View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

  1. Archive content
September 16, 2004updated 22 Nov 2022 1:48pm

Edmund “Ted” Trimmer: pioneer of regional television news

By Press Gazette

Ted Trimmer: a gentleman

A Gentleman of the Old School. It’s a cliche´, but there is no more apt description of Ted Trimmer, a great journalist and a great guy, his trademark bow-tie impeccably self-tied. It is sad that his death became a national story, not because of his own role as one of the pioneers of regional television news, nor even the violent and tragic circumstances in which he died, but for the fact that his big sister was the Hollywood star Deborah Kerr.

Ted was born in 1926 and grew up in a bungalow in Weston-SuperMare. His sister went into the theatre, and although Ted also took acting lessons after leaving Bristol Grammar School, he opted for journalism as a junior reporter on the local paper, The Weston Mercury. He joined the RAF shortly before the end of the war and returned to journalism on the Evening World, now The Bristol Evening Post. In the fifties Fleet Street beckoned and he worked for The Daily Express as a sub-editor and then the magazine Illustrated. It was the growth of television, and television news in particular, that caused the demise of the pictorial magazines.

Appropriately, in 1958 Ted found a new berth, back in Bristol, with the fledgling ITV station Television for Wales and the West – TellyWelly, as he called it.

His interest in pictures made him a television natural and by 1963 he had become Head of News at the station (which was later to become HTV).

Among other stories, Ted was involved in the coverage of the tragedy at Aberfan in which 144 people, most of them children, were killed when a mountain of coal waste engulfed their village.

Content from our partners
MHP Group's 30 To Watch awards for young journalists open for entries
How PA Media is helping newspapers make the digital transition
Publishing on the open web is broken, how generative AI could help fix it

He moved to Birmingham in 1968, where he became programme organiser, and then Deputy Editor, of ATV Today. In 1976 he succeeded Bob Gillman, the man who had brought him to the Midlands, as editor of the daily news programme. Ted also edited Citizen’s Rights for a year and a number of news specials, including the Royal Show and the Nottingham Festival. Latterly, Ted became executive editor and, after Central Television took over the Midlands’ ITV franchise from ATV, he was appointed Managing Editor of News and Current Affairs.

In these executive roles, he was instrumental in setting up the new East Midlands news operation in Nottingham and the introduction of Electronic News Gathering into the company. Ted retired in 1989 just after the company launched Central South.

Those who worked with him during his long career remember not just his kindness, but also his great skills as a journalist. He had a tremendous eye for detail and would leave no stone unturned and no fact unchecked.

Former controller of sports, Gary Newbon, said Ted, as programme producer, was a diplomat who brought out the best from people by kind and subtle persuasion.

Ted continued to support his colleagues as an active member of the Central retirement club, running the overseas holidays. Ted suffered a heart attack earlier this year, but had made a strong recovery.

He died in an incident involving another motorist, not far from his home at Kings Norton, Birmingham, on 23 August. A man has been charged with his murder.

He leaves a widow Kathy, whom he met while they worked at Central Television, a daughter Kate, stepsons Andy and Robert, stepdaughter Anna and grandchildren Bethany and Ethan. A service of celebration is to be held at St Nicolas Church, Kings Norton, on 20 September.

Compiled by Laurie Upshon

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

Select and enter your email address Weekly insight into the big strategic issues affecting the future of the news industry. Essential reading for media leaders every Thursday. Your morning brew of news about the world of news from Press Gazette and elsewhere in the media. Sent at around 10am UK time. Our weekly does of strategic insight about the future of news media aimed at US readers. A fortnightly update from the front-line of news and advertising. Aimed at marketers and those involved in the advertising industry.
  • Business owner/co-owner
  • CEO
  • COO
  • CFO
  • CTO
  • Chairperson
  • Non-Exec Director
  • Other C-Suite
  • Managing Director
  • President/Partner
  • Senior Executive/SVP or Corporate VP or equivalent
  • Director or equivalent
  • Group or Senior Manager
  • Head of Department/Function
  • Manager
  • Non-manager
  • Retired
  • Other
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
Thank you

Thanks for subscribing.

Websites in our network