Thames Television News Presenters
Thames increased regional news output for London weekdays when it took over the franchise from Rediffusion London in 1968.
Thames TV's local news output went through various incarnations, from Today to Thames at Six and then, finally, the simple Thames News, which, as they say, did what it said on the tin.
During its tenure on our screens from 1968 to 1992, Thames TV's news department fielded a series of high-profile news anchors to bring us the headlines. Some of the best known names include Eamonn Andrews, inherited from ABC Television, Bill Grundy who went down in history for baiting the Sex Pistols, and Andrew Gardner, who joined the station from ITN.
John Andrew
Hailed from BBC Radio Cleveland and then became a Thames Television reporter and newsreader. Post-Thames, Andrew joined the BBC's political staff.
Eamonn Andrews
Born in Dublin, Eamon Andrews began sports commentating for Radio Eireann in 1939 and subsequently worked on various programmes for BBC Radio, including Sports Report between 1950 and 1962. On television he hosted the BBC's parlour game What's My Line? (1951 to 1963), Crackerjack (1955 to 1964), ABC Television's World of Sport (1965 to 1968) and This is Your Life until his death in 1987. He joined Thames Television from ABC in 1968 and was the anchor of its nightly news magazine programme Today until 1977. At the same time, he was active as a chat show host and children's programmes presenter, as well as being a keen businessman.
Rita Carter
Co-anchor of Thames at Six and then Thames News from 1978 to the early 1980s with Andrew Gardner. Rita Carter also reported for Thames from 1983 to 1986 and regularly fronted news bulletins. After leaving Thames, Rita became e a well-known writer, focusing on the workings of the human brain, and she has twice won the Medical Journalists' Association prize for contributions to medical journalism. She also co-wrote the book Mapping The Mind with scientist Christopher Frith, and contributes articles and comment to the Daily Mail, Daily Telegraph, and New Scientist.
Steve Clarke
Originally with Southern TV's regional news programme Day By Day, in 1981 Steve Clarke went on to become a reporter, newsreader and presenter for the BBC's London Plus, 1986-1988. In 1988, he transferred to Thames originally co-presenting The City Programme and later Thames News. Steve stayed with Thames until the end in December 1992. Steve is currently head of internal media at international news agency Reuters.
Andrew Gardner
A former ITN newscaster, (he joined ITN in 1961) who co-hosted News at Ten with Reginald Bosanquet and Alastair Burnet, Gardner moved to Thames Television in 1977 to front the newly relaunched local news magazine programme Thames News which replaced Today and Thames at Six. He stayed in this role until shortly before Thames went off the air at the end of 1992, and it was Gardner who announced to London viewers that Thames had lost the franchise in 1991. Andrew Gardner died on 2 April 1999, but is still remembered with great affection by television viewers in London and the south-east.
Paul Greene
Reporter/newsreader and relief presenter for Thames News from the mid 1980s. Paul joined LNN (news provider to Carlton and LWT) at its launch in 1993 as its main newsreader on local news bulletins.
Bill Grundy
Main host of Thames' local news magazine programme Today (1970 to 1977), he is best remembered for his infamous interview with the Sex Pistols on that programme in 1976, which has been repeated ad infinitum on scores of nostalgic television documentaries and theme nights. The incident caused something of an uproar at the time, but, looking back at it from today's perspective, the episode seems pretty inoffensive. Grundy and Today made way for a new, 'newsier' programme, Thames at Six a year later.
Allan Hargreaves
Thames Television presenter, 1972-1977 and reporter, 1968-1974. He also presented Thames Report in the early 1980s.
Bob Holness
Granada Television continuity announcer from 1961 to 1964 and also a regional presenter for Thames TV in London in 1968. He later built up somewhat of a cult following amongst students as the long- serving host of Central TV's Blockbusters on ITV in the 1980s and early 1990s.
Robin Houston
A mainstay of Thames News from the late 1970s and through the 80s into the 90s, Robin Houston regularly anchored Thames late news bulletins following ITN's News at Ten. Houston's distinctive tones always added a touch of gravitas to Thames bulletins. After Thames closed its doors for the last time, Houston found national recognition as the voice-only host of quiz show 100 Per Cent.
Gytha Hutton
Thames news anchor and reporter who moved to Meridian Broadcasting in Newbury when Thames losts its franchise.
Tricia Ingrams
Co-anchor of Thames News with Andrew Gardner throughout most of the 1980s. The pair were probably the programme's most famous double act.
Tina Jenkins
Thames TV newsreader, 1983 to 1985, and one of the main anchors in 1985. She later moved to Sky News to present the Wild West End strand within Live at Five.
Liz Pike
Thames journalist who fronted Thames News in 1989. The programme's set and titles were certainly at their lowest point during this period. Before moving to London, Liz was briefly co-host of Central News from Birmingham. Liz went on to present for the 24-hour BBC News Channel and BBC World News.
Marcus Powell
Presenter of Thames News daytime bulletins (1986 to 1988) and then a reporter on Reporting London 1988- 1989 and Thames Reports from 1989. He joined London News Network, providing news to Carlton and LWT, from 1993.
Jack Scott
Former mainstay of the BBC's national weather department (from 1969 to 1983) Jack Scott could also be found on Thames Television from 1983 to 1988 in the mid-1980s. He took over from Francis Wilson, who had left Thames for the BBC's Breakfast Time. After retiring from Thames, Jack presented Years Ahead on Channel Four in 1988 and 1989.
Penny Smith
Penny Smith was a presenter-reporter with Border TV in Carlisle before moving to London to host Thames News in the late 1980s and then on to read GMTV's news bulletins.
Kerry Swain
Francis Wilson
Weather presenter with his famous "fluffy clouds" on Thames TV from 1978-1982. He moved to BBC TV's Breakfast Time, 1983-1989, and Breakfast News, 1989-January 1992. He has been one of the main weather presenters on Sky News since 1992.
