[agentsquash]

I think it's important to note the reply was "and maybe also North West Tonight", meaning it's not a definite yet. With the News Channel & World News merging it gives the opportunity to shake up the schedules and move Sportsday (or the equivalent) away from the 6.30pm timeslot. I'd imagine the late NWT bulletins and Breakfast updates would likely use the same alternative/smaller studio.

Going into conjecture territory here.

Wonder if that is why Carol Lowe over on Twitter has mentioned that NWT is either among the last or is the last to receive a Studio B style regional studio as they are seeing what the situation is with Sportsday / Sport Today* first and hoping to do an instant transfer from the current SQ2 - I believe it is called as it was alluded to either in the Blue or Purple Places - to the new studio when the time comes. Kind of hedging one's bets given the amount of shared staff for Breakfast and NWT and the ease of using one studio instead of two.

*Delete as appropriate for whatever brand they go for.

Surely NWT would be last/near last because it is a relatively modern studio (by BBC regional standards!) and already HD capable?