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New TV news programme launched

8:00am Sunday 3rd December 2006

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A NEW regional news programme for Oxfordshire, set to replace ITV's Abingdon-based Central News South, goes live tomorrow at 6pm.

Thames Valley Tonight will be co-presented by Wesley Smith and Mary Green, presenter of ITV's Meridian Tonight.

The Central News studios in the Abingdon Business Park will be retained to form the centrepiece of the new service, which covers an area stretching from Witney to Windsor and from Winchester up to Banbury.

Mr Smith, who has presented Central News since 1989, said: "Viewers will get more news relevant to their daily lives.

"Our commitment to cover anything of interest in Oxfordshire will be stronger than ever."

Ms Green said: "I am delighted to be involved in the new programme. It's a wonderful region."

Central News presenter Hannah Shellswell will still be part of the show, co-hosting the Friday programme and taking on a series of challenges called Can I Cut It?

The new service is a fusion of ITV's Central South and Meridian West sub-regions.

Viewers who are tuned to Central's Oxford transmitter will automatically receive Thames Valley Tonight.

Head of news Robin Britton said: "Despite viewers having the choice of sometimes hundreds of channels we are convinced there is a need for a news programme with a strong local identity in tune with local people."

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Angie, says...
7:06pm Tue 5 Dec 06

I am very dissapointed with Thames valley tonight .Central news was just perfect as were the presenters. You have lost me as a viewer.

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David Aston, says...
3:12am Thu 7 Dec 06

Central News was ideal as a local programme - even if it lacked any real news items, seemed to be laden with trivia and 'phone-in surveys' recently but provided background while waiting for Charley's weather forecast. Thames Valley Tonight doesn't have the same local feel , but at least it doesn't call itself a news bulletin. And where is Charley - have we lost her as well ?

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David, says...
2:59pm Wed 13 Dec 06

I don't care about the quality of the news now we've got Gemma Humphries doing the weather! Yippee!

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angie, says...
10:45pm Wed 13 Dec 06

We used to watch weakest link then imediatly turn over for central,not any more we dont like thames attall,dont like the look of new lady presenter,sorry

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Julie, says...
6:23pm Thu 14 Dec 06

What a load of rubbish Thames Valley Tonight is. I live in Bicester and Central News covered our area perfectly, now we're lucky if we get a mention. Why oh Why are these so called 'improvements' made when they blatantly are nothing of the sort! The woman presenter is awful as is the weather person.You've lost us to the BBC, unless of course normal service is ever resumed.

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John Stevens, says...
6:34pm Thu 14 Dec 06

What a dissapointment Thames Valley tonight is.Do not like the female presenter, not friendly enough. Where are Emma & Charley? Sorry but you have lost two more viewers. We keep the radio on till South Today comes on.

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Michael Hunt, says...
5:12pm Tue 19 Dec 06

You can add the names of my wife and I to the voices of dissent.We live in Bracknell and all you get on TVT is Swindon this and Oxford that. My solution after the demise of Meridian tonight is the BBC main news at 6 then South Today. Does no one rver consider the viewers.

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johnhanby, says...
7:41pm Tue 19 Dec 06

you can add my names to the comments made by John from Bracknell
i live in Woodley and am not interested in Swindon or Wilts news i live in the Thames Valley and that does not include Swindom but Maidenhead and Henley as well as Reading.there is no rappore bewteeen Wesley and Mary so where is Ian ? and where did you get that awlful weather man from ,bring back Gemma Humphries.What ever happened to the travel news this is an important item of early evening news.I am lucky to be able to select between TVT and BBC South so get back to old format or bye bye.

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Jenny Tatman, says...
6:16pm Tue 9 Jan 07

I must agree with some other comments, HOW I WISH the old Central News was still on the TV.
I do not like the new version at all, plus missing the old team that we were used to.
I much preferred the old team too.
Well I suppose we have no choice!!

