South East Today


BBC South East Today is the BBC South East regional television news programme, serving Kent, East Sussex, part of West Sussex and a small part of Surrey. Prior to its launch on 3 September 2001, most of the viewers in the region received Newsroom South East, though some had been receiving South Today.
South East Today is produced and broadcast live from the BBC's South East broadcasting studios in Royal Tunbridge Wells with district reporters covering Brighton, Chatham, Dover and Hastings.

Overview

Launched on 3 September 2001, South East Today airs with short programmes and bulletins at varying times.
The programme can be watched in any part of the UK on digital satellite on the BBC UK regional TV on satellite service.
Launched with a sole main presenter Laurie Mayer, the programme was briefly the centre of a minor BBC scandal, after Mayer resigned amid accusations of management bullying. Mayer lost his case, but the managers concerned have since moved on.
The show then became double-headed, with Beverley Thompson and Giles Dilnot presenting. In 2004, Geoff Clark joined the programme. Clark and Thompson presented the programme together for five years until their departure in September 2009. Long-serving weather presenter Kaddy Lee-Preston, who had been with South East Today since its launch left the programme in March 2012.
The main presenter is Rob Smith with weather presenter Rachel Mackley. The programme's editor is Quentin Smith and the sports producer is Ben Moore.
The main transmitters that carry the regional news are Heathfield, Bluebell Hill and Dover, with associated relays including Hastings, Tunbridge Wells and Whitehawk Hill. As of 7 March 2012, the Whitehawk Hill relay transmitter now carries BBC South East output instead of BBC South, and the region extends as far west as Worthing.
In 2020, South East Today merged with BBC London News to join forces with the latest on COVID-19 as BBC London and South East.

Presenters

News