:-(
A former member
Allthough I dont rate the "relaunched" graphics on Sky News I still find it the most watchable......
LE
BBC News still feels the same to me, Sky News has gone a bit downhill with the new ident - begins ok but the spinning madness at the end is too dark and pointless, but I actually like the tweaked astons better than before - apart from the fact they're so bold and ugly (but they do grab my attention) and I can't tell breaking news from an ordinary aston.
It's difficult judging the openers because we see images and movies of idents over and over, 'ordinary' people probably wont see them as often. In fact, I've watched ordinary people flick through channels, my Mum the other day for example went straight past Sky News, N24 also being forgotten about completely, and stopping for a moment on ITV News.
That just baffles me. There was nothing very interesting on the news. Maybe it's because the presenters are more well known than on any other channel? *Calls for more research to be put in*
Rambling aside, Sky News is still on top for me as far as delivering the news goes probably because of all the interactive stuff, I use it often. But I voted ITV News because it's gone through the biggest change and is IMO a lot better looking than what it was previously.
It's difficult judging the openers because we see images and movies of idents over and over, 'ordinary' people probably wont see them as often. In fact, I've watched ordinary people flick through channels, my Mum the other day for example went straight past Sky News, N24 also being forgotten about completely, and stopping for a moment on ITV News.
That just baffles me. There was nothing very interesting on the news. Maybe it's because the presenters are more well known than on any other channel? *Calls for more research to be put in*
Rambling aside, Sky News is still on top for me as far as delivering the news goes probably because of all the interactive stuff, I use it often. But I voted ITV News because it's gone through the biggest change and is IMO a lot better looking than what it was previously.
DV
I don't get the ITV News Channel here so I can't comment on it properly because I don't watch it. Of the other two, I certainly prefer Sky News' delivery which is friendly and clear but also immediate, with simple easy graphics (apart from weather) in comparison with News 24 which overall I find over-complex, messy and ugly with many inconsistancies - even moreso now since they relaunched. With numerous power problems over winter, the aftermath of Hutton, and many small annoyances I have with their presentation, I simply can't be arsed with BBC News any more. Sky News was awarded a News Channel of the Year award this February, and while ITV and the BBC both did full scale relaunches, however sucessful you think they may have been, all Sky News did in that time was revamp their signature music (and how great it is) and add an almost-full-time ticker.
CW
cwathen
Founding member
Sky News has relaunched? Oh, is that what those new things on the set and the lightly tweaked graphics was?
Anyway, I don't think News 24 has seen much of an improvement. I don't like the new titles, they look a bit cheap (ditto the new national news titles, and the 'pictures' regional news titles), I especially don't like the integrated headline idea, I don't think it works at all. The set feels smaller than it did before, and I'm not really seeing much evidence that it's style has changed at all. In particular, the main problem it had before - that they had probably the only dual presenter format in the world where the presenters barely acknowledge each other's existance still hasn't changed. BBC News for me remains a more authorative source than Sky News, but that's because of the authority that BBC News itself has, News 24 by itself I still see as being something of a poor relation to Sky News.
ITV News channel is still just ITV national news, all the time. Although it's the ultimate in cheap news channel format, with lesser international coverage, not having it's own set, usually only having one presenter, they are, as someone noted, turning that into something of a strength, with the familiarity of it having the same set as the national news, sometimes having the same presenters, and it's UK focus actually counting in their favour now.
The two big glaring problems with the graphics - that awful 80's style 3D flying lettering, and the almost unreadable DOG, still haven't been fixed, but out of all of ITV News output, it's probably the only thing which isn't in decline (the big February revamp was the most 'we've tried to make this better by misguidedly throwing obscene amounts of money at it' relaunch I've ever seen in my life). I still think it's weak, I still barely ever watch it, but I can see it improving, and it's not doing badly considering the all but ready to go bust channel it was born out of, and it's done significantly better than I expected, with my initial belief at the time of it's relaunch in 2002 that it wouldn't last 12 months having been proved wrong.
All in all though, I think Sky News still have it in the bag as far as the UK news channel market is concerned. The orchestral americanised music has grown on me and despite being a hurried replacement of the original version I do think it's stronger than the old electronic stuff. Don't really like the new ident, but then it's only a stopgap. Their graphics are a bit brash and in your face, and the saturated red and blue bleeds terribly on my uni TV viewing arrangements (now down to a dodgy old portable fed from an RF cable), but I still think it has the best set (even if it is apparantely a dated design now), and the presenter chemistry is unmatched. They also have the best interactive service, and also win the (quite hard to win) award of having an interactive service which is actually a useful addition and not just some daft gimmick conveying information which could just as easily be conveyed with traditional 'analogue' teletext.
