ITV News

Have to say I was very impressed with Sky's coverage at 6pm this evening. Not sure who filed their report but it was a 6-7 minute package that really let the pictures do most of the talking. Far more considered and measured approach than anything I saw on the network bulletins throughout the day (BBC/ITV).

Have to say I was very impressed with Sky's coverage at 6pm this evening. Not sure who filed their report but it was a 6-7 minute package that really let the pictures do most of the talking. Far more considered and measured approach than anything I saw on the network bulletins throughout the day (BBC/ITV).

Ian Squires promoted to operations and current affairs controller at ITV NewsCurrent ITV regions and current affairs controller will report to Mike Jermey, director of news, current affairs and sport

Ian Squires is being promoted to controller of operations and current affairs as part of a management restructuring at ITV News.

Squires, currently ITV regions and current affairs controller, will report to Mike Jermey, director of news, current affairs and sport.

The restructuring follows Friday's announcement that ITV News editor-in-chief David Mannion is stepping down. Mannion is taking a strategy role advising ITN chief executive John Hardie and is not being directly replaced. ITN produces ITV's national news bulletins.

ITV has also hired Sky News head of digital Julian March for the newly created job of head of digital media, ITV News & Sport.

Other changes to encourage more integration at ITV News include the abolition of the three regional news director posts and morning show Daybreak being brought more directly in to the management structure.

In future heads of news in each regional newsroom will report to Guy Phillips, director of ITV news group projects, who is taking on the role of editor, ITV regional news.

Two of the regional news directors are staying with ITV. Mike Blair, director of ITV Wales, Granada and Central, is becoming editor, current affairs; and director of ITV Anglia, Yorkshire, Tyne Tees and Border, Neil Thompson, is taking up a project-based role as managing editor of the ITV News "transformation programme".

The third regional director, Mark Southgate, who oversees ITV Meridian, London, West & West Country, will leave the broadcaster at the end of April.

Meanwhile, Daybreak head of news Alan Rook is joining the ITV News management team. In addition to working for Daybreak's editor Ian Rumsey, Rook will report to Squires.

In a letter outlining all the changes to staff, Jermey said: "We'll be holding regular meetings with the Daybreak news team to discuss the output and to begin the process of developing a more closely co-operative model across the whole of ITV News."

Daybreak has struggled to win more viewers than its predecessor GMTV and last week ITV admitted it has "not performed as well as we had hoped".

"Following David Mannion's decision to step down as editor-in-chief, Deborah Turness and Jonathan Munro in the network newsroom at ITN will both become key members of the new leadership team," Jermey said.

"It's the beginning of a transformation process within News and will be directed by a new team within ITV Broadcasting which I will lead. The team includes Ian Squires, Deborah Turness, Jonathan Munro, Guy Phillips, Julian March, Neil Thompson, Robin Elias, Alan Rook, Lesley Everett, Paul Stevenson, Oonagh Forster and Hazel Mitchell.

"It will meet on a weekly basis and between meetings will work on a number of work streams aimed at reinvigorating all our programmes and working methods."

Jermey said he will soon be visiting all newsrooms, in Daybreak, ITN, and in the regions.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/mar/15/ian-squires-itv-news

The news review, which is a key part of ITV's five-year Transformation Plan, is making good progress and although it is not yet complete there are some initial conclusions that we are able to announce today.
http://www.journalism.co.uk/news/itv-scraps-three-regional-director-posts-in-management-restructure/s2/a543215/

Deborah Turness will remain editor of ITV network news and will also oversee ITV's national and international coverage, provided by ITN, working closely with Jonathan Munro, deputy editor and director of newsgathering for ITV News.

I'd forgotten how good a correspondent James Mates is - he's been outstanding in Tokyo and seems far more comfortable than in the news studio.

BTW, has Julie done any reports for the programme in Tokyo in the way Mark usually does when he is on location.

James is great at both, IMO. Just a pity we don't see more of him.

The ITV News awards are taking place today.