The Newsroom

ITV News

General day to day goings-ons (August 2004)

This site closed in March 2021 and is now a read-only archive
AN
Andrew Founding member
Londoner posted:

Embarassed I'm ashamed to say that I did compile a list at one point, with a view to a pres website I was thinking of setting up.

Here's an updated version with ITVNC presenters since the Feb 04 relaunch - currently stands at 50 !.

Have I missed anyone?

Nina Hossain for one.

Might as well include Trevor McDonald as well as technically he's on the ITV News Channel 3 or 4 times a week at 10.30pm!
FA
fanboy
Londoner posted:

Have I missed anyone?

Nina Hossain?
LO
Londoner
Steve Scott is chairing this morning's 'Live with...'
TW
Time Warp
Londoner posted:
Steve Scott is chairing this morning's 'Live with...'


Is Alastair back with Katie again?? Where's Nick?
YO
yogibarney
I think Alistair is good a presenting the live with strand but would rather see Steve Scott doing the lunchtime bulletin. Steve can be wasted sometimes when they put ridiculous people presenting bulletins.
Speaking of which what a laugh it was to watch Chris Ship reading the morning news. He was ok presenting but his voice doesn't fit that of a newsreader.
Has anyone ever noticed that his head looks rather large for his body makes him appear about 6foot4
BN
Breakfast News
MG reporting that Mark Austin is to present both the Evening News, and News at 10.30 when Trev leaves, but of course no one would confirm it.
LU
Luke
There doesn't seem to be much basis for the story does there? I must say I'd be surprised if he did end up doing both bulletins on a long term basis
MA
Matrix
For those who don't have access to Media Guardian....

MediaGuardianArticle posted:
Mark Austin's role as one of the key faces of ITV has been confirmed with the news that he is to anchor both ITV's evening bulletins when Sir Trevor McDonald steps down this autumn.
Austin is due to front the 10.30pm bulletin and continue to co-host the 6.30pm show with ITV's golden girl, Mary Nightingale.

The news came as it emerged Sir Trevor has yet to sign a deal with ITV to continue to front current affairs on the network.

The changes will mean a busy schedule and, presumably, a large pay rise, for the suave Austin, who impressed viewers with his coverage of the Asian tsunami.

As former Asia correspondent, he was dispatched to cover the disaster earlier this year.

ITV bosses faced a conundrum when deciding what to do to replace outgoing "national treasure" Sir Trevor after he announced last year he was stepping down.

Austin is popular with viewers of the 6.30pm bulletin, as is Ms Nightingale. ITV was keen to keep them both on the early evening news, which gets higher ratings than the 10.30pm slot.

However, the late-night news is important to ITV symbolically and politically. It is still considered to be a plum role and the gap left by Sir Trevor needed to be filled by someone with gravitas.

Although the BBC's Huw Edwards expressed interest in a move and Katie Derham also had her name in the frame, ITV wanted to keep the job in-house.

So it is understood ITV has decided that from this autumn Austin will front both bulletins.

A spokesman for Austin said: "Nothing has been confirmed. I can't comment on speculation."

Although Sir Trevor's successor is expected to be named as Austin, a question still hangs over the veteran newsman's future at Network Centre.

He has been offered a deal to continue presenting ITV's flagship current affairs show Tonight With Trevor McDonald. Another 92 episodes are planned and he has been offered other topical programmes and interviews.

An ITV spokesman said: "Tonight is set to be recommissioned. [ITV arts, current affairs and religion controller] Dominic Crossley-Holland has said he hopes and expects Trevor to continue to present Tonight and is discussing other projects with him too.

"We will be making an announcement regarding the 10.30pm bulletin in the near future."

But it is well known Sir Trevor would like his own chat show. Rumours have once again been circulating that Sky is keen to snap him up.

One source said: "Trevor is the highest-paid anchor on TV at the moment. Obviously his pay packet will drop when he steps down from the news. He would like to make that up elsewhere with other shows."
BN
Breakfast News
time_warp posted:
Londoner posted:
Steve Scott is chairing this morning's 'Live with...'


