It would be good if they did a similar thing with the Lunchtime News and got Nick and Nina to present on the News Channel till 2.
After all, the management used to like to boast that the NC used big-name ITV1 presenters, but apart from simulcasts, Nick and Nina don't appear on the channel at all any more.
The problem is they've bumped most of them off after the War on Turrr.
Carol Barnes
Anne Leuchars
Angela Rippon (only recently though)
Actually it's no great surprise. With Mark set to also host the 10.30pm bulletin from later this year, it was obvious he'd no longer do the 3pm NC bulletin, but probably do something on the news channel between the Evening and Ten Thirty news.
I've always said that 7pm is a key time for the news channel - and either they should have it fronted by the 10.30pm host or have an ITV News Extra type programme - and it looks like they've kind of done both.
I'd package it slightly differently though so though it goes out live at 7pm, it can be repeated at 11pm.
As for the phone-in - fine, as long as they don't constantly plug it on the Evening News. The Pulse works OK on the Lunchtime News, but the morning news summaries on ITV1 have been ruined by half the bulletin being given over to the newsreader pleading for people to phone in!
P.S. Any more news on the (slim) possibility of the News Channel going regional? Every so often it is suggested it will, but then seems to be quickly forgotten.
Well, hopefully the introduction of Evening News Extra will also lead to a bit of a revamp of the News Channels' schedule, which is beginning to look a bit random once again!
Unfortunately they still don't have their own studio, but I think in the hour before the main bulletins they need to do something rather than just have a bulletin continue with a different presenter!
I've suggested this before, but I think, say in the hour before the Evening News, they should have the headlines at 5.30pm, then an extended weather report, then after the break a Sports bulletin at 5.45pm followed by a regular bulletin at 6pm.
It's not too different to what they do now, but by having a sports "bulletin" at 5.45pm there is a visible reason why the presenters changed!
Well, hopefully the introduction of Evening News Extra will also lead to a bit of a revamp of the News Channels' schedule, which is beginning to look a bit random once again!
Unfortunately they still don't have their own studio, but I think in the hour before the main bulletins they need to do something rather than just have a bulletin continue with a different presenter!
I've suggested this before, but I think, say in the hour before the Evening News, they should have the headlines at 5.30pm, then an extended weather report, then after the break a Sports bulletin at 5.45pm followed by a regular bulletin at 6pm.
It's not too different to what they do now, but by having a sports "bulletin" at 5.45pm there is a visible reason why the presenters changed!
That's a really good idea. Instead of the 6pm normal bulletin though, I think it would be good to have a UK Today type of programme to fill in the half hour, covering all the regional news stories as the other regions do their half hour bulletins.
Well, hopefully the introduction of Evening News Extra will also lead to a bit of a revamp of the News Channels' schedule, which is beginning to look a bit random once again!
Unfortunately they still don't have their own studio, but I think in the hour before the main bulletins they need to do something rather than just have a bulletin continue with a different presenter!
I've suggested this before, but I think, say in the hour before the Evening News, they should have the headlines at 5.30pm, then an extended weather report, then after the break a Sports bulletin at 5.45pm followed by a regular bulletin at 6pm.
It's not too different to what they do now, but by having a sports "bulletin" at 5.45pm there is a visible reason why the presenters changed!
That's a really good idea. Instead of the 6pm normal bulletin though, I think it would be good to have a UK Today type of programme to fill in the half hour, covering all the regional news stories as the other regions do their half hour bulletins.
A regional round up might not be too possible at 6pm though as the programmes only air then - but they could move ITV News Network to 10pm (with Sport at 9.45pm, following a Mark Austin fronted ITV News at Nine!).
Hopefully they'll incorporate some link to regional newsrooms in the Evening News Extra programme, as Mark and Mary used to do with "UK Today" in the 3pm hour.
And perhaps as well as this they could have a regular "Round the Regions" feature which would be a quick look at the top stories in the ITV regions (similar to how BBC Three look at news from around the world!).
Somehow i don't think we will see Mark and Mary present the programme together. At the end of today's lunchtime news they trailed Evening News Extra and said it would be with "Mary Nightingale on the itv News Channel at 7pm, and Mary will be joined by Mark Austin for the Evening News at 6.30 on itv 1."
Yep, it was just Mary Nightingale presenting the titles were pretty tacky, basically the main opening titles but extended with the words Evening News pasted on top and then EXTRA flying in ala Breaking News for Britain.
I've cut out the headline sequence as it was quite long. Also what was strange was there was no break between the end of the Evening News and the start of Extra, just a long ITN50 endcap!