The Newsroom

Newscaster of the Year | 2015

(December 2015)

This site closed in March 2021 and is now a read-only archive
HB
HarryB
2015:
Best News Channel (Domestic): BBC News
Best News Programme: Business Live
Best Regional News Programme: Only ever watched South Today
Best International News Channel: CNN International (especially during Paris attacks)

Best News Presenter (Domestic): Emily Maitlis
Best News Presenter (International): Babita Sharma or Kasia Madera
Best News Presenter (Regional): Kylie Pentalow
Best News Presenter (Newcomer): Phil Lavelle or Ben Bland
Best News Presenter Overall: Ranvir Singh

Best Weather Presenter: Chris Fawkes
Best Business Presenter: Victoria Fritz or Ben Thompson

Hard as Nails: Huw Edwards
Most missed but not necessarily deceased: Caroline Hepker
Biggest disappointment in 2015: Tom Bradby.
Best News Music: Good Morning Britain
Best News Graphics: Sky News (new ones)
Most improved in 2015: Sky News' May rebrand has made me watch the channel much more
TV Forumer of the Year: Bail
Overall Top of the Pops: Victoria Derbyshire herself, not the show.
CR
Critique
2015:
Best News Channel (Domestic): BBC News Channel
Best News Programme: BBC News at 10
Best Regional News Programme: BBC South Today
Best International News Channel: BBC World News

Best News Presenter (Domestic): Martine Croxall/Ranvir Singh
Best News Presenter (International): Martine Dennis
Best News Presenter (Regional): Sally Taylor
Best News Presenter (Newcomer): Ranvir Singh
Best News Presenter Overall: Sophie Raworth

Best Weather Presenter: Matt Taylor
Best Business Presenter: Tanya Beckett

Hard as Nails: Emily Maitlis
Most missed but not necessarily deceased: George Aligiah (although he is now slowly returning to our screens)
Biggest disappointment in 2015: Bradby at Ten/Victoria Derbyshire/BBC NC Schedule changes
Best News Music: ITV News
Best News Graphics: BBC News Channel
Most improved in 2015: BBC Singapore Studio
TV Forumer of the Year: pip2
Overall Top of the Pops: Alistair Stewart
GI
ginofish
Best News Channel (Domestic): Sky News
Best News Programme: ITV Evening News (since Mark Austin has returned)/ Newsday
Best Regional News Programme: BBC North West Tonight
Best International News Channel: Al Jazeera English

Best News Presenter (Domestic): Nina Hossain/ Anita McVeigh/Jayne Secker
Best News Presenter (International): Rico Hizon
Best News Presenter (Regional): Roger Johnson
Best News Presenter (Newcomer): Gamal Fahnbulleh (has established himself well as a newscaster this year)
Best News Presenter Overall: Huw Edwards/Mark Austin

Best Weather Presenter: Tomasz Schafernaker
Best Business Presenter: Steph McGovern

Hard as Nails: Fiona Bruce
Most missed but not necessarily deceased: Joey Jones (always an excellent commentator on the political scene), Daniela Ritorto, Nina Hossain appearing on Evening/News at Ten Bulletins, Tasmin Lucia Khan, Chris Roberts.
Biggest disappointment in 2015: BBC News Channel (a real deterioration)
Best News Music: ITV News
Best News Graphics: ITV News
Most improved in 2015: Charlene White/
Overall Top of the Pops: Huw Edwards/Mark Austin/Fiona Bruce
LJ
Live at five with Jeremy
Most missed: Sue Lloyd Roberts - one of the foremost investigative reporters I have ever seen. Her broadcasts left a mark and she fought for those without voices in her journalistic career. She is missed very much, we will not see her likes again.
Last edited by Live at five with Jeremy on 25 December 2015 5:29pm
NE
newswatcher101
Best News Channel (Domestic): Sky News

Best News Programme: Channel 4 News

Best Regional News Programme: ITV News London

Best International News Channel: CNN

Best News Presenter (Domestic): Mary Nightingale

Best News Presenter (International): Eamonn Holmes

Best News Presenter (Regional): Fred Dineage

Best News Presenter (Newcomer): Ben Bland

Best News Presenter Overall: George Alagiah

Best Weather Presenter: Alex Deakin

Best Business Presenter: Steph McGovern

Hard as Nails: Bill Turnbull

Most missed: Komla Dumor

Biggest disappointment in 2015: The Victoria Derbyshire programme

Best News Music: Good Morning Britain

Best News Graphics: ITV News

Most improved in 2015: Channel 4 News

Overall Top of the Pops: Alastair Stewart
JK
JK08
Best News Channel (Domestic): Sky News
Best News Programme: News at Ten
Best Regional News Programme: ITV News Calendar
Best International News Channel: CNN International