Is Alastair back with Katie again?? Where's Nick?


Indeed, Alastair was on all last week, plus some of the previous week.

Alastair seems much more competant on the new dual - anchored lunchtime news, than Nick.
TW
Time Warp
Breakfast News posted:
time_warp posted:
Londoner posted:
Steve Scott is chairing this morning's 'Live with...'


Is Alastair back with Katie again?? Where's Nick?


Indeed, Alastair was on all last week, plus some of the previous week.

Alastair seems much more competant on the new dual - anchored lunchtime news, than Nick.


...but where is Nick?

Matrix posted:
For those who don't have access to Media Guardian....

MediaGuardianArticle posted:
Mark Austin's role as one of the key faces of ITV has been confirmed with the news that he is to anchor both ITV's evening bulletins when Sir Trevor McDonald steps down this autumn.
Austin is due to front the 10.30pm bulletin and continue to co-host the 6.30pm show with ITV's golden girl, Mary Nightingale.

The news came as it emerged Sir Trevor has yet to sign a deal with ITV to continue to front current affairs on the network.

The changes will mean a busy schedule and, presumably, a large pay rise, for the suave Austin, who impressed viewers with his coverage of the Asian tsunami.

As former Asia correspondent, he was dispatched to cover the disaster earlier this year.

ITV bosses faced a conundrum when deciding what to do to replace outgoing "national treasure" Sir Trevor after he announced last year he was stepping down.

Austin is popular with viewers of the 6.30pm bulletin, as is Ms Nightingale. ITV was keen to keep them both on the early evening news, which gets higher ratings than the 10.30pm slot.

However, the late-night news is important to ITV symbolically and politically. It is still considered to be a plum role and the gap left by Sir Trevor needed to be filled by someone with gravitas.

Although the BBC's Huw Edwards expressed interest in a move and Katie Derham also had her name in the frame, ITV wanted to keep the job in-house.

So it is understood ITV has decided that from this autumn Austin will front both bulletins.

A spokesman for Austin said: "Nothing has been confirmed. I can't comment on speculation."

Although Sir Trevor's successor is expected to be named as Austin, a question still hangs over the veteran newsman's future at Network Centre.

He has been offered a deal to continue presenting ITV's flagship current affairs show Tonight With Trevor McDonald. Another 92 episodes are planned and he has been offered other topical programmes and interviews.

An ITV spokesman said: "Tonight is set to be recommissioned. [ITV arts, current affairs and religion controller] Dominic Crossley-Holland has said he hopes and expects Trevor to continue to present Tonight and is discussing other projects with him too.

"We will be making an announcement regarding the 10.30pm bulletin in the near future."

But it is well known Sir Trevor would like his own chat show. Rumours have once again been circulating that Sky is keen to snap him up.

One source said: "Trevor is the highest-paid anchor on TV at the moment. Obviously his pay packet will drop when he steps down from the news. He would like to make that up elsewhere with other shows."


As pointed out in bold, this article seems to have contradicted itself somewhat. However, this Austin for 10:30 news is not surprising. Something that is however, is the fact that he will present both bulletins. I think this concept would break-down after a while and he would just do the 10:30. I can also see Mary coming and going - my prediction for anchors of the 6:30 in a years time are Steve Scott & Nina Hossain.

Whilst on the subject, any articles/news regarding the date of Mary's return?
LU
Luke
time_warp posted:
...but where is Nick?


I'm gonna go out on a limb here and guess that he's on holiday.
BE
benjy
MediaGuardian Article posted:
Although the BBC's Huw Edwards expressed interest in a move...ITV wanted to keep the job in-house.


I'm quite surprised by that! I thought Huw Edwards seems very happy with his current top slot at BBC News - surely it's more prestigious than ITV's News at 10.30? It gets more viewers, anyway. Or perhaps he was just hoping to fill the shoes of the highest-paid broadcaster in British TV News.

I couldn't imagine him at ITV, though, he's such a BBC face. He also seems to be gradually taking over David Dimbleby's duties. I wouldn't have thought he'd want to give all that up and go to ITV.

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