The Newsroom

Dermot Murnaghan defects to Sky News

(October 2007)

This site closed in March 2021 and is now a read-only archive
BR
Brekkie
NewsUpdate posted:
I do love the holier than thou attitude of some members on here, ask yourself this, aside from not getting promotion, if you worked somewhere where you COULD lose your job and another company offered you another job, you would do whats best for you and your family.
BBC won't be showing any loyalty to staff members when they make these job cuts so why should the presenters?



Exactly!


Dermot's time on Breakfast was obviously coming to a close (considering Bill seems to do it most days), and his biggest chance of getting a flagship bulletin went when George got the 6pm news.

The move to Sky basically allows him to nudge back into more serious news broadcasting - and get a three hour lie in too! He was never going to go back to ITV and fight Mark Austin for the top job - out of the terrestrials C4 was probably most likely but Krishnan Guru Murphy is firmly installed as the number two there - and there is no sign of Jon Snow going anywhere!


And I'm sure with some presenters there is a case of falling on their own swords so people lower down the ranks have a better chance of keeping their jobs.


I wonder though how many of the people questioning Dermot's loyalty were just a few months ago saying the BBC should keep Moira Stewart to host one five-minute summary a week.
BR
breakingnews
He's a welcome addition to Sky News IMO. Far more welcome than Eamon Holmes. This must mean existng Sky News presenters will lose out and must be let go. Alan King and Martin Popplewell come to mind.
JO
Joshua
Would have been nice to say goodbye to Eamonn and have Dermot on Sunrise. However, if he will be presenting with Julie, I can see a nice relasionship.
TW
Tom W
According to TV Newsroom, Julie will be leaving Sky at the end of the year
MA
mansoor
Newsroom posted:
mizzb posted:
I meant the style of the departure , compared to the hype of when they started noggin.

Your loyalty to them is very touching considering they havn't shown any.


LOL!

Oh come on, he had no option really did he? There is no promotion for him in News, and after 5 years of Breakfast, it is long overdue. Look at Sophie, Natasha, they were all given promotions. With the cutbacks etc, and changes ahead, I for one would be looking out for number one.


I remember when he joined the BBC in 2002, many said he will only be on breakfast for afew years before joining the ten or six but it never happened. You can't blame the beeb for not giving him a promotion because there was no where for him to go. Huw and Fiona are doing the ten, with no plans for them to leave for a very long while yet. There is no full time job on six too apart from Fridays.
IS
Inspector Sands
Newsroom posted:

Yeah fair comment, though it does leave the BBC rather high and dry with 'star' presenters. I'd never have thought Murnaghan would leave for Sky. One wonders whether he will be taken off air with immediate effect the same was Natasha was?


News doesn't need 'star' presenters. and losing a couple of their best known names will encourage them to find some new on-screen talent from within. There are loads of regional presenters and minor presenters who could be promoted.... and they'd be cheaper
IS
Inspector Sands
mizzb posted:
I meant the style of the departure , compared to the hype of when they started noggin.

Your loyalty to them is very touching considering they havn't shown any.


When colleagues of yours leave for another company, is that the attitude you take? Or do you offer them your congratualations and best wishes for the future?

A few colleagues of mine are leaving for rival broadcasters at the moment, no-one shows them any bad will, in fact we're all very pleased for them. That's the way things work, everyone is looking for a way up through their career.
NE
Newsroom
Sure, and in that case -you can't blame him for wanting to leave. I don't forsee him going anywhere else after Sky News.

Why is Etchingham leaving?
IS
Inspector Sands
Newsroom posted:
Sure, and in that case -you can't blame him for wanting to leave. I don't forsee him going anywhere else after Sky News.


Why not? assuming he is still competant he could move on anywhere when he's had enough of Sky - CNN, Al Jazeera, back to ITN or the BBC.
IS
Inspector Sands
Just noticed that the first post on this thread was at 8:50am. So the announcement must have been made while he was on air. I wonder if all of the production team working on Breakfast at teh time knew?
LO
looknorth
Brekkie Boy posted:
NewsUpdate posted:
I do love the holier than thou attitude of some members on here, ask yourself this, aside from not getting promotion, if you worked somewhere where you COULD lose your job and another company offered you another job, you would do whats best for you and your family.
BBC won't be showing any loyalty to staff members when they make these job cuts so why should the presenters?



Exactly!


Dermot's time on Breakfast was obviously coming to a close (considering Bill seems to do it most days), and his biggest chance of getting a flagship bulletin went when George got the 6pm news.

The move to Sky basically allows him to nudge back into more serious news broadcasting - and get a three hour lie in too! He was never going to go back to ITV and fight Mark Austin for the top job - out of the terrestrials C4 was probably most likely but Krishnan Guru Murphy is firmly installed as the number two there - and there is no sign of Jon Snow going anywhere!


And I'm sure with some presenters there is a case of falling on their own swords so people lower down the ranks have a better chance of keeping their jobs.


I wonder though how many of the people questioning Dermot's loyalty were just a few months ago saying the BBC should keep Moira Stewart to host one five-minute summary a week.


she accually presented 5, 3 on sunday and the saturday nights--she wasnt a waist of space like your saying.
TV
TVN
At least this paves the way for the Sian and Bill breakfast, at long last.

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