Fierce rivalry in the world of television news

They have been the faces of TV news in Yorkshire for more than half a century. David Behrens recalls some familiar names.

FOR A little over 50 years, there has been a passing parade of men and women who have brought Yorkshire its nightly news, and for all of that time there has been fierce rivalry between them.

Local news had come as a shock in 1968, especially for viewers in Manchester, who were suddenly beamed bulletins from the BBC’s newly-established Yorkshire region unless they retuned their TVs.

It was the creation of Yorkshire TV that had redrawn the broadcast map, and on those early programmes, Austin Mitchell, Richard Whiteley and – briefly – the future MP Jonathan Aitken squared off against the corporation’s dapper Barry Chambers and the more sombre John Burns.

Among those who followed were Liz Fox, Marylyn Webb,

Richard Madeley, Geoff Druett, Alan Hardwick and Mike Morris on Calendar, and Ken Cooper, Khalid Aziz, Judith Stamper, John Thirlwell, Jeremy Thompson and Harry Gration on Look North. There were specialists, too, like YTV’s weatherman Bob Rust and the BBC’s rugby league commentator Eddie Waring, who broadcast from Leeds at weekends.

But only one presenter, Christa Ackroyd – now a Saturday columnist for The Yorkshire Post – managed to successfully switch sides.

While Calendar always enjoyed the facilities of a network studio centre, Look North was initially transmitted from a converted church in Woodhouse, Leeds – where it was said that the scout troop marching on the next floor could sometimes be heard on air.

EARLY YEARS: From top, presenter Austin Mitchell, who lined up against the BBC in the early days of Calendar; the legendary rugby league commentator Eddie Waring, who broadcast from Leeds at weekends; YTV weatherman Bob Rust; and the dapper Barry Chambers, who appeared on the BBC’s local news programme, Look North. FAMILIAR FACE: Richard Whiteley, who joined the newly-created Yorkshire Television in 1968 and presented the local news programme, Calendar.

TELEVISION PARTNERS: Top, the Look North team of the late 80s and early 90s, Judith Stamper and Harry Gration. Above, Harry Gration with his later presenting partner on Look North, Christa Ackroyd.