Best News Presenter (Domestic): Matt Barbet
Best News Presenter (International): Babita Sharma
Best News Presenter (Regional): Christine Talbot
Best News Presenter (Newcomer): Gamal Fahnbulleh
Best News Presenter Overall: Huw Edwards

Best Weather Presenter: Sian Williams
Best Business Presenter: Dharshini David

Hard as Nails: Alastair Stewart
Most missed but not necessarily deceased: Emma Crosby
Biggest disappointment in 2015: Good Morning Britain January changes
Best News Music: ITV Election Night Live
Best News Graphics: Sky News Decision Time
Most improved in 2015: Good Morning Britain, however there's still a way to go
Overall Top of the Pops: Mark Austin
IT
itsrobert Founding member
Best News Channel (Domestic): Sky News
Best News Programme: Channel 4 News
Best Regional News Programme: Granada Reports
Best International News Channel: BBC World News

Best News Presenter (Domestic): Alastair Stewart
Best News Presenter (International): Peter Dobbie
Best News Presenter (Regional): Lucy Meacock
Best News Presenter Overall: Alastair Stewart

Best Weather Presenter: Carol Kirkwood
Best Business Presenter: Rico Hizon

Hard as Nails: Lyse Doucet
Most missed but not necessarily deceased: John Suchet
Biggest disappointment in 2015: ITV News at Ten revamp
Best News Music: Channel 4 News
Best News Graphics: Channel 4 News
Most improved in 2015: Channel 4 News
Overall Top of the Pops: Alastair Stewart
SN
The SNT Three
Best News Channel (Domestic): BBC News when they're still in traditional rolling news mode. Sky News overall.
Best News Programme: Business Live
Best Regional News Programme: Couldn't say
Best International News Channel: DW TV

Best News Presenter (Domestic): Jane Hill
Best News Presenter (International): Hala Gorani
Best News Presenter (Regional): Couldn't say
Best News Presenter (Newcomer): Ben Thompson (I know he was around before, but presenting a show)
Best News Presenter Overall: Julie Etchingham

Best Weather Presenter: Schafernaker
Best Business Presenter: Simon Jack

Hard as Nails: Lyse Doucet
Most missed but not necessarily deceased: as a morning person, Komla Dumor and Carrie Gracie
Biggest disappointment in 2015: Sidelining Julie and Alastair from daily ITV News presenting
Best News Music: CNN International
Best News Graphics: ARD Tagesschau (Germany)/Sky News
Most improved in 2015: Piers Morgan... only find him 95% unbearable now...
Overall Top of the Pops: Andrew Neil
GM
GMc
Best News Channel (Domestic): Sky News
Best News Programme: ITV Evening News
Best Regional News Programme: STV News (West)
Best International News Channel: BBC World News

Best News Presenter (Domestic): Julie Etchingham
Best News Presenter (International): Daniela Ritorto
Best News Presenter (Regional): John MacKay
Best News Presenter Overall: Alastair Stewart

Best Weather Presenter: Tomasz Schafernaker
Best Business Presenter: Steph McGovern

Hard as Nails: Andrew Neil
Most missed but not necessarily deceased: Nina Hossain on ITV News primetime bulletins, Mark & Julie on News at Ten
Biggest disappointment in 2015: ITV News at Ten revamp
Best News Music: Al Jazeera/ITV Election Night Live
Best News Graphics: ITV News
Most improved in 2015: Charlene White
Overall Top of the Pops: Alastair Stewart
DA
DAN09690
Best News Channel (Domestic): Sky News
Best News Programme: Business Live
Best Regional News Programme: South Today
Best International News Channel: BBC World News

Best News Presenter (Domestic): Julie Etchingham
Best News Presenter (International): Laura Trevelyan / Ali Moore
Best News Presenter (Regional): Tom Hepworth
Best News Presenter (Newcomer): Alpa Patel
Best News Presenter Overall: Karin Giannone

