Could ITN News Channel rise from the ashes?

Very true, but perhaps one can still affect the other? Especially as they are being redesigned in tandem, and along with regions. A more interesting visual certainly couldn't hurt - or could it? Is news now too much about presentation and not enough about journalism?

Thanks for stating the obvious, of course they want as many viewers as they can. But they can get by and survive with a much lower audience than the ITV News Channel.

Basic TV economics for beginners:
ITV NC is very costly to run and has only 1 source of income which is adverts.

Film Four, Prem Plus and MUTV are much much cheaper to run and have premium subscriptions to fund them. They don't care about BARB figures for 2 reasons - they don't rely on adverts and they also have much more reliable data to guage their audiences (i.e. they know exactly how many subscribers they have).

In terms of niche channels - some niche channels generate unique advertising targeting specialist demographic groups, and they can charge a premium for providing this audience

ITV NC has 2 disadvantages: firstly it relies on just advertising (commercials and sponsorship) - there is no other funding stream apart from the fairly shallow pockets of ITV. Secondly the viewership is fairly low and mainstream so they can't charge much for it

I know you're an expert in media statistics.... but the industry themselves rely much more on share.



Probably turning on for 1 package or a weather forecast!

Certainly can't disagree with people explaining the cash position.

But I do take exception with the view that it's rubbish and pointless.

The most bizarre aspect of the ITV NC is the sheer variability in quality at any given moment. 'Live with Alastair Stewart' is an absolute triumph, yet turn on at 9pm and there's some obscure regional presenter with no talent whatsoever.

I don't get to see daytime TV much, but LwAS was always a terrific watch. Top notch guests with some very skilled interviewing - with a surface friendliness which got answers much better than Paxman-induced defence. I remember particularly <rambles on> an edition on a day when the news was about some MOD cuts which were to be announced. From a series of guests (with AS actually listening, remembering and putting previous guests' points to current guests) he managed to get the news out about where the cuts were being made. Long before it was announced or before N24 or Sky got it.

Yes, I know, hardly a big news story. But the fact is that it was terrific viewing, and was journalistically doing something very different from Sky or N24.

Herein lines the problem. Terrific journalism, in what is widely accepted to be on the whole a superb programme.

But will it attract housewives at 10am? Nope. It might be fantastic quality TV but the people it would appeal to (i.e. me) are likely to be at work, leaving a potential audience of perhaps little more than intelligent students.

The amazing thing is that I should imagine LwAS is not a particularly expensive programme (aside from AS's fee). But despite being superb, it probably doesn't get the viewers.

What's my point? I'm not sure exactly. Perhaps to point out that the ITV NC is by no means universally crap. And also perhaps to point out that despite some excellent programmes, the thinking-out is a bit odd in terms of attracting viewers at certain times of the day,

Quite agree. The ITV NC has a strong morning schedule, but the afternoon and primetime is very weak, alot down to the constant rotation of presenters virtually every hour.

It's due to a number of factors, and not helped by switching studios in preparation for the 6.30 / 10.30 bulletins, but if they could build a more rigid schedule it would improve alot.

I guess another problem is the ITV NC has to fight it's ratings war on two fronts. While the BBC and Sky just worry about each other, ITV are trying to fight both. I'd suggest that Live with Alistair Stewart shows that when they produce a much better product when touching on the BBC's territory rather than Skys!

I most definitely agree about Live with AS being on at the wrong time, but on the flipside maybe this is the only slot Alistair wants to do. It's all very well saying it should be moved to primetime but we all forget that newsreaders have lives too. I personally would put the show on 2-5pm, where the channel is usually pretty weak IMHO. This is arguably when most news events occur, which Alistair excels at due to his *vast* knowledge of what seems like everything.

In fact (and I'm not a fan of people posting fantasy schedules but hey) I'd have it something like this:
7-10: Scott Chisholm and Lucy Alexander
10-12.30: Leyla Daybelge and John Nicholson
1.30: Sports programme, or UK Today type thing
2-5: Live with Alastair Stewart

Not really sure about the rest of the day, but definitely having the same pairings presenting for more than just an hour at a time.

They do seem to hate continuity though. You'd have to chop and change all afternoon...

Bare in mind that Alastair presents London Tonight at 6pm, so he would need time to prepare and reherse. Presumebly, that's one of the factors currently with him working the mornings, though it's very good viewing.

True - and to be honest I think it's more appropriate for the morning schedule before the afternoon agenda sets in. Primetime might work for him though, say between 8pm and 9.30pm.

Live with Alastair Stewart also works in its current time slot because it's when the rent-a-quotes and politicians are available. You simply wouldn't be able to get the same sorts of guests for an evening show.

Just flicking through the APFS website http://www.apfs-tv.com/ and though I'd been thinking about how the ITN News Channel would look if ITV hadn't taken it over, it's also interesting to think how it would have looked between 1983 and 2000 if it had launched 17 years earlier when first considered.

I think it's one for our mock experts to tackle!

Now the closure of the ITV News Channel is confirmed, I ask the question again - could this lead to the ITN News Channel being resurrected at some time in the future.


From reports it sounds like ITN do want to be in the 24-hr news business - but it's the cost that's the problem.

I'm thinking in the short term it's unlikely, but I think in a few years once we've gone fully digital I think ITN may have another go - especially if ITV ends it's contract with ITN.