Anyway, I don't think News 24 has seen much of an improvement. I don't like the new titles, they look a bit cheap (ditto the new national news titles, and the 'pictures' regional news titles), I especially don't like the integrated headline idea, I don't think it works at all. The set feels smaller than it did before, and I'm not really seeing much evidence that it's style has changed at all. In particular, the main problem it had before - that they had probably the only dual presenter format in the world where the presenters barely acknowledge each other's existance still hasn't changed. BBC News for me remains a more authorative source than Sky News, but that's because of the authority that BBC News itself has, News 24 by itself I still see as being something of a poor relation to Sky News.
ITV News channel is still just ITV national news, all the time. Although it's the ultimate in cheap news channel format, with lesser international coverage, not having it's own set, usually only having one presenter, they are, as someone noted, turning that into something of a strength, with the familiarity of it having the same set as the national news, sometimes having the same presenters, and it's UK focus actually counting in their favour now.
The two big glaring problems with the graphics - that awful 80's style 3D flying lettering, and the almost unreadable DOG, still haven't been fixed, but out of all of ITV News output, it's probably the only thing which isn't in decline (the big February revamp was the most 'we've tried to make this better by misguidedly throwing obscene amounts of money at it' relaunch I've ever seen in my life). I still think it's weak, I still barely ever watch it, but I can see it improving, and it's not doing badly considering the all but ready to go bust channel it was born out of, and it's done significantly better than I expected, with my initial belief at the time of it's relaunch in 2002 that it wouldn't last 12 months having been proved wrong.
All in all though, I think Sky News still have it in the bag as far as the UK news channel market is concerned. The orchestral americanised music has grown on me and despite being a hurried replacement of the original version I do think it's stronger than the old electronic stuff. Don't really like the new ident, but then it's only a stopgap. Their graphics are a bit brash and in your face, and the saturated red and blue bleeds terribly on my uni TV viewing arrangements (now down to a dodgy old portable fed from an RF cable), but I still think it has the best set (even if it is apparantely a dated design now), and the presenter chemistry is unmatched. They also have the best interactive service, and also win the (quite hard to win) award of having an interactive service which is actually a useful addition and not just some daft gimmick conveying information which could just as easily be conveyed with traditional 'analogue' teletext.
Last edited by cwathen on 23 April 2004 3:28pm
LO
Sky News is clearly the slickest operation - they have the advantage (at the moment) of just having the one outlet, so they are able to concentrate on doing rolling news and doing it well. They've also been doing it longer than the other two players. They provide a consistent, UK-focussed, (usually) live service 24 hours a day, which neither of the other channels do.
Meanwhile the ITV News Channel is compromised by playing second fiddle to the demands of ITV1 bulletins, and News 24 has to compete with the BBC's other TV and radio services for access to correspondents etc.
The ITV NC is clearly a dramatically improved operation, and for much of the time is very watchable. The programmes presented by Alastair Stewart and Angela Rippon are especially strong. I like the NC's graphics too. The channel is also starting to make really good use of its access to the ITV regions - I like the fact that you see a lot of regional stories on the NC that never see light of day on the other two channels.
News 24 has its strengths too, though I have mixed feelings about the revamp. In some ways I preferred the previous set and graphics. I don't think the huge text on the straps works well, and the contrast between breaking news and other news isn't clear enough. I also think the channel is let down by the joint service with World overnight and the Breakfast simulcasts in the mornings.
Meanwhile the ITV News Channel is compromised by playing second fiddle to the demands of ITV1 bulletins, and News 24 has to compete with the BBC's other TV and radio services for access to correspondents etc.
The ITV NC is clearly a dramatically improved operation, and for much of the time is very watchable. The programmes presented by Alastair Stewart and Angela Rippon are especially strong. I like the NC's graphics too. The channel is also starting to make really good use of its access to the ITV regions - I like the fact that you see a lot of regional stories on the NC that never see light of day on the other two channels.
News 24 has its strengths too, though I have mixed feelings about the revamp. In some ways I preferred the previous set and graphics. I don't think the huge text on the straps works well, and the contrast between breaking news and other news isn't clear enough. I also think the channel is let down by the joint service with World overnight and the Breakfast simulcasts in the mornings.
MO
Remember, Sky News was awarded 'News Channel of the Year' for 2003 - before News 24 and the ITV NC relaunched.
