Channel 4 News

Does anyone know for how long the very first Channel 4 News theme was used for? I know it changed to Alan Hawkshaw's "Best Endeavours" fairly quickly, but when did the change actually happen?

This article just says (rather unhelpfully) 1982. Check out the first video, though!

Yes, some say 1982; others say 1983. There's a video of a Christmas 1982 bulletin on TV Ark which uses the first theme. Part of me thinks it would be unusual to change theme tunes during the Christmas period, so my best assumption is 1983, but I wish I could find out when!

I'm really not surprised that they changed the music though - that first theme is hideous. Best Endeavours was much better and has stood the test of time for the better part of three decades. There aren't many news themes you can say that about.

It was relaunched from the first Monday in February 1983, with the new music, Peter Sissons behind a desk with somewhat better (and non beige) graphics, and 'Channel Four Comment' now as a separate programme at 7.50, before the weather.

By the way, Paul Coia (the first announcer, with his first script) appeared briefly on tonight's programme. He must be 56/57 now, but doesn't look 30 years older (just a bit wider, lol).

Thanks, Gav! That's always been the best thing about TV Forum: you can ask the most obscure question you can think of and someone will always be able to provide you with the answer!

So that first theme tune didn't last long at all - just about 3 months. I doubt that theme would have endured as long as Best Endeavours has.

52 according to his Wikipedia page...

That can't be right, a 20 year old having a chat show on STV in 1980 ?

Other internet sites give his birth year as 1955, or 1957, which are more believable

http://uk.imdb.com/name/nm0169984/

When he left Channel 4 in June 1983, he was 27. He is 56 or 57.

It was 1981, actually.

This has his age as 55 meaning he was born in 1957.

Quite a thrilling exclusive on Plebgate tonight! The grainy CCTV footage, the phone interview with someone who desperately didn't want to be interviewed and Michael Crick speaking far more loudly than is really necessary. It was like watching a news story unfold from the Girl With the Dragon Tattoo trilogy!

Just watched it online. Investigative journalism at its best. I just hope everything Crick said in his report turns out to be true because there could be severe repercussions if some assumptions made are untrue. The report was very pro-Mitchell but the police do have serious questions to answer.

Im sure all correspondents and political editors are very jealous of Michael Crick tonight.

Does anyone know when C4 News is going HD as ITV News is now HD studio-wise (with some domestic report footage also in native HD). I'd have thought C4 News would go first before ITV News as C4 used to more pro-active with new technology but ITV have also invested heavily in HD. Is C5 News in HD yet?