14 January, 2008

A series of Special Assignment reports on BAS research from ITV News start today (Monday 14 January). The live reports, plus recorded packages, are expected to trail on lunchtime (1.30) news; on 6.30pm building up to 3 minute features on the re-launched News at Ten with Trevor MacDonald.

Reports will feature Bill Neely’s journey to the deep field project at Lake Ellsworth, led by Dr Andy Smith, to discover more about subglacial Lake Ellsworth. Later in the week there will be a special report about the ozone hole – twenty years on from the Montreal Protocol, glacial retreat on the Antarctic Peninsula and the importance of Antarctica for understanding climate change. The ITV News website will carry video blogs.

Bill Neely, producer Natalie Fay, cameraman Luke Collinson and satellite broadcast engineer Steve Gore-Smith are currently filming and editing the reports at Rothera. The reports will be syndicated globally with broadcast partners around the world. Millions of viewers are expected to watch the flagship news broadcasts.