In December 2003, if I'd had to vote in this poll, I'd have been torn between Sky & N24. Now, I think News 24 blows Sky out of the water.
Just watching a bit last night just showed how much better the channel is now. The bit where Louise had 3 guests round the centre desk with all the great camera angles they use for these bits, the way she was relaxed, confident, asking intelligent and intereting questions - it was a joy, almost a mini-Question Time. Then over to Simon on the right hand set for breaking news and then a facinating two way between Simon and Geoff Randell the Business Editor about the Express boss's outburst.
It all just seemed to flow well, look great, ooze confidence and - of course most imortantly - the content was very interesting and informative.
Now I know Sky News Today does some of this well too (though it doesn't look good) they do it in the morning when I'm in work, as are most people.
I just think that the improvement in N24 since relaunch has been huge, and it's getting better every day.
dvboy posted:
I don't get the ITV News Channel here so I can't comment on it properly because I don't watch it. Of the other two, I certainly prefer Sky News' delivery which is friendly and clear but also immediate, with simple easy graphics (apart from weather) in comparison with News 24 which overall I find over-complex, messy and ugly with many inconsistancies - even moreso now since they relaunched. With numerous power problems over winter, the aftermath of Hutton, and many small annoyances I have with their presentation, I simply can't be arsed with BBC News any more. Sky News was awarded a News Channel of the Year award this February, and while ITV and the BBC both did full scale relaunches, however sucessful you think they may have been, all Sky News did in that time was revamp their signature music (and how great it is) and add an almost-full-time ticker.
Remember, Sky News was awarded 'News Channel of the Year' for 2003 - before News 24 and the ITV NC relaunched.
In December 2003, if I'd had to vote in this poll, I'd have been torn between Sky & N24. Now, I think News 24 blows Sky out of the water.
Just watching a bit last night just showed how much better the channel is now. The bit where Louise had 3 guests round the centre desk with all the great camera angles they use for these bits, the way she was relaxed, confident, asking intelligent and intereting questions - it was a joy, almost a mini-Question Time. Then over to Simon on the right hand set for breaking news and then a facinating two way between Simon and Geoff Randell the Business Editor about the Express boss's outburst.
It all just seemed to flow well, look great, ooze confidence and - of course most imortantly - the content was very interesting and informative.
Now I know Sky News Today does some of this well too (though it doesn't look good) they do it in the morning when I'm in work, as are most people.
I just think that the improvement in N24 since relaunch has been huge, and it's getting better every day.
AJ
To be fair to Sky, they have begun to spread this format across the schedules - most noticeably, Sunrise has, only this week, had a format change using the (ever so quiet) newsroom, studio and newswall etc.
As I said earlier, I think Sky News are going to be bringing in more changes towards the end of the year, and what we are seeing now is merely a stopgap.
Moz posted:
Now I know Sky News Today does some of this well too (though it doesn't
look
good) they do it in the morning when I'm in work, as are most people.
To be fair to Sky, they have begun to spread this format across the schedules - most noticeably, Sunrise has, only this week, had a format change using the (ever so quiet) newsroom, studio and newswall etc.
As I said earlier, I think Sky News are going to be bringing in more changes towards the end of the year, and what we are seeing now is merely a stopgap.
NW
I have to agree with you there completely, before the new look the channel was rather poor, as it came from a dull studio and you could tell it was very cheap, but since the relaunch in Feburary they have put loads of effort into the channel and have designed a look that fits in rather well with the NC, the only thing they need to sort out is the Weather.
James Hatts posted:
Meanwhile the ITV News Channel is compromised by playing second fiddle to the demands of ITV1 bulletins, and News 24 has to compete with the BBC's other TV and radio services for access to correspondents etc.
The ITV NC is clearly a dramatically improved operation, and for much of the time is very watchable. The programmes presented by Alastair Stewart and Angela Rippon are especially strong. I like the NC's graphics too. The channel is also starting to make really good use of its access to the ITV regions - I like the fact that you see a lot of regional stories on the NC that never see light of day on the other two channels.
The ITV NC is clearly a dramatically improved operation, and for much of the time is very watchable. The programmes presented by Alastair Stewart and Angela Rippon are especially strong. I like the NC's graphics too. The channel is also starting to make really good use of its access to the ITV regions - I like the fact that you see a lot of regional stories on the NC that never see light of day on the other two channels.
I have to agree with you there completely, before the new look the channel was rather poor, as it came from a dull studio and you could tell it was very cheap, but since the relaunch in Feburary they have put loads of effort into the channel and have designed a look that fits in rather well with the NC, the only thing they need to sort out is the Weather.