View source for BBC Spotlight (BBC South West TV programme)

{{Short description|British TV news programme (since 1962)}}
{{For|the BBC Northern Ireland's weekly current affairs programme|Spotlight (BBC Northern Ireland TV programme)}}
{{Use British English|date=October 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2021}}
{{Television incorrect naming style|news}}
{{Infobox television
| image                = BBC Spotlight titles.jpg
| caption              = Title card used since April 2022
| producer             = [[BBC News]]<br>
[[BBC South West]]
| location             = BBC Broadcasting House<br/>Plymouth, Devon
| camera               = [[Multi-camera]]
| runtime              = 30 minutes <small>(main 6:30pm programme)</small><br>10 minutes <small>(1:30pm and 10:30pm programmes)</small><br>Various <small>(on weekends and [[BBC Breakfast|Breakfast]]</small>
| first_aired          = {{Start date|1962|09|17|df=yes}}<ref>As ''South West at Six''.</ref>
| last_aired           = present
| related              = 
| channel              = [[BBC One]] [[BBC South West|South West]]<br>
[[BBC One]] Channel Islands
| image_alt            = 
| creator              = 
| theme_music_composer = [[David Lowe (television and radio composer)|David Lowe]]
| country              = United Kingdom
| language             = English
| num_seasons          = 
| num_episodes         = 
| list_episodes        = 
| network              = 
| released             = 
}}

'''''BBC Spotlight''''' is the [[BBC]]'s regional TV news programme for the South West of England, covering [[Cornwall]], [[Devon]], [[Isles of Scilly]], southern and western [[Somerset]], western [[Dorset]] and the [[Channel Islands]].

==Overview==
'''BBC Spotlight''' is broadcast from the BBC Broadcasting House in Seymour Road, [[Plymouth]], with smaller studios based in [[Exeter]], [[Truro]], [[Taunton]], [[Dorchester, Dorset|Dorchester]], [[Saint Peter Port|St Peter Port]], and [[St. Helier]], from where an opt-out service for the Channel Islands is broadcast on weekdays.

The main half-hour edition of the programme airs at 6.30pm on weekdays with shorter bulletins airing during ''BBC Breakfast'' and at 1.30pm on weekdays, after the ''[[BBC News at Ten]]'' from Sunday to Friday and on weekend evenings.

The programme can also be viewed anywhere in the UK (and Europe) on [[Sky (UK and Ireland)|Sky]] channel 967/968 on the [[BBC UK regional TV on satellite]] service and on demand via the [[BBC iPlayer]].

Its main competitors are [[ITV West Country]]'s main evening programme ''[[ITV News West Country]]'' in Cornwall, Devon, Isles of Scilly, southern and western Somerset and western Dorset; and [[ITV Channel Television]]'s main evening programme ''[[ITV News Channel TV]]'' in the Channel Islands.

Central and East Dorset including [[Bournemouth]], [[Poole]] and most of Dorchester is served by ''[[BBC South Today|South Today]]'' received from the [[Rowridge transmitting station|Rowridge]] TV transmitter. North of Dorset including [[Shaftesbury]] and all of [[Somerset]] is served by ''[[BBC Points West|Points West]]'' that is receive from the [[Mendip transmitting station|Mendip]] TV transmitter.

==History==
When the BBC introduced regional television news on 30 September 1957, viewers in the South West were initially served by a five-minute bulletin from Bristol shared with what would become the [[BBC West]] and [[BBC South]] regions.<ref>[https://5pyheritage.com/segue.html 5PY Heritage - Segue]</ref> For geographical reasons, the timeslot for regional news had to be shared with a bulletin for Wales.

In the same year, a Plymouth newsroom had been officially opened to cover Devon and Cornwall for both the television bulletins and bespoke radio bulletins, which had launched on the [[BBC Home Service]] on 1 October 1956.<ref>[https://5pyheritage.com/segue.html 5PY Heritage - Segue]</ref>

Separate bulletins for the South region were launched in January 1961, but the forthcoming launch of the rival ITV service from [[Westward Television]] prompted the launch of bespoke ''News from the South West'' bulletins on 20 April 1961, just nine days before Westward went on air. The first ten-minute bulletin was read by Tom Salmon, who later became a producer and regional TV manager,<ref>[https://5pyheritage.com/topics-tales.html 5PY Heritage - Topics & Tales]</ref> A small television studio was especially constructed within the BBC's Plymouth centre - with facilities built at a cost of £50,000.<ref>[https://5pyheritage.com/segue.html 5PY Heritage - Segue]</ref>

