The Newsroom

Dermot Murnaghan defects to Sky News

(October 2007)

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NE
Newsroom
Another one leaves the Beeb!

Dermot off to Sky News
MA
Markymark
Newsroom posted:
Another one leaves the Beeb!

Dermot off to Sky News


Good for him.

BTW I noticed Natasha Kaplinsky was still in the N24 countdown video last night at 22:59. I know some people on here seem to worry about such things.
NE
Newsroom
I would hazard a guess that he's either off as he didn't get a move to the Six, or he fears he's stuck on Breakfast for another few years. Shame, I've always liked Dermot on the BBC.

So, who's for Breakfast now then? Surely they won't give it to Bill?
ST
Stuart
Well Dermot did defect from ITN in the first place to BBC. He doesn't have any loyalities. Now he's going to be Holmes' flunky! meh! (he's the stunt double)

I hope this leaves it open for Bill & Sian to do Breakfast Mon-Thurs.
MI
mizzb
Stuff him , what was he notable for anyway. Eggheads ! and not much else.

These recent departures have shown what a money grubbing pair him and kaplunk were. All the hollow talk of how great it was to host breakfast and how lucky they were to be working for the bbc was just talk. Mad
NS
NickyS Founding member
PA says ...

BBC Breakfast presenter Dermot Murnaghan is defecting to Sky News, it was announced today.
He will host the Sky News Today programme from January 1.
Murnaghan said: "I have always admired Sky News as a forward-thinking, credible news organisation and am looking forward to the challenges ahead with them.
CW
Charlie Wells Moderator
mizzb posted:
Stuff him , what was he notable for anyway. Eggheads ! and not much else.

These recent departures have shown what a money grubbing pair him and kaplunk were. All the hollow talk of how great it was to host breakfast and how lucky they were to be working for the bbc was just talk. Mad

To be fair with job cuts looming in BBC News and job uncertainty for most of the staff/presenters (at least until the meeting today) it makes sense to depart with a job and pay sorted than risk being made redundant and being without a job. I suspect now is 'open season' for rivals such as Sky to poach presenters/reporters as the BBC looks to cut its costs.
NE
Newsroom
Charlie Wells posted:
mizzb posted:
Stuff him , what was he notable for anyway. Eggheads ! and not much else.

These recent departures have shown what a money grubbing pair him and kaplunk were. All the hollow talk of how great it was to host breakfast and how lucky they were to be working for the bbc was just talk. Mad

To be fair with job cuts looming in BBC News and job uncertainty for most of the staff/presenters (at least until the meeting today) it makes sense to depart with a job and pay sorted than risk being made redundant and being without a job. I suspect now is 'open season' for rivals such as Sky to poach presenters/reporters as the BBC looks to cut its costs.


Yeah fair comment, though it does leave the BBC rather high and dry with 'star' presenters. I'd never have thought Murnaghan would leave for Sky. One wonders whether he will be taken off air with immediate effect the same was Natasha was?

Any ideas Nicky?
SE
Seb
Rather surprising that he has plumped for sky, but not entirely surprising that he has left after being snubbed for the six, to be honest, I'd have thought he would have gone back to ITV.
PH
phil-g
So if Dermot is off to Sky News Today (notice they have called it Sky News Today not the inane and inexplicable Sky Today) will he co present with Julie or will she be shunted off elsewhere? They won't move Burley, whatever everyone says her show is more watchable than the other 20 hours of Sky News put together at the moment, so where would Julie go? Maybe they will give up on single headed anchoring. But then again this is John Ryley, anything could happen.
NE
Newsroom
phil-g posted:
So if Dermot is off to Sky News Today (notice they have called it Sky News Today not the inane and inexplicable Sky Today) will he co present with Julie or will she be shunted off elsewhere? They won't move Burley, whatever everyone says her show is more watchable than the other 20 hours of Sky News put together at the moment, so where would Julie go? Maybe they will give up on single headed anchoring. But then again this is John Ryley, anything could happen.


IIRC - it was Ryley who plucked Murnaghan from the Channel 4 Daily moons ago and into ITN News, so obviously a fan and believer.
NE
Newsroom
From PA wires...

"Sky's head of news John Ryley said: "Dermot is, without doubt, one of the best broadcasters in Britain.
"Sky News is all about delivering up-to-the-minute, insightful news in an innovative way and Dermot is a first-class interviewer who handles breaking news and anchors set piece events effortlessly and intelligently."

There you go.

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