Thames News

Thames News was the flagship news programme of Thames Television, serving the Greater London region. It was broadcast between 5 September 1978 & 31 December 1992 and produced from Thames TV's headquarters at Euston Road in North West London and during its last few years in operation, from district newsrooms in Guildford, Surrey, Watford, Hertfordshire & Dartford, Kent.

Today & launch of Thames News
Prior to Thames News, the station had produced Today, a local magazine show presented chiefly by Eamonn Andrews and Bill Grundy. The programme was axed in 1977 not long after an infamous on-air interview with The Sex Pistols. Originally, it was replaced by a news magazine programme, presented by former ITN newsreader Andrew Gardner yet within a year, it was replaced in favour of a more news-based programme in the form of Thames at Six (later renamed as Thames News). On the same day of Thames at Six's launch, a lunchtime news bulletin was launched. A late night bulletin, broadcast after News at Ten, was also due to launch but was held back until 28 April 1980 because of union problems.

Thames Weekend News
On Friday 1 January 1982, Thames and its weekend counterpart London Weekend Television (LWT) began new franchise periods. As opposed to handing over to LWT at 7:00pm on Friday nights, Thames would now handover to LWT at the earlier time of 5:15pm. Prior to the change, Thames aired a full Friday evening edition of Thames News at 6pm. However, after the franchise renewals, LWT were reluctant to start a weekend news service, despite pressure from the Independent Broadcasting Authority.

Therefore, Thames produced special Thames Weekend News bulletins for broadcast on Friday evenings, with a 1min headlines at 5.15 as the switch-over took place and then a 15-minute bulletin during LWT's light-hearted magazine programme The Six O'Clock Show. The arrangement ended in December 1987, just before the Christmas holidays. From 8 January 1988 LWT launched a full strength local news service, provided by Screen News and later, Chrysalis Television

Goodbye from Thames News
On 16 October 1991, Thames Television learnt it was to lose its ITV franchise to serve London on weekdays to Carlton Television, who joined up with London Weekend Television to form London News Network, a new seven-day news service for the capital.

Thames News produced its final full-length programme on 23 December 1992, presented by Steve Clarke (a former presenter of the BBC's rival London Plus programme) and Gytha Hutton (a reporter based in Thames' Guildford newsroom). The last edition of Thames News was broadcast on 31 December 1992 and presented by regular sports anchor Graham Miller. The short bulletin closed with the Town Cryer of London, Peter Moore, announcing the end of Thames News after 13 years.

Thames News on-air team

 * John Andrew (reporter/presenter, late 80s)
 * Rita Carter (reporter/presenter, 1978–86)
 * Lindsay Charlton (reporter/presenter, mid-late 80s)
 * Steve Clarke (presenter, 1990–92)
 * Teresa Driscoll (reporter/presenter, late 80s - 1990)
 * Richard Edgar (weather presenter, 1988–89)
 * Tim Ewart (reporter, 1980–81)
 * Andrew Gardner (presenter, 1977–92)
 * Paul Green (reporter/presenter, mid 80s - 1992)
 * Robin Houston (presenter, 1978–1992)


 * Gytha Hutton (reporter/presenter, 1990–92)
 * Tricia Ingrams (reporter/presenter, early 80s - 1992)
 * Tina Jenkins (reporter/presenter, 1983–86)
 * Graham Miller (sports presenter/relief newsreader, late 80s - 1992)
 * Liz Pike (reporter/presenter, 1989–92)
 * Marcus Powell (reporter/presenter, 1986–88)
 * Jack Scott (weather presenter, 1983–88)
 * Penny Smith (reporter/presenter, 1988–89)
 * Kerry Swain (reporter/presenter, 1989–92)
 * Francis Wilson (weather presenter, 1978–83)