Northern Ireland news thread

Interesting that the widow of the man murdered in Coleraine yesterday didn't want to talk to the media earlier, but she went on to appear on Live at Six - and typically, Sharon O'Neill was the one to stick her ever-melodramatic, sensationalist oar in.

Niall did the live two-way in Coleraine at 1800, with RoboFadden relegated to on-the-scene reporter; but good to see three-quarters of the bulletin dedicated to the story on UTV Live, I imagine similar coverage was provided on BBC Newsline.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/why-did-police-let-this-happenrsquo-14319866.html

A photo which was exclusive to last night's UTV Live Tonight gets a reprint in the Tele - with a UTV Live logo to reinforce where you saw the picture first - that's right, in yet another Sharon O'Neill melodrama-report.

Yeah saw that on the front page of the morning edition of the Belfast Telegraph earlier, the logo on the paper was huge! By the time the final edition had come out they had cropped the logo off the photo and added a small (c) UTV underneath it!

A guy called Colm read the news on UTV Live this lunchtime.

McAlinden, that is. Nothing to do with me... (whistles)

And was Neil Brittain's wife interviewed on last night's UTV Live about a raid in Belfast?

I know UTV Live Tonight enjoy sticking music on their reports, but was it really necessary - or appropriate - to use Katy Perry's "I Kissed a Girl" over clips of Belfast Pride leading into a report on homophobic hate crime last night?

Is it just me who thinks Pamela Ballantine simply wipes the floor with all the young ladies when it comes to reading the news on UTV?

Even last night, Clarky acknowledged her after she read the news on UTV Live Tonight!

It would be nice to think Pamela could be considered for Live at Six again in the future, particularly if there's a potential free chair on Thursdays soon - if Tina Campbell and Mister Mallett will be busy with the Seven Thirty show on Thursdays, and Alison Fleming will be on maternity leave (her bump was showing during the report she did on UTV Live last night) - who would be better to cover than Pamela?

Then again, now I've said that, it will probably end up being an extra day's work for Lynda Bryans; or they'll end up giving the gig to someone of the ilk of Dobson, O'Neill, Fulford or McNulty (shudder).

UTV Live having more VT trouble today: http://u.tv/UTVMediaPlayer/Default.aspx?progid=103012

And what's the deal with the American (or Canadian) reporter?

WTF?! UTV Live with Rose Neill!!

Haha! Exactly my sentiments. How odd!

They'll be taking her on for a second stint as a continuity announcer next...

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sunday-life/i-belong-at-utv-14329953.html?r=RSS

So, if Rose Neill is now going to be doing UTV Live short bulletins, that leaves UTV with a surfeit of newsreaders:

5 UTV Live presenters (Clarky, Lynda B, Tina, Ali, Marc)
7 additional continuity announcers (Pammy B, Robin, Gilly, Audra, Aidan, Dobson and that Fulford woman), sub-total 12
Other (Rose Neill, McNulty, Colm O'Rou... sorry, McAlinden) sub-total 15

Perhaps now is the time for UTV to consider who should and who shouldn't present news bulletins. Here's how I'd do it:

1. Take Marc and Dobson off continuity duties, and jettison that Fulford woman off to GMTV
2. Even though most of them outshine their news department colleagues, I would bring the days of announcers as newsreaders to an end - let the UTV Live team present bulletins, with Rose Neill as a relief short bulletin presenter and get senior reporters in to also provide relief presenting
3. Please, for the love of God, take that McNulty woman off the news presenting roster