Best Weather Presenter: Schafernaker
Best Business Presenter: Victoria Fritz

Hard as Nails:
Most missed but not necessarily deceased: Chris Eakin
Biggest disappointment in 2015: Victoria Derbyshire Programme
Most improved in 2015: Annita McVeigh
RN
Rolling News
Best News Channel (Domestic): BBC News Channel
Best News Programme: BBC News at Six
Best Regional News Programme: East Midlands Today
Best International News Channel: BBC World News

Best News Presenter (Domestic): Simon McCoy
Best News Presenter (International): Peter Dobbie
Best News Presenter (Regional): Maurice Flynn
Best News Presenter (Newcomer): Ben Bland
Best News Presenter Overall: Gavin Grey

Best Weather Presenter: Tomasz Schafernaker
Best Business Presenter: Ben Thompson

Hard as Nails: Gavin Esler
Most missed but not necessarily deceased: Chris Eakin
Biggest disappointment in 2015: Masses of cuts to the BBC News Channel rolling output
Most improved in 2015: Clive Myrie
RK
Rkolsen
Here are my picks with some insight as to why.


Best News Channel (Domestic): MSNBC (especially since they went with hard news during the day and kept opinion at night.)
Best News Programme: BBC World News America (international) / NBC Nightly News (broadcast) / The Rachel Maddow Show (cable)
Best Regional News Programme: WBAL-TV 11 News (they are highly polished, produced well, top rated, all the anchor teams have great chemistry, they get some great scoops, excel at breaking news coverage especially with the death of Freddie Gray, the subsequent riots and proceeding trial coverage.
Best International News Channel: BBC World News, which is kind of by default as it's the only international channel most US cable companies carry. If I didn't like their coverage I would put N/A. (Although I do like Sky News' Sunrise with Stephen Dixon and Gillian Joseph.)

Best News Presenter (Domestic): Lester Holt
Best News Presenter (International): Katty Kay & Adnan Nwaz
Best News Presenter (Regional): Donna Hamilton and Stan Stovall (anchors for WBAL from 5:00 - 6:30PM and 11:00 - 11:34 PM)
Best News Presenter (Newcomer): Jose Diaz-Balart (The flagship anchor of Noticiero Telemundo anchor who had a stint hosting CBS This Morning in the mid 90s but the show, like most CBS AM shows around that period flopped and he went back to Spanish newscasts. But in the past year NBC Universal News Group decided to have him host a week day news program on MSNBC and put him in the anchor pool for Saturday Nightly News all while continuing his nightly duties with Telemundo. So although he's a veteran newscaster I'd call him a relative newcomer for English language viewers.)
Best News Presenter Overall: Katty Kay and Lester Holt (especially how he handled the rocky transition with the Brian Williams saga.)

Best Weather Presenter: Locally, I like Tom Tasselmyer at WBAL-TV.
Best Business Presenter: Aaron Hesslehurst (I like his personality.)

Hard as Nails: Jayne Miller (WBAL-TV Investigative Reporter, who has been named the best of Baltimore but drew national attention to herself and reporting with the Freddie Gray case. There was controversy of her coverage because her partner was the prosecutor leading the investigation. I however believe she didn't get any heads up from her partner. As it would wreck her reputation as well as putting her partner's and the case in legal jeopardy. I personally believe she got all her scoops on her own as she has connections through out the area. She also was honored with the 2016 DuPont Award, which is considered the Pulitzer for broadcasting, for said case and coverage.)
Biggest disappointment in 2015: Brian Williams (I initially supported him when I thought he only screwed up one story regarding himself, a fish tale if you will, but as more things came to light I found it hard to support him.)
Most missed but not necessarily deceased: Brian Williams (Despite the above he's a damn good news anchor and performed his best during breaking news situations. Since he returned in September as breaking news anchor on MSNBC he has proved his chops and on his way to rehabilitation.)
Best News Music: The Mission commissioned by NBC News (love the Nightly News and Meet The Press themes and when you hear it outside those times you know something major happened.) It's also used by their news partner in Australia, Seven Network, which has some interesting updates.
Best News Graphics: For Baltimore I'd have to give it to WBAL-TV's Hearst Diagrid package (used at all Hearst TV stations in the US save for WMUR where the overall layouts the same but different backings/backgrounds) as it's the most versatile and polished in Baltimore. Internationally I like the Sky News rebrand.
Most improved in 2015: The World Today, by adding Adnan Nawaz
TV Forumer of the Year: deejay - for his clarifications to me.
Overall Top of the Pops: Lester Holt (again for how he handled the transition to his new role.)
Last edited by Rkolsen on 28 December 2015 10:35pm

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