Iran hostages to be freed!

The Iraninan President according to the news channels has announced the 15 British sailors will be freed as a "gift to Britain".


Just wondering, have there been any terrestrial news reports with the announcement?

ITV1 had a breaking news report during Midsomer Murders, i don't think BBC1 did.

What about C4 and C5?

Who brought the report on ITV? What time did the news break?

Alastair Stewart broke the news at around 2.30 on ITV1.

Did News 24 even simulcast on the BBC - wasn't on around 3pm when I found out about it.


Considering this is arguably the biggest "breaking news" story of the year so far, it's rather worrying the terrestrials have virtually chosen to ignore it. If ever there was a time for ITV to kick their "Breaking News" teams into operation, surely this was it!


I guess it all kind of feeds back to what we've known for ages - news organisations thrive on the bad news, not the good!

Instead of interupting programmes, as they dont like doing that - why not stick up a breaking ticker like some other countries do?

It's mid-afternoon - reruns of Midsomer Murders and Murder She Wrote aren't what I'd call programmes!


Tickers are even more annoying though - if your interested in the news they don't give you enough info, while if you're not it's just on screen junk.

I remember alot during the 90's usually during Neighbours before the 6pm news graphics were used for newsflashes etc. - with the picture reduced in size slightly then text appearing at the bottom, usually advising you to tune in at 6pm,

HTV News covered this at 6pm and featured some new footage and a live interview with one of the Welsh families.

BBC Wales Today started at 6:30pm where it was all a bit shaky.
Matthew Roberts was live on a road somewhere and another guy was live from Port Eynon - but ,so far, no-one has actually got around to interviewing anyone.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y6/owan/TV%20Forum/bbcwalestoday040407b.jpg

I don't know where they got this guy from but he was dreadful. His last line was,"...worst ordeal of my life.....glad when it's over." He seemed more interested in talking about the weather and the great view than the story!

ITV News has only just gone to 'other news' now at 18:44 - not bad for them!

CNN International were taking ITV's Evening News to 1844. Occassional straps popped up telling the viewer they were watching "Coverage from Britain's ITN"

Yes, I remember them taking a full one hour ITV News lunchtime bulletin on July 22nd 2005 after the attempted bombings.

Admittedly only dipped in and out of the coverage on Sky and the BBC, but Julian Manyon seems to have come up with the goods again for ITV News - only a couple of brief interviews, but he seems more present in the situation than his BBC/Sky rivals.