II
I don't like vanity shots at all of any kind, I didn't like them in 2005, 2010 or with the glass box, and I didn't like the 2005 era either, I have said this on many posts. I thought from about 2010-2015 Sky News was spot on, and very good and had a good balance of what a News Channel should be about, it won a lot of awards during this time and did some genuinely ground-breaking coverage, backed up with a studio that was able to meet the needs and an excellent presenting team, if perhaps with two or three more presenters than it needed.
The trouble with the glass box is that it's trying to look flashy over content. Around the same time the glass box was brought in far too many good presenters were allowed to go (there was scope for some to go certainly, but not as many as did) and the sound quality is drastically worse. If they simply had the glass box and it had good sound and they still had an adequate presenter portfolio I'd be far less critical.
But they has essentially sacrificed staff numbers across many departments and not just presenters but also specialist reporters and general reporters and replaced them with talent, whilst promising, is being over-promoted before they are ready in a studio which has poorer sound and isn't cut out for certain types of program that is coming from it right now.
Often I flick on the news at six o'clock or five if it's a Friday where I sometimes finish early (rare) and if Kay Burley is not on all I often see appears to be essentially the old News, Sport Weather format for half an hour with the occasional interview that the presenter struggles through in an echo chamber and a boring monotone delivery that just makes me want to change the channel.
Essentially side from Sunrise, Sky News Tonight, and 9pm-12pm all of the other shifts can have anyone anchoring them on their own regardless of their suitability for the role. and the likes of Kimberley, Sam Naz etc frequently look out of their depth doing interviews and breaking news. Gamal and NIall are certainly two who I would say are accomplished enough to present alone over a number of shifts, but the rest are strictly "2nd in a two" overnight or weekend presenters at this point.
If you looked at Sky News a few years ago you'd never see people on key shifts stuttering and struggling their way through interviewsat 3pm and 5pm on a weekday, but now it's happening and it's far better to turn over to the other channels who have decided that studio investment should not be at the expense of the basics. Unfortunately Sky appear to have decided that a trophy is more important than the basics lately.
Sky News presentation - New studio onwards
I'm also pretty sure Sky used to do beauty shots of their old studios, especially when the 2005 relaunch happened. You had Kay walking up and down the stairs and wide pans and spinning desks while Eammon walked perilously towards it . On one hand, you have complaints that the glass box is dull, and then that the wide pan shots of the office/studio is gratuitous and self indulgent. And loads of broadcasters use a similar kind of shot, unfortunately that isn't a unique selling point for Sky News.
I'd go on record as saying that I actually find the old studio both at Osterley and Millbank to be quite distracting visually - too many bright colours, and also people do walk around there too, plus you have screens displaying various stuff. If anything, and I'm not advocating it, the glass box gives less room to hide for presenters and content.
I'd go on record as saying that I actually find the old studio both at Osterley and Millbank to be quite distracting visually - too many bright colours, and also people do walk around there too, plus you have screens displaying various stuff. If anything, and I'm not advocating it, the glass box gives less room to hide for presenters and content.
I don't like vanity shots at all of any kind, I didn't like them in 2005, 2010 or with the glass box, and I didn't like the 2005 era either, I have said this on many posts. I thought from about 2010-2015 Sky News was spot on, and very good and had a good balance of what a News Channel should be about, it won a lot of awards during this time and did some genuinely ground-breaking coverage, backed up with a studio that was able to meet the needs and an excellent presenting team, if perhaps with two or three more presenters than it needed.
The trouble with the glass box is that it's trying to look flashy over content. Around the same time the glass box was brought in far too many good presenters were allowed to go (there was scope for some to go certainly, but not as many as did) and the sound quality is drastically worse. If they simply had the glass box and it had good sound and they still had an adequate presenter portfolio I'd be far less critical.
But they has essentially sacrificed staff numbers across many departments and not just presenters but also specialist reporters and general reporters and replaced them with talent, whilst promising, is being over-promoted before they are ready in a studio which has poorer sound and isn't cut out for certain types of program that is coming from it right now.
Often I flick on the news at six o'clock or five if it's a Friday where I sometimes finish early (rare) and if Kay Burley is not on all I often see appears to be essentially the old News, Sport Weather format for half an hour with the occasional interview that the presenter struggles through in an echo chamber and a boring monotone delivery that just makes me want to change the channel.
Essentially side from Sunrise, Sky News Tonight, and 9pm-12pm all of the other shifts can have anyone anchoring them on their own regardless of their suitability for the role. and the likes of Kimberley, Sam Naz etc frequently look out of their depth doing interviews and breaking news. Gamal and NIall are certainly two who I would say are accomplished enough to present alone over a number of shifts, but the rest are strictly "2nd in a two" overnight or weekend presenters at this point.
If you looked at Sky News a few years ago you'd never see people on key shifts stuttering and struggling their way through interviewsat 3pm and 5pm on a weekday, but now it's happening and it's far better to turn over to the other channels who have decided that studio investment should not be at the expense of the basics. Unfortunately Sky appear to have decided that a trophy is more important than the basics lately.
Last edited by IrelandIsle on 25 February 2017 2:19pm
