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Goodbye to ITN

(August 2001)

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BB
BBCPrime
I remember Cheshirec saying this at some point...it would be more damaging for ITN to lose the Channel 4 News contract than the ITV Contract...as an outsider it really isn't my place to comment but from what I've seen of the news on ITV two weeks ago, its taken a turn for the worst, in contrast to the ITN/ITN News of the mid 90s.
BB
BBCnewsemployee
By the way:

ITN = Independent Television News
ITV News = Independent TeleVision News

So really they both mean exactly the same!!
TW
TWO ident Founding member
It was even more ridiculous when it was referred to as 'ITN News', which, of course, stands for

Independent Television News News.

Crazy, although I'm all for the ITN brand appearing on ITV because ITV is meant to be a collection off different companies, each making their own distinctive programming and ITN is one of those companies.
MI
michaelwh1 Founding member
I can see why Channel 4 or Channel 5 don't use the ITN branding - they both have very distinctive styles of news, which reflect the image of each channel (channel 4, very serious, channel 5, young, fast moving etc). However, the most important factor in this is that THEY HAVE NEVER USED ITN BRANDING.

ITV, on the other hand, had a very successful news service under the ITN brand for many years. It was well respected and offered an excellent quality service. When ITV dropped this branding, however, the quality of the service went downhill - reflecting the station's attitude to news. The branding of news on ITV should be returned to ITN as nobody really knows what ITV News is or why it has suddenly appeared.

And another thing - surely a full 30 minute ITN News at Ten wouldn't harm ITV's schedules very much? It should be returned to its 'former glory' - not just a short news bulletin, but a fairly in-depth current affairs programme.
CA
cat
That's the problem though.
The control freaks at Network Centre want ITV splashed everywhere, it was certain to happen one day.
What ITV are saying is... they would dearly like to be the BBC.
ITV has been going downhill ever since Carlton was allowed to rebrand Central and Westcountry. And the rest, as they say, is history. Which is what ITV will be in not too many years time.
It certainly would damage ITN more if they lost Channel 4 News.
I firmly believe that Channel 4 News - if it were to be shortened down to 30 minutes (which I wouldn't like to see happen but it will suit the masses), would get higher viewing figures than ITV's attempt.
Very sad to see ITN on ITV go downhill so quickly.
IT
itsrobert Founding member
Has anyone notice how on the SKY Digital EPG, ITN News Channel has been renamed as ITN News?
MA
mark Founding member
I think the ITN News Channel'ss been like that for a while, hasn't it? I have to say that I think Channel 4 News is the best news programme on TV - and very much respected in journalism/political circles. It's got a lot of first-rate journalists working on it, it's excellently produced, and looks absolutely fantastic - everything a news programme should be!
SU
StandUpAndBeSeated
It seems that some of my old posts, from when I was sittingovation, show my region to be Granada ITV1/BBC North West.

I can't imagine how that happened... IT'S WRONG, WRONG, WRONG!!!

My region is Carlton Central (West) ITV1 /BBC Midlands.

Just thought I'd clear that one up. Smile

8 days later

SU
SpiringUnhacked
cheshirec posted:
Granada, Carlton and United each hold 20% in ITN - but since United sold off Anglia, Meridian and HTV earlier this year, it no longer has any ITV franchises. That means the stakes held in ITN by ITV companies has fallen from 60% to 40%.
United also sold their ITN stake to GMG, the percentage of ITN owned by ITV companies remains unchanged.
NG
noggin Founding member
SkyNews posted:
I can't see Sky winning the contract.

BTW: Greg Milan, formely of the short-lived Sky News investigations unit, has joined ITN.


Ah - that'll be Greg Milam formerly of Anglia News as well. ISTR he was a sports reporter there for quite a while?
ST
stickguy
SpiringUnhacked posted:
United also sold their ITN stake to GMG, the percentage of ITN owned by ITV companies remains unchanged.
Nope. The maximum a single company can own of ITN is 20%, as a result Granada couldn't buy more. And I know for a fact that United still has its 20%.
LE
Lester Founding member
I don't agree, Cheshire C - I think if ITN was to ever make a choice of losing either Channel 4 News or ITV News it would be without a doubt Channel 4 purely because the vast majority of revenue they make is from their contract with the ITV Network - also not that many people watch Channel4 News - overall, despite what everyone thinks of the quality of ITV News, overall it is still the most watched news service nationwide. I think it is a good idea for ITV to remove the ITN title to their programming as ITN is no longer exclusive to just ITV and the minority channel 4 - its on five (in direct competion with ITV1) and they have their own news channel which reproduces much of the content on ITV which is then replayed on Channel 5 in the morning. In all other countries around the world each country produces its own news service - it is an essential part of the network branding and I can understand why the Network News should be titled ITV News.

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