The primary transmitter is located at Belmont and covers East Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, north west Norfolk and eastern parts of Nottinghamshire.

Announced as part of the BBC's 'Project Hull' investment in October 2001, BBC Yorks and Lincs began as a seven-minute opt-out on the Belmont transmitter of the main Look North programme from Leeds, presented by Clare Frisby and the late bulletin following the Ten O'Clock News.

BBC Yorkshire and Lincolnshire's first Head of Regional and Local Programmes (HRLP) was Helen Thomas, appointed in March 2004.

Mark Hayman replaced him as the region's first TV News Editor running an integrated team of journalists and technicians, but has since moved to BBC West Midlands.

It was so small that there was room for the desk only; other features such as weather had to be done elsewhere and played out on a screen in the studio.