Calendar (News)

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For other uses, see Calendar (disambiguation)

Calendar

Genre	News
Created by	ITV Yorkshire
Starring	Duncan Wood Christine Talbot Gaynor Barnes John Shires
Production
Running time	Main bulletin: 30 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel	ITV1 Yorkshire
Original run	29 July, 1968 – present

Calendar is the local news programme for ITV Yorkshire. It began on 29 July 1968, the same day as Yorkshire Television (YTV) came on air. Unlike many regional news programmes at that time Calendar adopted a magazine-style approach and benefited from heavy investment by Yorkshire Television in local news gathering. During the early years, the Calendar title had been used by various programmes produced by YTV in both news and other genres, including the short-lived Good Morning Calendar breakfast show; the parliamentary programme Calendar Lobby; and Calendar Catwalk, a fashion show. The name Calendar was also attached to the local version of the Channel 4 launch show, Countdown, which ran for one series on YTV before the start of Channel 4 as Calendar Countdown. The main programme is called "Calendar". All other shorter bulletins are called 'Calendar News'

1 Until January 2007
2 From January 2007
3 Main Programme Presenters
4 Bulletin presenters
5 Sport
6 Reporters
7 Weather Forecasters
8 Former presenters
9 Calendar Spinoffs
10 Trivia
11 External links

Until January 2007

The mid morning and lunchtime Calendar News bulletins were split into three sub-regions. Calendar East which broadcast to East Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and North Norfolk, Calendar South which broadcast to Sheffield and North Derbyshire and Calendar News which broadcast to the rest of the region (which is why no compass point is used). There was also a 5 minute round-up during the main Calendar programme where the programme splits into three parts for local news. Until 1989 the show was produced in the main YTV facility at Kirkstall Road, Leeds. In that year the company purchased a former swimming baths opposite the studios and converted that to a dedicated newsroom, production and transmission centre for local news.

From January 2007

On January 8 2007, Calendar's main 6 pm programme was split into North and South editions (the latter combines the former East and South sub-regions). All other bulletins have become pan-regional. Calendar airs on ITV1 Yorkshire seven days a week. ITV Yorkshire provides three news bulletins during GMTV. The mid-morning bulletin airs immediately after an ITV News Summary at 11.10 am, during This Morning, this update airs for around 10 minutes. The lunchtime edition of the programme follows on from the ITV Lunchtime News, giving a five minute round-up of the days developments between 1.55pm and 2.00pm. The main evening edition of Calendar begins at 6.00pm, and ends at 6.30pm. The late news update from the region follows the ITV News at 10.30, airing between 10.55pm and 11.05pm. Calendar airs four bulletins at weekends: two on Saturday, at lunchtime, and late afternoon, and two on Sunday: at lunchtime and the evening edition Calendar News and Sport at 6.25pm.

Main Programme Presenters

Calendar North

Christine Talbot - Main presenter (Monday to Thursdays)
Duncan Wood - Main presenter
Kate Webster - Friday presenter and main cover
Jon Hill - Occasional presenter

Calendar South

Gaynor Barnes - Main presenter
John Shires - Main presenter
Tina Gelder - Occasional presenter

Bulletin presenters

Carolyn Hodgson - GMTV/Early bulletin main presenter
Vicky Locklin - Late bulletin presenter (Monday to Thursdays)
Michelle Gee - Late bulletin presenter (Fridays)
Paul Burland - Weekend presenter
Dave Devonport
Rachel Hepworth
Frazer Maude
Peter McNerney - Producer and occasional presenter
Nisha Pankania
Karen Petch
Rachel Phillips
Lisa Walton

The four main Calendar presenters take it in turns to host the lunchtime edition.

Sport

With the Calendar region being very passionate about sport, Calendar has always provided a comprehensive round-up of football, rugby league and cricket news from around the region. A full package of highlights from Saturday's football league matches are shown as part of Calendar News and Sport on Sunday evenings The current sports team includes John Shires, Paul Burland and Rachel Philips. Commentary often comes from veteran football commentator John Helm

Reporters

Some reporters also occasionally present bulletins

Tina Gelder - Consumer Correspondent
Dave Harrison - London based reporter
Kate Webster - Senior News Correspondent
Chris Kiddey - News Correspondent, often covers light 'and finally' items
Lisa Adlam - News Correspondent
Raj Shukla - News Correspondent
Gail Mellors - Reporter

Weather Forecasters

Jon Mitchell - Calendar's main weather presenter.
Jo Blythe
Kerrie Gosney
Debbie Lindley

Former presenters

Christa Ackroyd - now with BBC Look North (Yorkshire and North Midlands)
Jonathan Aitken
Penny Bustin
Paul Dunstan
Geoff Druett
Liz Fox
Roger Greenwood
Robert Hall
Alan Hardwick
Richard Madeley
Austin Mitchell - left to become Member of Parliament for Great Grimsby
Mike Morris
Ruth Pitt
Sid Waddell - presenter/producer
Marylyn Webb
Simon Welfare
Richard Whiteley
Faye Barker - now working on Five News
Jason McCartney - left to become a parliamentary candidate

Calendar Spinoffs

Calendar Calling
Calendar Carousel
Calendar Commentary
Calendar Countdown
Calendar Fashion Show
Calendar Friday
Calendar Goes Pop
Calendar Kids
Calendar Lunchtime Live
Calendar People
Calendar Tuesday
Calendar Sport
Calendar Sunday
Christmas Calendar
Country Calendar
Good Morning Calendar

Trivia

Good Morning Calendar, which started in 1977, is credited as being the UK's first breakfast television programme, around five years before the launch of TV-am. [1] It ran for one-hour, finishing at 9.25 am when ITV companies traditionally went on-air.
The first-ever edition of Calendar was pre-recorded an hour before transmission. Due to a technical fault the show was transmitted incorrectly; what viewers saw resembled a photographic negative.
During one live edition in 1969 university students sneaked into the studios, interrupted the show and 'kidnapped' the guest, actress Anita Harris, as part of their rag week stunts