ITV News

I'm newly registered but have been lurking on here for years, and I've noticed certain members do seem to go round in circles regarding the scheduling of News at Ten every few months.
Respectfully, could we please give the subject a rest? Clearly the current flexibility works for both ITV and the viewers, and in any case NAT does air at 10pm for the majority of the year.

Well said! It's a very tired and hackneyed discussion, albeit one that I suspect will recur into the foreseeable future.

Hi, it is my opinion, and this is a place to air them. Just my opinion. You mat agree, disagree, fine. This is what this forum is for. Expressing our views. I suspect this topic will not rest for many, but I will take your hint, and will ease back.

Yes that’s my point: moving the news on ITV for big ratings-winners is more valuable for both the channel and inheritance for NAT.

Then why does ITV not move it back to 10.30pm to free up 90 minutes for big shows? They have moved it already for the 10.00pm talk show and I'm A Celeb, why not move it back again to 10.30pm and call it The Late News, and have the Late News flexible, to help with movies, sport and big shows?

Because they don't have enough 90 minute shows to warrant such a move. And when you don't have enough of those they'd have to commission an extra 30 minute show to run every night at 10pm. This has been proven to be incredibly difficult in the past.

Having the news at 10pm for 90% of the time suits them and gives them some flexibility to move it later if / when the schedule requires it.

Flexibility is the key. When NAT was launched in the 60's it was regarded as something revolutionary. Now with the phalanx of news outlets it's lost. a lot of it prestige yet public affection still keeps it in the slot:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EI3IBzTnY4

If they made the bulletin completely flexible so no one knew when on earth it's on... 10.30pm one night, midnight the next night... that would be ratings suicide for them. It's pretty much a given that it will be on at 10pm or 10.30pm on the odd night so people know when to expect to view it. Consistency is the key.

They tried replacing the 10pm slot and look what happened. Hence why I can't believe this topic has come up on here again. The 10.30pm is only going to work when a big hitter leads into it (e.g. I'm a Celeb). You have a dud lead into the news and people will just tune into the earlier news on the BBC.

Also, 10.30pm-10.45pm really is when Mr and Mrs Average is likely to be headed for bed should they have work the next day. You have the bulletin any later than that and that's shaved off most the audience again. Again ITN tried this at 11pm and it failed.

It's not just 'legacy' why the news is on at 10pm, it's just common sense.

They don’t give a stuff about the ratings for the news. They give a stuff about how many viewers are watching the adverts in their other shows.

Why wouldn't their care about the ads before, during, and after the news?

Let us not inadvertently bring about another "News At When?" period...

Interesting endcap from the ITV News NYE special