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D Tatman, says...
6:22pm Tue 9 Jan 07

Please bring back Central News and the cheerful faces of the old team, what has happened to them all? Not keen on this new News programme at all

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d gorman, says...
12:15pm Wed 17 Jan 07

Bring Back Central News. What has happened, poor Wesley does not look happy, bring back Wesley and Hannah and our local news. You have lost another two views

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j mackernan, says...
7:10pm Sun 4 Feb 07

can we have central news back please i dont like the t vally news i liked it when wesley and hannah done it thay were all ways happie and i like that on my tv new i dont like the new vally news sorry and we want to see ur whether girl back

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g. stevens, woodley says...
6:22pm Tue 13 Mar 07

what a load of rubbish thames valley tonight is. i live in the reading area, i don't want to know what's going on in oxfordshire. as for wesley, he is a waste of time. christopher peacock, why does he he have to put on a smypathy voice, while covering certain news items, get rid of him. bring back the old team from 'meridian tonight'. you have lost more viewers from this household.

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J H, Oxford says...
6:07pm Tue 15 May 07

There has been no improvement in this new show. Since when has Winchester been in the Thames Valley Eh? eh?

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JOHN WATT, SOUTHAMPTON says...
11:42am Fri 22 Jun 07

WE HAVE GOT GEMMA HUMPHRIES, AS POSTED BY DAVID !!!YIPPEE!!!

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JOHN, SOUTHAMPTON says...
12:13pm Fri 22 Jun 07

IS THERE A FAN CLUB 4 GEMMA HUMPHRIES

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JOHN, SOUTHAMPTON says...
6:02pm Fri 20 Jul 07

IS THERE ANYBODY THERE

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JOHN, SOUTHAMPTON says...
8:01pm Wed 1 Aug 07

HELLO HELLO HELLO

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JOHN, SUNNY SOUTHAMPTON says...
7:37am Wed 8 Aug 07

HI DE HI

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LV, Abingdon says...
2:24pm Sat 25 Aug 07

Loved our old Central with Wesley & Hannah. Now even get parts of Kent with the Thames Valley!!!! What is going on with these decision makers. Kick them out and get some with real logic!
BBC South, oxon, is my fav watch now.
Also this has confused the tv listings ... few seem to show us the same!

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VR, says...
4:57pm Tue 4 Sep 07

Michael Hunt wrote:
You can add the names of my wife and I to the voices of dissent.We live in Bracknell and all you get on TVT is Swindon this and Oxford that. My solution after the demise of Meridian tonight is the BBC main news at 6 then South Today. Does no one rver consider the viewers.
I live in Swindon and I hate Thames Valley Tonight with a passion! I get it on Sky and Terrestrial. It covers such a HUGE area it isn't local at all. I have never considered Swindon to be in the Thames Valley. I SHOULD be receiving ITV West! I don't care about Milton Keynes or Northampton and don't know why they're included in TVT. I think of Thames Valley as Berks and parts of Oxon. At least with BBC I receive Points West, only on Sky though. With freeview/terrestrial I get BBC South which I also think is a bit of a huge region but it will do. There's also a BBC Oxford which is a bit more local but I don't understand is it part of BBC South or what? :-)

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JOHN, SOUTHAMPTON says...
5:20pm Tue 25 Dec 07

HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL

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James Cresswell, Cheltenham says...
12:53pm Mon 7 Jan 08

ITV has got so big now, it doesnt care about the viewers. First our ident went, then our local programs, finally Central News bit the dust. I refuse to watch Thames Valley or ITV West Tonight, as they are all a pale imitation. Makes me laugh, ITV wonder why they are losing viewers. Try listening for a change.

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jay, Swindon says...
9:29pm Thu 24 Jan 08

what area did central south used to cover? what did the weather map look like. i don't remember

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Gillie Coghlan, Burford says...
3:37pm Wed 6 Feb 08

To all viewers and readers! Please get along to Lakeside Country Club, Frimley Green, Surrey, on Saturday 15 March to see John Coghlan's Quo - the brilliant original drummer from Status Quo, with his own band .....

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gerard, milton keynes says...
10:50pm Tue 22 Jul 08

I've complained to TVT about the lack of news coverage that central news south used to cover, i said there news was bias towards it old meridian north region which covered as far north as oxford, central news south had a good local coverage oxfordshire, bucks, parts of northants as well as south warwicks the coverage of the beckley transmitter north of oxford. I emailed them and the response was now they say they have 3 core counties which are oxfordshire, berkshire and hampshire - when the hell was hampshire and surrey and heathrow airport in the thames valley? milton keynes according to them is no longer in their patch even though on the itv local page (which comes up as meridian milton keynes is there?) This is clearly showing itv doesnt care about regional programming or content and purely money - shame on you michael grade

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