ITN Early Evening News

Only being 6 years old at the time, I've long wondered when exactly the Early Evening News launched. There's a video clip of the first edition with John Suchet on TV Ark (http://www2.tv-ark.org.uk/news/itvnews/evening.html). I've managed to date the video of the News at 5:40 as featured on TV Whirl (http://www.tvwhirl.co.uk/tvwhirl.php?file=tesnews/itn540news1992.mp4) to 7 January 1992 and according to Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ITV_News_at_6:30) the EEN had launched "by March 1992". However, does anyone have anything more specific than that? Would really appreciate the help!

If you look down the Wiki article and apply the usual reliability concerns/issues with it, it specifically states that the Early Evening News at 5:40pm was the replacement for the previous bulletins at 5:45pm which started in September 1976. The now 6:30pm bulletin was the replacement for the previous news bulletin at 5:40pm.

That's not quite right, Neil. The News at 5:45 moved to 5:40pm in 1989 due to the introduction of the ITV National Weather and it suitably became known as the "News at 5:40". The programme was relaunched as the Early Evening News (still at 5:40pm) some time in 1992, which eventually became the Evening News at 6:30pm in 1999, where it has remained ever since.

My query is when the EEN actually started - some websites say it began in 1991 which I'm almost certain is false. Taking Wikipedia as true (dangerous, I know), the EEN had launched by March 1992 - but what date/month exactly is what I'd like to know. I'm hoping someone who was suitably old enough and/or has a good knowledge of the period can provide me with a more accurate answer.

Additionally, did the Weekend News move to the ITN atrium and start using the new EEN music at the same time or was there a delay? Did the 1987/88 look/music carry on for a while longer?

On the basis of the lead story briefly mentioned on the TV Ark clip, a possible date for the first ITN Early Evening News bulletin is Monday 9th March 1992 - there were all-party talks held on that day with a favourable response. The trail for the launch of the Early Evening News states it began on a Monday.

Also, John Suchet's reference to "the Election" strongly suggests the clip is from 1992; if it was 1991, it's most likely the reference would be to "next year's Election". The latest that clip can come from is early April 1992 , as Peter Brooke was replaced by Sir Patrick Mayhew as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland following the post-election Cabinet reshuffle.

The first ITV National Weather forecast - and hence the time shift of the start time of ITN's early evening bulletin from 5.45pm to 5.40pm - was on Monday 13th February 1989 ; there's a clip of the first forecast and Julia Somerville mentioning the revised start times on a certain mailing list spin-off website which I shouldn't - and won't - link to here.

The weekend news, and from the looks of it, night time bulletins, moved from the CSO set used from November/December 1987 onwards to the atrium as soon as ITN began producing bulletins at Grays' Inn Road and definitely by the start of the Gulf War in mid-January 1991 .

The late 1987 jingle, introduced at the same time as the move to the CSO set mentioned above, was still being used in February 1992 on weekend bulletins and in early October 1992 on night-time bulletins.

Weekend news bulletins began using the EEN music and graphics package by late September 1992 a few months before the change of the ITN logo that November along with the revamped News at Ten. I suspect ITN kept the night time bulletin titles (first seen in February 1988 when the ITN overnight service launched) up until the logo change - and at the same time, swapped the overnight bulletin jingle to what was used on daytime summaries until 1995 - the edit-down of the News at 12.30 jingle first used in July 1987 !

Hope that helps, Rob, and I've not lost too many people there...

Thanks for that great, informative post Col!

Monday, 02 March, 1992 according to subscription site Guardian Digital Archive.

Blimey, Col. You have a great memory!!

Before reading your post, I would have guessed that 1991 was the year of the launch. However, your posts seems to correctly suggest 1992 as being more than likely correct. And even more blimey - Sue Carpenter! Where is she now?

For what it's worth, I thought that the atrium-housed bulletins were quite radical and inventive at the time. Liked it.

She was the voice of Gillette World Sport - and may still be if it's still happening!

I think you mean Trans World Sport...

Come to think of it, didn't it launch on exactly the same day as the "revamped" News at Ten, when NaT moved to single-headed anchor for the first time ever? (Trevor, I think).

If my assumption is correct, perhaps tracking down the start date of the new News at Ten will be easier to pinpoint on the public domain?

Col! Thank you so much - your knowledge is astounding. I'm so glad I posed the question now

James - I too really like the atrium bulletins. As I recall, News at Ten also came from the atrium for a while. That said, I do have a soft spot for the News at 5:40; even though it looked like it came from a nuclear bunker, the whole graphics and music package was brilliant. I really miss this era of ITN news - between ITN and the fantastic BBC "virtual era" there are some great memories of being a kid at this time.

Not quite, James. The "new" News at Ten format came into effect some time in November 1992 when the ITN logo changed from blue and gold to blue and white. I'm fairly sure the old NAT format persisted until this time.