The Newsroom

Five News 7pm bulletin cut to 15 minutes

from January (November 2004)

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LO
Londoner
http://media.guardian.co.uk/broadcast/story/0,7493,1341685,00.html
DV
DVB Cornwall
Beginning of the MG article - reproduced as MG is a registration only site.

...................

Five is to cut its 7pm news bulletin from half an hour to 15 minutes when it relaunches in January with a new producer, Sky News, after concluding a deal with communications regulator Ofcom.
The broadcaster said shortening its 7pm bulletin would give it greater flexibility to run longer arts, history, science and natural history documentaries between 7.15pm and 8pm. At the moment Five transmits 30-minute documentaries from 7.30pm.

"We believe a fast-moving, 15-minute news at 7pm will offer viewers a proper alternative to the longer news programmes on rival channels. The additional time will be used to extend the channel's popular arts, history, science and nature programmes to 45 minutes," a Five spokeswoman said.

"Five will continue to show our most popular news programme at 5.30pm and the hourly updates throughout the evening."

An Ofcom spokesman said: "This will allow Five to introduce a new evening schedule to coincide with the start of its new news supply contract with Sky News. The new service will be launched in the new year and will coincide with the issuing of Five's digital replacement licence, which will reflect the revised requirements."

From January Five News will be moving from ITN's Gray's Inn Road offices in central London to a new studio at Sky News' base in Osterley, in the capital's south western suburbs.
BR
Brekkie
The 7pm bulletin was only to please Ofcom really - the 5.30pm has over twice as many viewers.
LO
LONDON
I don't get how five are meant to produce more news hours per week than ITV. At present ITV produce 10 and a half hours of News per week, does this mean that there output has also been cut?
LO
LONDON
I don't get how five are meant to produce more news hours per week than ITV. At present ITV produce 10 and a half hours of News per week, does this mean that there output has also been cut?
AN
Andrew Founding member
I thought ITV1, Channel 4 and Five had to provide half an hour of news in peak time (6pm-10.30pm) so I don't see how Ofcom have just let them off with it. And people on here often say Ofcom is in ITV's pockets
BC
BlackCat Founding member
Andrew posted:
I thought ITV1, Channel 4 and Five had to provide half an hour of news in peak time (6pm-10.30pm) so I don't see how Ofcom have just let them off with it. And people on here often say Ofcom is in ITV's pockets


It's in everyone's pockets, it seems. I could go and grab a piece and stick it down there with my mouldy sandwiches and loose change.

I simply cannot understand why OfCom is so complacent. What possible benefit is it to them to be this way?
BR
Brekkie
Andrew posted:
I thought ITV1, Channel 4 and Five had to provide half an hour of news in peak time (6pm-10.30pm) so I don't see how Ofcom have just let them off with it. And people on here often say Ofcom is in ITV's pockets


They make up the time with the updates - and to be honest it's a silly rule when the 5.30pm bulletin is more popular.

I do think they should make Five re-instate their on the hour bulletins throughout the day though. That was a public service - all the main news in two minutes, not having to wait for a bulletin or sit through an hour of news channel coverage.
LO
LONDON
Brekkie Boy posted:
Andrew posted:
I thought ITV1, Channel 4 and Five had to provide half an hour of news in peak time (6pm-10.30pm) so I don't see how Ofcom have just let them off with it. And people on here often say Ofcom is in ITV's pockets


They make up the time with the updates - and to be honest it's a silly rule when the 5.30pm bulletin is more popular.

I do think they should make Five re-instate their on the hour bulletins throughout the day though. That was a public service - all the main news in two minutes, not having to wait for a bulletin or sit through an hour of news channel coverage.


But you don't have to sit through an hour of news channel coverage, most news channels have a summary at half past the hour, which at most is only 5 minutes long.
AJ
AJ
LONDON posted:
Brekkie Boy posted:
Andrew posted:
I thought ITV1, Channel 4 and Five had to provide half an hour of news in peak time (6pm-10.30pm) so I don't see how Ofcom have just let them off with it. And people on here often say Ofcom is in ITV's pockets


They make up the time with the updates - and to be honest it's a silly rule when the 5.30pm bulletin is more popular.

I do think they should make Five re-instate their on the hour bulletins throughout the day though. That was a public service - all the main news in two minutes, not having to wait for a bulletin or sit through an hour of news channel coverage.


But you don't have to sit through an hour of news channel coverage, most news channels have a summary at half past the hour, which at most is only 5 minutes long.


and what do those who do not have access to these channels do?
LO
Londoner
Broadcast's news item on this story adds an interesting detail:
Broadcast posted:
The change will coincide with Sky News taking over from ITN as Five's news supplier in a £35m five-year deal. Five said the satellite broadcaster would still be paid the same for the shorter contract and the extra cash would be used for things like election specials .
JC
Jack Carkdale
Channel 4 News, Five News, the 7 o'Clock News (BBC Three), and probably some others I don't know about, all start at 7pm on weekdays. It's ridiculous!

Rather than just cutting the 7pm weekday Five News in half, why don't Sky News actually *move* it to a less "news overkill/clashing" time? Rolling Eyes

In Channel 5's early days, wasn't their main bulletin at 8pm or something?

As the BBC1/ITV1 newshour only just ends at 7pm, and the BBC late bulletin was 9pm back in those days, the 8pm slot for 5 News was perfect - i.e. BETWEEN the other news times, not clashing with a gazillion other news bulletins like now!

Whether there's a Five News bulletin at, say, 8pm to replace the 7pm one, or whether the 5:30pm one becomes the only "main" bulletin, I don't care either way.

But, come on Sky/Five... don't have a bulletin at 7pm at all! 7 - 7:15/7:30pm is "news overkill" at the moment! Rolling Eyes
Last edited by Jack Carkdale on 4 November 2004 8:15pm

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