A round-up of the week’s stories and observations.
- WED 31ST JULY (9PM)
No early evening BBC Look East due to technical issues - THU 1ST AUG (11.45PM)
National Lucy Meacock tribute on News at Ten - FRI 2ND AUG (11.45PM)
BBC Points West falls off air in final minutes
Wednesday 31st July
9pm No early evening BBC Look East due to technical issues
The 6.30pm edition of BBC Look East was replaced by a combined London/East programme produced by BBC London – with generic BBC News branding throughout.
BBC Look East was unable to broadcast from its Norwich studio this evening due to issues with the air conditioning system.
It is hoped the problems will be sorted in time for the late edition, at 10.30pm.
UPDATE (31ST JULY 11PM): the programme was back on air at 10.30pm, with an apology for the earlier technical issues.
Thursday 1st August
11.45pm National Lucy Meacock tribute on News at Ten
At the close of tonight’s News at Ten, Julie Etchingham paid tribute to long-serving ITV News Granada Reports presenter Lucy Meacock.
Lucy signed off on the regional news programme for the final time this evening, after 36 years with ITV Granada.
In light of the ongoing coverage of events in Southport this week, Lucy’s departure from the programme was a muted affair, with a short sign-off at the end of the early evening edition, and a word of thanks from co-presenter Gamal Fahnbulleh.
She announced her plan to retire from the role two weeks ago: “This has been one of the most difficult decisions I have ever made. But the time is right to move on now. For me it has always been the best job in the world, with the best people in the world, in the best region in the world.
“I am very grateful that I was given this job so many years ago. I have always tried my hardest to make a positive contribution and I hope I will be remembered with some fondness in the years ahead.
“It has been a complete honour and privilege to serve the people of this region and I will always have the interests of the north west at heart.
“A big thank you to all the people who have appeared on the programme over the years, sometimes when they have been facing some very tough challenges.”
Friday 2nd August
11.45pm BBC Points West falls off air in final minutes
Tonight’s late edition of BBC Points West fell off the air a couple of minutes before it was due to end.
The presenter was a second or two into a link for the final story when the screen went black and audio dropped out.
With a brief appearance of colour bars, the screen went black again before we cut to BBC London.
The cause of the fault has not been made public.
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Acknowledgements
PICTURED: combined BBC London/BBC Look East programme, from the BBC London studios. COPYRIGHT: BBC.