5 News

No sorry I was just watching for the news but then she said at the end .

I watched on Friday and remembered she was leaving and thought that would have been the time for her to leave and had forgotten to watch this week as FIVE News at 5pm was continuing this week.

EDIT: Seems Natasha has soon been wiped from the FIVE News website, didn't take them long

I think Matt is an excellent choice as main presenter and providing that Desmound does not tamper with the format Five will remain just as strong.

Hardly. Matt's almost certainly presenting because Sky aren't going to shell out for a new presenter with only months to go on the contract.

I reckon LFSF presenters will end up presenting Five News at 7pm, LFSF then removed with Matt presenting just 5pm

Not sure I'd class Jayne Middlemiss as a newsreader, personally.

I'm actually curious as to what direction Mr Desmond will take the news on Channel 5. There have been rumours of showbiz fluff, but I reckon he might try and make something serious given his nice sounding plans for the channel as a whole. He seems to want Channel 5 to become a hybrid between what it was originally and the 'mainstream' channels 1 to 4.

Say what you like about his newspapers, but he's got plenty of journalists on his payroll who could probably put something credible together.

Haven't they tried that already (except the fact it was Natasha presenting the 5pm news rather than Matt)? Wasn't it Desmond who brought the 7pm back as it wasn't working?



I'm not sure Sky shelling out for a new presenter comes into it. How much of it is Sky's decision? It was Channel 5 that paid a million pounds for Natasha (or however much it was) wasn't it? So if Channel 5 want a new presenter it would be more thier decision wouldn't it (it seems to have been in the past anyway)? I'm sure if it was left up to the provider (be it Sky, ITN or someone else) they'd opt for the cheapest as long as they provide the news, rather than shelling out a £1million on one presenter.

You could argue Channel 5 would probably want to relaunch the news with a new presenter and provider at the same time (if they end the contract with Sky) seeing as they tend to relaunch when a new presenter comes along, or new provider, the one time it's happened, and thefore they need to sort out if Sky are keeping the contract first before deciding whether they need to draft in a new presenter.

That was basically my argument, just not made clearly. Given that Sky have acknowleged in an internal email (since published) that Five are looking to end the contract early, it's not about to hire a new presenter (not necessarily someone as high profile as Kaplinsky, but anyone as an interim presenter) when the existing team can make do.

Anyone else think any future FN relaunch could see a Sian Welby-type figure taking over?

Weather will have helped, but Five News at 5pm has been rating very well this week. 1.3 million on Mon and 1.0 million on Wed, as posted on digital spy forums

I'm not sure either what direction that Mr Desmound will take with Five News. I think he's got a range of options he could do an 'In house' production but where would they have the studio and the Newsroom would it be in Five HQ or some other place?. I think if he did this he could cater for a variety or Audiences he has more serious papers such as the Sunday express and entertainment commissions such as OK magazine. You can have your various criticisms of his papers however there are a lot of established Journalists and he could take over some of the current team to make his new news programming So he could well have a range of programming to do with News/Magazine he could even have breakfast programming.
I think if the contract with sky only goes on for another year then I think he will continue it whilst he sets up his news service. I think if he does continue with sky then I think he would want more of an editorial decision on content.

As in regards to the on-screen approach I think that it is possible to mix looks with experience I mean take someone Like Andrea Benefiled yes not exactly a household name (unless you are in Wales) but she’s presented region and national based programme worked on GMTV fronted political programming for Wales. And she is attractive. Same goes for Emily Maitlis and although You would probably say she would not leave when she’s got a serious chance of being one of BBC’s Lead Newsreaders in future years so have a range of people such as Ben Brown , Jane Hill etc. I would like to See Matt Stay and I think despite the fact he may be there because with the contract coming to an end it is also tactically good Matt has been on just as much if not more than Natasha so regular five viewers know and like him and if he does not continue with five I could see him quickly being snapped up.

I doubt Desmond will take Five News in-house. Despite having a news gathering operation, he'll go for whoever can provide the contract at a cheaper price, probably ITN who have an excellent showbiz news gathering operation.

Remember that Desmond also has most of the on screen presenters/correspondents on the payroll, Matt and co may work at Sky Centre, but it's Channel 5/Northern and Shell who pay their wages and this would continue with the new provider.

However, it'll be down to the budget, the news editor and Richard Desmond on who stays, goes and is brought in.

The latter brought in weather presenter Sian Welby after seeing her model for his New! magazine.

I gave up reading here.