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NORTH TONIGHT
Grampian News 1961 – 1980

The hearbeat of Grampian Television was it’s news and current affairs service. News and Views was Grampian’s first nightly news magazine and current affairs programme for the first year of operation. News and Views, Grampian Week, and Grampian News were less sophisticated than todays news programmes but the aim and end result was the same.

Grampian Week a half hour weekly programme covering Scottish affairs was Presented by June Shields. Grampian News was a ten minute bulletin at lunchtime and teatime Monday to Friday. Covering all angles from westminster was Points North Grampian’s monthly political programme. Charles Smith was Grampian’s Head of News, Renton Laidlaw, Ron Thompson, Donny B Macleod and Donald MacCormick were just some of the Reporters at Grampian in the sixties.

In 1973 Grampian devoted two hours in primetime to a debate in which leading figures of the oil industry together with local planners discussed in detail the problems created by the development of Oil. What Price Oil attracted a large viewing audience and that paved the way for Grampian Debate. The programme took a major topic each quarter and gave an invited audience of people from the region an opportunity to examine experts. Grampian Today launched in 1976 it was a news magazine programme broadcast at 6pm for thirty minutes on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Ron Thompson showcased his flair for the humorous and the unusual in Thompson at Teatime on Tuesdays at 6pm and on Thursdays at 6pm Ted Brocklebank hosted a studio debate in Talking With Ted. Bill Mackenzie, Alan Cowie and Selina Scott presented and reported for Grampian Today.

Ted Brocklebank became Head of News in 1977 he decided to change the name of the programme from Grampian Today, North Tonight was born in January 1980 reflecting the advances of technology and Grampian’s additional news centers in Dundee, Inverness and Stornoway. North Tonight was on air from Monday to Friday at 6pm.

North Tonight 1980

North Tonight went on air in January 1980 Selina Scott, John Duncanson, Alastair Yates and Alan Cowie were the main presenters of the programme. Ron Thompson presented a news update from Grampian’s new studios in Dundee here we see Ron and his special guest. Selina Scott left Grampian in June 1981 she joined ITN to present News At Ten. Anna Soubry replaced Selina. Here we see Alastair Yates reading the news on Grampian’s 21st Birthday in 1981 with Trevor Appleton presenting the weather.

North Tonight 1981

Anne Mackenzie and Joan Ingram joined the presenting team in 1983 after Anna Soubry moved to Central Television.

North Tonight Special 1983

A North Tonight Special in 1983. John Duncanson, Alan Saunders and Anna Soubry were in the studio at Queens Cross whilst Alastair Yates and Frank Gilfeather were in Gothenburg at The Dons big match.

North Tonight 1985

Summer at Six was Grampian’s summer magazine programme which was Presented by Alison Wilkie and focused on gardening cookery and the arts all the north news was still part of the programmes agenda. The Programme was renamed North Tonight Summer Edition in the mid eighties and presented by Frank Gilfeather and continuity announcer Kay Duncan. 1987 was the last version of the summer edition of the programme. Anne Mackenzie and Pete Morris are the news readers.

North Tonight 1986
North Tonight 1988
North Tonight 1990

Into the nineties and a new look for the programme.

North Tonight 1993

Anne Mackenzie left Grampian and Joined BBC Scotland she was replaced by Anne Scott.

North Tonight 1997

North Tonight here in 1997.

North Tonight 2000

North Tonight was given a new look in 1999. This was the last set from the Queens Cross studios.

North Tonight 2003

When Grampian moved to their new studios at Tullos in June 2003 North Tonight was given a brand new look. North Tonight was rebranded as STV News in March 2009.

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