Oh Julie is very good, I agree, but there’s more to it than being slick. There is absolutely a place for polished newscasters who can handle breaking news easily, but in the nicest possible way an analytical flagship show needs more than that.
When I think of the best people I’ve worked with or the best managers I’ve had, none of them I would describe as slick. Slick is a bit dull.
Tom Bradby is marking 30 years at ITN. He's posted his highs and lows on Facebook which are quite interesting. Don't think we can embed Facebook so I'll quote them.
Don't think you can even call yourself a journalist unless you've been shot at.
This sums up why I like him so much. He’s been there and done that. Is he the best presenter on tv? Of course not. But his experience and knowledge is what gives him gravitas and makes him an engaging watch.
Personally I find him the most bizarre appointment, certainly as NAT anchor. Thoughts shared by many employees at ITN and viewers alike *that I speak with. He was brilliant, prolific and everything else outside of the studio, but that anchor chair turned him into something/one to dislike.
That main role belongs to Julie Etchingham, end of story. She does Breaking News better than anyone on any channel in my opinion, and NAT with her eyes closed. Nina and Mary also wipe the floor with open ended coverage. In fact I can't recall a time Tom's been rushed on with Breaking News. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
I’m sure this accusation that Tom can’t do breaking news has come up before. Since 2015, he’s presented five overnight, 8-hour programmes full of breaking news.
This sums up why I like him so much. He’s been there and done that. Is he the best presenter on tv? Of course not. But his experience and knowledge is what gives him gravitas and makes him an engaging watch.
Personally I find him the most bizarre appointment, certainly as NAT anchor. Thoughts shared by many employees at ITN and viewers alike *that I speak with. He was brilliant, prolific and everything else outside of the studio, but that anchor chair turned him into something/one to dislike.
That main role belongs to Julie Etchingham, end of story. She does Breaking News better than anyone on any channel in my opinion, and NAT with her eyes closed. Nina and Mary also wipe the floor with open ended coverage. In fact I can't recall a time Tom's been rushed on with Breaking News. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
I’m sure this accusation that Tom can’t do breaking news has come up before. Since 2015, he’s presented five overnight, 8-hour programmes full of breaking news.
Pre-scheduled breaking news. You actually have a provisional schedule for when seats would be declared, so it's not the same as covering something that literally you don't know where the next piece of information is coming from. Two very different kettles of fish indeed.
Personally I find him the most bizarre appointment, certainly as NAT anchor. Thoughts shared by many employees at ITN and viewers alike *that I speak with. He was brilliant, prolific and everything else outside of the studio, but that anchor chair turned him into something/one to dislike.
That main role belongs to Julie Etchingham, end of story. She does Breaking News better than anyone on any channel in my opinion, and NAT with her eyes closed. Nina and Mary also wipe the floor with open ended coverage. In fact I can't recall a time Tom's been rushed on with Breaking News. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
I’m sure this accusation that Tom can’t do breaking news has come up before. Since 2015, he’s presented five overnight, 8-hour programmes full of breaking news.
Pre-scheduled breaking news. You actually have a provisional schedule for when seats would be declared, so it's not the same as covering something that literally you don't know where the next piece of information is coming from. Two very different kettles of fish indeed.
Oh well when you put it like that, anyone could do it.
I’m sure this accusation that Tom can’t do breaking news has come up before. Since 2015, he’s presented five overnight, 8-hour programmes full of breaking news.
Pre-scheduled breaking news. You actually have a provisional schedule for when seats would be declared, so it's not the same as covering something that literally you don't know where the next piece of information is coming from. Two very different kettles of fish indeed.
Oh well when you put it like that, anyone could do it.
Pretty much. I've done 3 election nights on the radio, in the past 4 years, and all it really takes is having a good team behind you, that's something we know ITN is, a damn good team. The only real difficulty with doing election nights is how long the night is and that's part of the territory. I don't think the fact he's done 5 election nights is really that much of a guide as to how good he is at breaking news. Now, something like what happened in Ottawa all those years ago, the shooting on Parliament Hill, that was when you saw how good a broadcaster Peter Mansbridge genuinely was, cos he handled that situation with a dignity and gravitas I have rarely seen before or since. Tom Bradby hasn't had one of those moments yet.
Pre-scheduled breaking news. You actually have a provisional schedule for when seats would be declared, so it's not the same as covering something that literally you don't know where the next piece of information is coming from. Two very different kettles of fish indeed.
Oh well when you put it like that, anyone could do it.
Pretty much. I've done 3 election nights on the radio, in the past 4 years, and all it really takes is having a good team behind you, that's something we know ITN is, a damn good team. The only real difficulty with doing election nights is how long the night is and that's part of the territory. I don't think the fact he's done 5 election nights is really that much of a guide as to how good he is at breaking news. Now, something like what happened in Ottawa all those years ago, the shooting on Parliament Hill, that was when you saw how good a broadcaster Peter Mansbridge genuinely was, cos he handled that situation with a dignity and gravitas I have rarely seen before or since. Tom Bradby hasn't had one of those moments yet.
