Channel 4 news

Well it was supposed to be in a regular slot already anyway, and to be fair the Saturday edition has pretty much stayed around 6.30pm since it launched (10 years ago I think, when the bulletins relaunched in 1999 - or did it follow later).

Sunday has been less stable and in the last couple of years been slashed to 15 minutes most weeks, usually around 7.45pm. Looks like it's being fixed at 6.30pm though from this weekend.


Can others see that twitter blog - why can't channels just use their own bloody websites rather than falling for all this "social networking" nonsense!

So what do we think the new look at weekend will be like?
Wonder when it will hit our screens?

It seems to be protected, which is a silly thing for a twitter feed for a news programme. But then again, I'm increasingly of the opinion that twitter is a silly thing anyway.

They've been running a panel discussion with Krishnan during the latter parts of the programme this evening - it appears to be in one of the ITN virtual studios, rather than in the back corner of the C4 studio.

It's not the main news programme Twitter feed it's the one by the production team which was always unofficial. Not sure why they've bothered to protect it now though they have more than enough people following.

I didn't see the segment in question but it was probably the old virtual studio used by the ITV News Channel and before that the ITV News pre-2004. I think it was also more recently used for recording Julie's touch screen sequences for NaT before they were dropped.

Hooray! So, it is not just me who thinks this.

Does anybody know anymore details about this new look C4 News at the weekend?

Well no changes for tonight's bulletin then.

Krishnan's now on Twitter
http://twitter.com/krishgm

Kirshnan Guru-Murphy now on Twitter.

http://twitter.com/krishgm

RTL offers to set up an Independent editorial board for C4 and Five - MediaGuardian

This article is more about Five really, but it's interesting to hear that if Channel 4 and Five do merge at some point, they would introduce a second nightly Channel 4 News at about Midnight and a new weekend politics show.

Also says that Five would plan to scrap Five News At 7, which isn't at all surprising.

I don't see the point in wasting resources on a midnight bulletin - protecting the 7pm and noon bulletins is far more important. If they really wanted an extra bulletin, 7am would be a better idea.

As for a weekend politics show - depends how they approach it. "Weekend politics show" sounds incredibly dull when put like that, but if done well, and differently, it could be an idea - although personally I'd rather they say extended C4 News on a Friday or Sunday to an hour, with the second half-hour being politically focuses - kind of like Newsnight Review, but for politics rather than culture.

I do worry though if RTL got their hands on C4 they might be tempted to strip anything of commercial value of C4 to have for themselves on Five, over emphasise the PSB element of C4 and then sell it on in a few years when the economy recovers, as it inevitably will, whether in 2-3 years or 10-20 years.