The Newsroom

Hour-long Lunchtime News - should it go after the election?

(May 2005)

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BR
Brekkie
Do you think the hour-long Lunchtime News has been an improvement - or do you think that once the Election is out of the way it should return to 30 minutes.

It's difficult to judge - obviously over the last few weeks the election has dominated the programmes, but I certainly feel that it's a case of the programme being twice as long with half the news! Half of the news summaries on ITV1 during This Morning (which were short to begin with) are now taken up with a promo for Ballot Box Jury.

Ratings have fallen since the relaunch - though it's worth noting overall news ratings have fallen since the Election was called.

I'm not one who usually calls for revamps to be undone - but I'd much rather see the Lunchtime News cut back to it's 30 minutes of fast-paced national, international and regional news than continue in it's padded out format - and there is no need for two presenters.

The ITV Day schedule should then be something like this:
12.30 ITV Lunchtime News / Regional News
1.00 Loose Women
2.00 Perserverance
2.30 Mums on Strike
3.15 Regional News
3.25 CITV
LU
Luke
when they've put time, money, publicity, and changed the schedules for it? Give over.
JA
jay Founding member
Luke posted:
when they've put time, money, publicity, and changed the schedules for it? Give over.


It is crap though, is it not?
JE
Jez Founding member
Why would they drop the 1 hour lunchtime news? Give it a chance its been on less than a month - also I prefer a longer regional bulletin at lunchtime rather than one at around 3pm as well.
IT
I T V 1
Brekkie Boy posted:
Do you think the hour-long Lunchtime News has been an improvement - or do you think that once the Election is out of the way it should return to 30 minutes.

It's difficult to judge - obviously over the last few weeks the election has dominated the programmes, but I certainly feel that it's a case of the programme being twice as long with half the news! Half of the news summaries on ITV1 during This Morning (which were short to begin with) are now taken up with a promo for Ballot Box Jury.

Ratings have fallen since the relaunch - though it's worth noting overall news ratings have fallen since the Election was called.

I'm not one who usually calls for revamps to be undone - but I'd much rather see the Lunchtime News cut back to it's 30 minutes of fast-paced national, international and regional news than continue in it's padded out format - and there is no need for two presenters.

The ITV Day schedule should then be something like this:
12.30 ITV Lunchtime News / Regional News
1.00 Loose Women
2.00 Perserverance
2.30 Mums on Strike
3.15 Regional News
3.25 CITV


Absolutley agree. I prefer a fast paced 30 minute news programme, than a programme that drags on for an whole hour. Its dragging on now, and its in the middle of election, dont know what they are going to do on a slow news day after the election. The new graphics are also terrible! Also, I have watched Central News lunchtime a few times, and it features two feature reports, which is not news but dravel.
NW
nwtv2003
Give the show more time, let it develop after the Election, as there will be no Ballot Box Jury and hopefully they'll have the old desk back and let's see how it will be like how they originally intended it to be, as it's just odd that they launch the hour long Lunchtime News through an Election campaign.

If it fails I would take it back to 30 minutes, but give the Lunchtime News it's own 30 minutes, then the Regional News at 1.00pm, so they can have a 45 minute slot at 1.15pm, as ITV Day have got comissioned 45 minute programmes.

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