[Stooky Bill]

I’m guessing that Meridian would have had to work around the TVS Coast to Coast team for their news rehearsals ahead of launch?
Did they build their set in the same studio, or in another space at TVS?

Also would GMTV have had the opportunity to do a full rehearsal with the ITV regions for the local news opt? I sure I remember Michael Wilson saying something along the lines of “it’s the first time we’ve done this, let us know if it works, your news and weather from your own ITV region.”

I don't see why they wouldn't have rehearsed the opt outs, after all the regions weren't doing them into TVam. However of course they wouldn't have been able to test the last bit as they couldn't put them to air until the new year.

As for TVS, yes good question and the same for 1982. Obviously they must have had the new sets built and rehearsed and ready to go for news years day. Both Southampton and Maidstone weren't short of studio space to move the old one into, or build the new one in.

In 1982 TVS started it's South East news in Southerns Dover studio which looked tiny so more of a challenge there I suspect