New time for ITV Evening News?

With UEFA/ITV to announce a new Highlights package for the UEFA Champions League, are ITV going to have to move their News package (as discussed on the Champions League thread)?

I'm just wondering would ITV consider making Corrie 5 days a week at 19:30pm, following from Emmerdale now slightly reduced to 5 episodes over 5 days a week? Now the BIG question, could ITV drop both their 18:00pm and 22:00pm News programmes in exchange for just the one set of National/Regional News programmes at 20:00 if ok'd by Ofcom. Yes it's very likely these programmes wouldn't bring in the advertising revenue of the current programming...but one News programme instead of two would reduce costs, maybe catch people who come home later from Work and maybe allow ITV to produce a 25 minute sub-Regional News programme which could be appreciated by viewers more. The reduced costs should even allow for a new weekly Pan-Regional Political/Current Affairs programme to be produced...

This then allows ITV to show Champions League highlights at 22:00pm without moving the News...so less 'News At When' stories...

They're not going to cut the episode order of a profitable show like Emmerdale and they're not going to waste the big lead in audiences from Corrie on loss making News. ITV's rivals would be licking their lips. Seriously the biggest commercial broadcaster in the country giving up the most watched hour of primetime just so they could air some highlights one night 20(?) weeks a year.

No it wouldn't as the same correspondents and producers work on the 2 bulletins.You're just making ITV News more inefficient. How exactly are you going to pay for the replacement programming at Ten and 6?

Serious fantasyland

You do realise that the contract may even have an obligation for the highlights not to air before 10.30?

ITV do not want a repeat of the last time they axed News at Ten, so that kills the argument dead in the water. They can't air highlights until after 10:30 anyway, so again it kills the argument. For ITV to move Emmerdale and Coronation Street, their two most popular shows, would be a massive shot in the foot, and for them to consider even one of those options would be surrendering to the competition. Killing THREE birds with one stone there.

Well, I guess we'll just have to wait and see. Wouldn't worry yourself over it though, not that you seem to be.

ITV will never be airing the regional news at 8pm on the main channel. Ridiculous idea.

I don't think ITV will change anything news wise (no reason too, they've learnt from past mistakes). The only thing they might move soap wise is the Thursday Emmerdale if they boost their pre-watershed weekday content (it'll be easier to launch shows on Thu 8pm than Tue 8pm), but I doubt they'll do anything too radical and sadly the budget isn't there for them to put the soaps in the 7pm hour and then have a genuine primetime schedule from 8-10pm with a good mix of programming.

I think the soaps NEED to move back to a Sunday, but I do think Emmerdale and corrie should only be on 5 x 30mins. I also think ITV needs a few proper 30min programmes back aswell.

Also the news does not need moved.

I know that ITV won't do it, but I'd like the idea of a 30 minute bulletin on both Saturday and Sunday. They just seem to be a bit rushed at times...

However at present, the news doesn't need to get moved to another timeslot, but what would be wrong with something like the BBC and STV do and have just the headlines at 8pm?

Liking the idea of a headline summary at 8pm, especially as it would help catch those viewers who purposely avoid news bulletins and news channels, whilst not massively disrupting the peak-time schedule for other viewers.

Not sold on 30 minute bulletins at the weekend though. Both network and regional news rooms get by on minimal staff levels on Saturday and Sunday and I think these would need to be raised to weekday levels in order to produce enough content to fill a 30 minute slot and that would obviously involve extra funding. Besides, even BBC1 and C4N bulletins are shorter at weekends aren't they?

I believe Ch4 went back to a 30min Sunday programme around 18.30 - 19pm.

Probably like the last contract there is a 30-45 minute after full time clause before ITV can air highlights. Thread over.

Yes, but the point is it's still shorter at weekends than the weekday bulletins which run for around 55 minutes ...

Here's how it should be

Corrie and Emmerdale 5x30 mins (Corrie: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Sunday) (Emmerdale: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Sunday)

Then the current system of Champions League beginning at 7:30pm, followed by the News at Ten should be continued. Highlights of all games should be at 10:30pm.

If the big-build up to the match is really required, they should do a pre-show on ITV 4.