ITV News

As a rule I don't go in for this obsessive commentary about certain female newsreaders. They're, on the whole, intelligent, talented journalists who should be judged on their ability rather than their looks.

But...by christ I fancy Faye Barker. She is gorgeous. I've always thought she was stunning, even when she used to read updates on Channel Five.

She's an okay newsreader too.

So it doesn't look like ITV News is going to report the results of the two Scottish by-elections until the Morning News at 5.30... So much for 'breaking news for Britain'.

Not an auspicious start to the channel's third birthday as the ITVNC - on 30 September 2002 John Suchet presented the first ITV-branded bulletin on the channel.

ALL of ITV's brand will be relaunched on Jan16 (with the exception of ITV 4 which launches in Novemeber as previously stated)[U]

Just to add to this ... shame they didn't simulcast the Scottish TV by-election special, which ran from midnight to 1.20am

Ah, didn't know Scottish TV has a special, if I had I probably would have watched it. I agree, it would have been an easy and almost cheap way for ITV NC to cover it. Although, to be fair, both News 24 and Sky News had lamentable coverage as well; usually News 24 puts some effort into special coverage for by-elections, but all they did this time was interrupt the paper review for the result. Sky also usually has a by-election special presented from Millbank, nothing like that this time. Quite pathetic really, especially considering that their was a slim possiblity of an upset judging by the final result (approx 2,500 majority).

An "ITN Evening News Clean Feed" frame, complete with clock popped up a number of times during a report on the Lunchtime News this afternoon.

I've got some of the 1st day on VHS which I was watching last night and it's so interesting to see how much things have changed, the Morning News was presented by Sharon Gray on this occassion, the main Top Story on the NC that day was about Michael Barrymore. It didn't feel like a News Channel then, there was nothing rolling about it, with only one presenter just repeating the same old same old.

So interesting to see how things have progressed on, a better set, better Presenters and better Editorial, even though they didn't cover the Scottish Election thing for the Morning News.

I don't know about that - i turn on the channel some weekdays and see one presenter reading an autocue, limited lives, and a near on unchanged running order.

After 1.30pm the only thing that's different on the channel from 18 months ago is the studio.

Indeed, I think that it's the inconsistency of the service that is its biggest weakness. With Sky News and News 24, you get a broadly consistent level of service throughout the day, but with ITV NC it varies enormously from hour to hour and day to day.

Shocking violence on the Evening News tonight...
http://www.dolben.demon.co.uk/newschannel/050930_markfelicity.jpg

Mark will probally recive an ASBO for that

That's weird. When I watched the EN this evening, I got a different camera angle at the end when I saw the head bopping. Why is this? The angle was much higher and got almost a full view of the studio with mark standing to the far left of the desk at the end (or right from his point of view).