Within a year, the BBC was planning to expand the 10-minute regional slot into a 20-minute slot for daily news magazine programmes for the nations and regions. After a number of pilots were produced under the title ''Six to Six Twenty'', the new ''South West at Six'' programme launched on 17 September 1962, presented by Peter Crampton with [[Sheila Tracy]] deputising.<ref>[https://5pyheritage.com/topics-tales.html 5PY Heritage - Topics & Tales]</ref> The programme's first editor was John Tainton, the area news editor for the South West and one of the BBC's first Plymouth-based journalists.<ref>[https://5pyheritage.com/segue.html 5PY Heritage - Segue]</ref>

Just over a year later, ''South West at Six'' was relaunched again and adopted the title ''Spotlight South West'' (later ''Spotlight'') on 30 September 1963.<ref>{{cite web
 |url         = http://www2.tv-ark.org.uk/bbc_southwest/news.html
 |title       = BBC South West – News
 |publisher   = TVARK
 |access-date  = 31 August 2010
 |last        = Luxton
 |first       = Simon
 |url-status     = usurped
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20120304033935/http://www2.tv-ark.org.uk/bbc_southwest/news.html
 |archive-date = 4 March 2012
 |df          = dmy-all
}}</ref><ref name=DA>{{cite journal
| author=Leigh, Justin
| title=The History of the BBC in Devon and Local Broadcasting as Part of the BBC's Worldwide Role
| journal=Report & Transactions of the Devonshire Association
| year=2007
| volume=139
| pages=3–5
| issn=0309-7994}}</ref> The programme reached its 500th edition on 13 September 1965.<ref>[https://5pyheritage.com/topics-tales.html 5PY Heritage - Topics & Tales]</ref>

TV facilities at the Plymouth studios have been periodically expanded with the building of a new 1500 ft² colour television studio in 1972-73. An industrial dispute involving technicians delayed the first colour edition of ''Spotlight'' until 5 August 1974.<ref>[https://5pyheritage.com/topics-tales.html 5PY Heritage - Topics & Tales]</ref> In 1978, it became the first BBC regional news programme to employ its own meteorologist, [[Craig Rich]], who continued with the BBC for 25 years.

The ''Spotlight'' production team also contributed networked features and regional opt-outs to the BBC's ''[[Breakfast Time (British TV programme)|Breakfast Time]]'' when it launched in January 1983.<ref>[https://5pyheritage.com/topics-tales.html 5PY Heritage - Topics & Tales]</ref> In the same year, the Plymouth studios began introducing [[Electronic news gathering|ENG]] cameras for newsgathering with film being gradually phased out by July 1987.<ref>[https://discover.bbcrewind.co.uk/asset/6138a3ae544c6f002116f1d3 Spotlight South West: BBC Spotlight from Film to Video], bbcrewind.co.uk</ref>

A further refurbishment at the BBC's Plymouth studios led to the introduction of new computer technology and production systems in 1991, followed later in the decade by the introduction of satellite newsgathering facilities.<ref>[https://5pyheritage.com/topics-tales.html 5PY Heritage - Topics & Tales]</ref> 

A replacement purpose-built broadcasting centre on the opposite side of Sutton Harbour from [[Barbican, Plymouth|the Barbican]] was due to replace the Seymour Road studios in 2011<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/news/BBC-s-new-Plymouth-headquarters-approved/article-619647-detail/article.html
|title=BBC's new Plymouth headquarters will be approved
|publisher=this is Plymouth
|accessdate=31 August 2010}}</ref> but the plans later stalled due to the effect of the recession on the construction industry and a change in the original plans. In late 2012, the owner of the harbour expressed fears the move may never happen and admitted other parties had expressed an interest in moving to the site earmarked for the BBC.<ref>[https://archive.today/20130505070857/http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/Inquiries-site-earmarked-BBC/story-17433822-detail/story.html '''Inquiries over site earmarked for BBC''', This is Plymouth]</ref>

In 2013, the BBC confirmed that it was not moving to Sutton Harbour and instead opted for a further refurbishment of its existing headquarters at Seymour Road.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2013/seymour-road.html "BBC South West announces major investment in Plymouth Seymour Road base", BBC Media Centre]</ref>

==Presenters==

Victoria Graham presents the 6.30pm programme. Another longstanding presenter is Natalie Cornah, who also presents the main programme. 
{{more citations needed|section|date=May 2019}}
{{col-start}}
{{col-2}}

===News===
* Victoria Graham<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/JTpBgkJVv7z3FWVWM7473l/victoria-graham|title=BBC One - Spotlight - Victoria Graham|publisher=BBC|accessdate=24 May 2019}}</ref>
* [[Natalie Cornah]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/4HHhyXl2Z9ZxyrtC25P5c1y/natalie-cornah|title=BBC One - Spotlight - Natalie Cornah|publisher=BBC|accessdate=24 May 2019}}</ref>

