Central News presenter Joanne Malin is to join the BBC as a radio presenter just weeks after ITV announced plans for a major shake-up of its regional news programme.
Ms Malin is joining BBC WM to present a new weekday morning show starting in January, returning to the station where she launched her broadcasting career on a work experience placement.
Her last broadcast on Central Tonight will be on October 31.
She will be co-presenting the last half hour of the Phil Upton breakfast show before hosting the mid-morning show between 10am and noon.
“I’m really excited and looking forward to the challenge of starting a new radio programme. It’s great to be back at the station which gave me my first broadcasting break 15 years ago,” she said.
Ed Doolan, who currently presents the mid-morning show, will present a new lunchtime consumer programme.
He said: “I am very excited about this new challenge for me on BBC WM. I look forward to continuing my 27th year with the BBC.
“This new programme gives me the opportunity to take on harder subjects to defend the rights of listeners and to call to account those who need it.
“Lunchtime is the perfect time for this and I invite new listeners to join our established audience for challenging, gripping radio. “
“My new show will be a mixture of music and talk and I can’t wait to get chatting with the listeners.”
Ms Malin’s shift to ITV’s major rival comes after the broadcaster announced 60 job cuts in the Central region amid plans to merge news coverage in its East and West Midlands regions.
