock (Parliamentary Correspondent)
- Hywel Griffith (Health Correspondent)
- Ciaran Jenkins (Education Correspondent)
- Betsan PowysBetsan PowysBetsan Powys , is a Welsh journalist, currently the political editor for BBC Wales.A native Welsh speaker, Powys joined BBC Wales as a News Trainee in 1989, before joining the newsroom in Cardiff as a bilingual, bi-media reporter...
(Political Editor) - Nick Servini (Business Correspondent)
Former presenters
Former presenters of Wales Today include Brian Hoey, John Darran, Tim Rogers, Gail Foley, Noreen Bray, Sara EdwardsSara Edwards
Sara Edwards, born , was a co-presenter of BBC Wales' early-evening news programme, BBC Wales Today.-Biography:Edwards was born in Wales and brought up and educated in London, where she studied medieval and modern history....
, Vincent Kane
Vincent Kane
Vincent Kane, OBE, is a Welsh broadcaster and writer, and the Chairman of the Wales Quality Centre, the International Festival of Musical Theatre and the Cardiff Initiative....
, Patrick Hannan
Patrick Hannan
Patrick Hannan is the name of:*Paddy Hannan , Irish-born gold prospector in Australia*Patrick Hannan , Welsh television and radio presenter*Patrick Hannan , British musician with The Sundays...
, Chris Morgan
Chris Morgan (journalist)
Christopher Morgan , was a Welsh journalist.Morgan was born in Cardiff and educated at Cardiff High School, and the United World College of the Atlantic in the Vale of Glamorgan. He graduated in 1976 in theology from the University of St Andrews, Scotland.Morgan began his media career in...
, Jason Mohammad
Jason Mohammad
Jason Mohammad , is a British radio and television presenter.-Biography:Mohammad was born and raised in Cardiff, going to school at Glyn Derw High School...
, David Parry-Jones
David Parry-Jones
David Parry-Jones is a Welsh sports commentator and writer. He was a longtime presenter on BBC Wales Today and is a former rugby analyst for BBC Radio 5...
, Bob Humphrys
Bob Humphrys
George Robert Humphrys was a Welsh broadcaster, chiefly known as a sports presenter on BBC Wales.-Biography:...
and chief reporter Penny Roberts.