{{col-2}}

===Weather===
* David Braine<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/44BNqBXQlW5W4bc8fLmKh16/david-braine|title=BBC One - Spotlight - David Braine|publisher=BBC|accessdate=24 May 2019}}</ref>
* Emily Wood<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/4y8MWvRkBzFZn7HnP72fMVh/emily-wood|title=BBC One - Spotlight - Emily Wood|publisher=BBC|accessdate=24 May 2019}}</ref>
{{col-end}}

==Former on-air team members==
{{col-start}}
{{col-3}}
* [[Fern Britton]]<ref name="TVRA"/>
* [[Jill Dando]] (deceased)<ref name="TVRA"/>
* [[Simon Hall (writer)|Simon Hall]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ice.cam.ac.uk/about-us/staff-profiles/tutor/simon-hall|title=Simon Hall|work=Institute of Continuing Education|date=16 May 2018|publisher=University of Cambridge|accessdate=24 May 2019}}</ref>
* [[Will Hanrahan]]
* Justin Leigh <ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/spotlight-presenter-justin-leigh-leaving-4599441|title=Spotlight presenter Justin Leigh is leaving the BBC after 33 years|publisher=Devon Live|date=12 October 2020}}</ref>
* [[Sue Lawley]]<ref name="TVRA"/>
* [[Juliet Morris]]<ref name="TVRA"/>
*Chris Rogers (deceased)
* [[Craig Rich]] (weather presenter) (deceased) <ref name="TVRA">{{cite web|url=https://thetvroom.com/ark/presenters/channel-79.html|title=BBC South West Presenters|work=the tv room (archived)|accessdate=24 May 2019}}</ref>
* [[Angela Rippon]]<ref name="TVRA"/>
* [[Hugh Scully]] (deceased)<ref name="TVRA"/><ref name="TWWW">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/england/spotlight/way_we_were.shtml|title=The Way We Were|date=24 September 2014|work=Spotlight (archived)|publisher=BBC|accessdate=24 May 2019}}</ref>
* [[Sheila Tracy]] (deceased)<ref name="TVRA"/><ref name="TWWW"/>
{{col-end}}

==BBC Channel Islands==
''BBC Channel Islands'' is the dedicated [[Regional variation|opt-out service]] for the [[Channel Islands]].

Although the BBC maintained a newsgathering presence on the Islands - expanded with the arrival of [[Radio Jersey]] and [[Radio Guernsey]] in 1982 - budgetary constraints had prevented the corporation from providing its own local TV news service to compete with the established ITV service from [[Channel Television]].<ref>[https://5pyheritage.com/cicomp.html 5PY Heritage - The Channel Islands]</ref>

In 1988, a minimal service was established with a short two-minute bulletin following the ''[[BBC Nine O'Clock News]]'' on weeknights, broadcast from a self-op studio at the [[Frémont Point transmitting station|Frémont Point transmitter]] and presented by an on-duty newsreader from Radio Jersey.<ref>[https://5pyheritage.com/cicomp.html 5PY Heritage - The Channel Islands]</ref>

The basic facilities at Fremont Point were later expanded when the service was expanded to two evening bulletins - an opt-out at 6.30pm during ''Spotlight'' and a late bulletin at 10.30pm on weeknights - before production moved to the studios of [[BBC Radio Jersey]] at St Helier in 2005.

The opt-outs are usually presented by Charlie McArdle and produced by a team of multi-skilling journalists who write, film and edit their own stories, as well as producing and directing the bulletins on weekdays. The main opt takes up the first 12 minutes of ''Spotlight'' at 6.30pm with a further bulletin at 10:30pm. No opt-outs are broadcast during the day and at weekends, except for special occasions such as local elections or major sporting events such as the [[Island Games]].

==References==
{{Portal|BBC|Cornwall|Devon}}
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{BBC Online|id=spotlight|title=''BBC Spotlight''}}
* {{BBC Online|id=b00cpbsj|title=''BBC Channel Islands''}}

{{BBC Local TV}}

[[Category:1961 British television series debuts]]
[[Category:1960s British television series]]
[[Category:1970s British television series]]
[[Category:1980s British television series]]
[[Category:1990s British television series]]
[[Category:2000s British television series]]
[[Category:2010s British television series]]
[[Category:2020s British television series]]
[[Category:BBC Regional News shows]]
[[Category:Mass media in Cornwall]]
[[Category:Mass media in Dorset]]
[[Category:Mass media in Jersey]]
[[Category:Television news in England]]
[[Category:Television news in Jersey]]
[[Category:Television news in Guernsey]]