Tyne Tees News & Tonight 

29 March 2006 tbs.pm/3495

After the chaotic changes of 1993, the next round of alterations in late 1995 where much quieter.

In November 1995 the two news programmes were united under a new name of Tyne Tees News, and in January 1996 were joined by a new lifestyle programme Tyne Tees Tonight.

Based on the successful Yorkshire TV lifestyle programme of the same name, the new Tyne Tees version went out in the same 6:30 time slot, and even featured a similar title sequence. It was initially presented by former model and star of the BBC’s kids drama show Byker Grove, Ingrid Haagman.

Ingrid’s reign on the programme was to be short lived when, just ten weeks after launch, she was replaced with former continuity announcer Kathy Secker who had joined the news department following the closure of the Newscastle continuity department.

The two renamed news programmes continued to be broadcast at 6 with the same presenters. They initially used an adapted version of the the old Tyne Tees News bulletin titles, with Middlesbrough simply removing the Network North logos from their set. However a few months later, a new title sequence was created and introduced.

At the same time the Newcastle set was completely replaced, whilst Middlesbrough merely getting a new paint job.

However, the presenters couldn’t relax for long. Tonight was ill-fated and in the end, all three programmes were ditched in favour of the brand new North East Tonight.

Tyne Tees News in Pictures

Watch Tyne Tees News titles and headlines

Watch Tyne Tees News bulletin titles

The new title sequence, introduced in January 1996, saw someone in the graphics department realise that the four compass points could be morphed into the word ‘NEWS’.

With the titles came a new orchestral arrangement of the old Tyne Tees Today theme tune. The same music and graphic style continued to be used in the North East Tonight era.

A still from the headlines sequence.

Four stills from the revamped Middlesbrough studio – little more than a repaint of the old Network North look and feel for Andy Kluz amd Dawn Thwelis.

Pam Royle and Andrew Friend got a better deal with a brand new studio set for Newcastle. The set itself continued to be used – abliet with minor adjustments – until 2000.

Jonathan Morrell presents a news bulletin in the new Newcastle bulletin studio. Although known as a announcer at the station at the time, Johnathan had trained as a journalist with the BBC and had presented the Radio Newcastle breakfast show.

From a weekend bulletin, a caption telling viewers when next to catch the region’s news.

Introduced in 1992, Tyne Tees News Week was a weekly roundup of that weeks news, signed and subtitled for deaf viewers.

The programme repeated the main news stories that the North East’s deaf viewers needed to know about – the story that Tyne Tees was to be (temporarily) consigned to the dustbin obviously being vital information as can be seen in this still from the last show in 1996. With the Channel 3 North East rebrand the programme was subsequently renamed North East Newsweek.