ITV News

I know we all rate her highly round here, but Katie was never really the face of ITV News. Yes, she debutised on the main bulletins - but exactly that, debutised. After a short stint sharing the Evening News with Mary Nightingale back in 2002/3 she was sidelined to London Tonight - and they never even let her be the face of the Lunchtime News, with Alastair Stewart as much the face of it as Katie was. Then of course when Julie Etchingham came in she dropped even further down the pecking order.

Unfortunately as much of an asset as she was to ITV News I don't think they ever regarded her as one of their big names - and Nina Hossain certainly isn't either. Hence it's a shame ITV have gone for a name over someone like Andrea who they have spent a year or more developing her presence on screen.

ITV may be wondering if Mary is considering leaving in the next couple of years, not because of Julie but for a change, after all she has been there for 10 years now and won't progress any further. Personally I think she will, and to me Britain's Best Dish marked the start of her move into ITV daytime.

I feel they are pushing Julie not just as lead female anchor but lead anchor- even above Mark. They're just thinking of ITV News in the long term. Mark has been there for 25 years and Alastair has been there for 35 years, so clearly aren't the future of ITV News. ITV News losing 3 of its 4 main presenters in the next 10 years is a very realistic prospect.

Matt Teale, forgot about him too. He's been back to cover occasionally.

Once they have been dumped by Daybreak and knowing ITV do daft things it could be we have the evening news with Adrian & Christine!

So under your logic a trained journalist would quit a flagship primetime news show to host a cookery show just because she's been there a decade. I don't think so.

Unless Mary or Julie are poached I don't see either leaving any time soon, or Mark Austin either. Alastair may retire or be retired - but he's the only one I see leaving in the short to medium term.

However though of course ten years is a very long time - a decade ago Dermot Murnaghan seemed ITN through and through while Kirsty Young was seemingly at the beginning of a career at ITV having graduated from 5 News - although (and it's easy to say in hindsight) I'm not sure I'd have bet against Trevor McDonald, John Suchet and Nicholas Owen leaving ITV within the decade.

Its not about quitting the show to host a cookery show, female anchors just don't last as long as male anchors do. Whether thats a management decision or if the women in question would just rather move on I don't know, but Mary is one of the longest serving female anchors in ITV News history. Just because she has a good job doesn't necessarily mean she wants to stay there forever. Katie Derham, for example, has quit newsreading altogether to try other projects that are nowhere near as popular and the money probably isn't as good either. You can't forget that newsreaders are just ordinary people and may want a career change at some point even if it looks like a demotion. But I do think she'll be gone within 3-5 years with Alastair shortly after.

I'm not saying it will happen, certainly not in the next year or so anyway, but with the 3 presenters in the question aged 48-69 it is something ITV need to consider in the medium-long term which is probably why they're pushing Julie and hiring Natasha (although initially as a temp). Somehow I can't see Nina Hossain being the face of ITV News in 2020 in the same way that I could see Julie.

Hmm a rather odd signing, as echoed by many Andrea Benfield would have been a great signing to cover Nina's bulletins but with it not being very likely that she would be given the chance to present NaT then I doubt it would be very practible, plus the fact she presents Wales tonight.

What about Daisy, I thought she was meant to be beginning a new role of NaT reporting and more presenting, with Natasha taking Nina's shift I fail to see how she will fall into her new role.

I wouldn't be surprised if ITV simply wasn't lining up a replacement for Mary, over the past few weeks and months her role presenting seems to be decreasing, a sign that she wants a way out and bringing in Natasha would mean her taking over from her.

As regards to London Tonight I just simply cannot understand where the issue is regarding Ben Schotchbrook, arguably to LT viewers he is as big a face for the capital's viewers and much more liked than Natasha. Ben has been broadcasting in the capital for years and in some ways is a symbol for LT, he knows London and people know him. So why to my astonishment ITN employed people like Donal a few months ago rather than giving Ben the gig is beyond me. Matt Teale was an excellent newscaster too yet they got rid of him.

I think it's quite clear that ITN's intentions are to have Natasha as more than just maternity cover, it'll be interesting to see what those intentions are.

The ratings must be slumping if ITV/ITN have to go for a 'Celebrity' newsreader, and I use the term 'Celebrity' very loosely. I can't think of any other newsreader that's done nearly all of the terrestrial channel's that provide news, and I don't think she has been at Channel 4 yet.....

ITV have a vast range of excellent newsreaders within England & Wales, so I don't see why they have to spend the big bucks just to bring in someone that in all honesty isn't very good IMO.

My point exactly, the're is perfectly good talent at ITN and yet they are not utilising it, it's just like the signing of Donal Macintyre on London Tonight, absolutely no presenting skills what so ever yet set loose on London for 6 months because he was a big name.

Isn't it ITV who has signed Natasha Kaplinsky? I doubt she was the choice of ITN - if it had been left to them (as it should!) we probably would have had a predictable (but more preferable) situation of Andrea Benfield and Daisy McAndrew et al covering Nina's maternity leave.

ITV want "one ITV News"... and there is a lot of speculation about ITV growing desperate to incorporate ITN into ITV... but some distinction still appears to exist: I wouldn't be surprised if all the negative decisions lately (Natasha's appointment, more of a heavy focus on human interest) come from ITV's side, whereas the good decisions (e.g. the appointments of Richard Edgar and Laura Kuennsburg) are from within ITN. I could be wrong, though.

ITV must have deep pockets again if they can afford to splash out on Natasha Kaplinksy.

You never know after a few months ITV might go 'eeeeeeek, what have we done here?, and it could be all change again....

One can only assume that management simply don't rate him highly enough. I mean he was a national television correspondent (when ITN had the Five News contract) - but he was moved into local telly rather than given a job at ITV News when Sky took over the Five News contract. Therefore I assume management simply don't think he's that good.

I'm not saying I agree with them - but that seems to be the reality.