Do you have a recording of the Cityprod Election Night Extravaganza to listen to?
Emma Murphy now taken up the role of US Correspondent. Robert Moore staying on as a correspondent based in the US
I was saying a couple of months ago he must be one of the longest serving correspondents in the same role - think it's about 20 years. I guess both will stay to cover the election, and then Robert move on to whatever he is doing next.
That main role belongs to Julie Etchingham, end of story. She does Breaking News better than anyone on any channel in my opinion, and NAT with her eyes closed. Nina and Mary also wipe the floor with open ended coverage. In fact I can't recall a time Tom's been rushed on with Breaking News. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
News at Ten isn't about breaking news though, it's about reporting and analysis. Tom has been an excellent appointment in relation to how dominant politics has been in recent years, even if it did very much upset the applecart and lead to some major casualities. I absolutely agree Julie Etchingham is the best newsreader ITV have got, but I think Tom has proven himself.
Personally I wish considering ITV News airs most Sundays at 10pm they added a full Sunday edition as well (especially as when Peston aired at 10.15 it did quite well) and then had a more equal Buerk/Sissons style split of the bulletins with them both doing three most weeks.
Robert Moore hasn’t done it that long. About 10 years I think. John Irvine was US Correspondent when Obama was elected for example. You may recall Robert was Europe Correspondent at the time of the Madeleine McCann story in 2007
Emma Murphy now taken up the role of US Correspondent. Robert Moore staying on as a correspondent based in the US
I was saying a couple of months ago he must be one of the longest serving correspondents in the same role - think it's about 20 years. I guess both will stay to cover the election, and then Robert move on to whatever he is doing next.
That main role belongs to Julie Etchingham, end of story. She does Breaking News better than anyone on any channel in my opinion, and NAT with her eyes closed. Nina and Mary also wipe the floor with open ended coverage. In fact I can't recall a time Tom's been rushed on with Breaking News. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
News at Ten isn't about breaking news though, it's about reporting and analysis. Tom has been an excellent appointment in relation to how dominant politics has been in recent years, even if it did very much upset the applecart and lead to some major casualities. I absolutely agree Julie Etchingham is the best newsreader ITV have got, but I think Tom has proven himself.
Personally I wish considering ITV News airs most Sundays at 10pm they added a full Sunday edition as well (especially as when Peston aired at 10.15 it did quite well) and then had a more equal Buerk/Sissons style split of the bulletins with them both doing three most weeks.
Robert Moore hasn’t done it that long. About 10 years I think. John Irvine was US Correspondent when Obama was elected for example. You may recall Robert was Europe Correspondent at the time of the Madeleine McCann story in 2007
Robert Moore I believe was US Correspondent prior to taking up the Europe Correspondent Role. According to his biography he was correspondent from 2002 -1010
This sums up why I like him so much. He’s been there and done that. Is he the best presenter on tv? Of course not. But his experience and knowledge is what gives him gravitas and makes him an engaging watch.
Personally I find him the most bizarre appointment, certainly as NAT anchor. Thoughts shared by many employees at ITN and viewers alike *that I speak with. He was brilliant, prolific and everything else outside of the studio, but that anchor chair turned him into something/one to dislike.
That main role belongs to Julie Etchingham, end of story. She does Breaking News better than anyone on any channel in my opinion, and NAT with her eyes closed. Nina and Mary also wipe the floor with open ended coverage. In fact I can't recall a time Tom's been rushed on with Breaking News. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
I’m sure this accusation that Tom can’t do breaking news has come up before. Since 2015, he’s presented five overnight, 8-hour programmes full of breaking news.
Outside of elections, has Tom actually had a chance to deliver a huge Breaking News story? Most BNs since he took over have been either during the day, or at weekends. The only one I can think of he might have presented was Manchester, but I've never seen any ITV News rolling coverage from that night, just the BBC coverage with Clive Myrie
*EDIT* Just found a video on YT, where Nina is presenting.
ITV did next to nothing on the night itself regarding the Manchester Arena bombing IIRC.
Because they were off air. The scale of what had happened only became clear very late at night.
ITV News do have the capability of late night Newsflashes. The London Bridge terror attack in 2017 came to light close to midnight, and a Newflash came to air then, about two hours since that day's final bulletin. And Julie returned for another Newsflash on Sunday morning.
For the Manchester Arena attacks, the details were very sketchy as to what exactly happened for most of the night which the news channels mostly struggled with and the details only really came to light once the breakfast programmes came to air. ITV News took over coverage that whole morning, so I think they did as well as they could with that.