Mark Austin to host both 6.30pm and 10.30pm bulletins

It was widely agreed Mark Austin was the natural successor to Sir Trevor McDonald who quits later this year, but it was also agree that he worked well on the Evening News - which pulls in twice the number of viewers.

So ITV have come up with a pretty obvious solution - he'll present both!

http://media.guardian.co.uk/broadcast/story/0,7493,1505934,00.html

I know how you hate general threads - but this was mentioned in the ITV News thread...

And the article appears to have no basis, seeing as there has been no confirmation of this by ITN.

Given this has been reported by a major and quite reputable source, I think it's worth highlighting for those of us who aren't fascinated by ITV News Channel presenter rotas.

Exactly!

It does seem EXTREMELY likely though, as it fits in TOTALLY with ITV policy.

Why pay TWO newsreader's salaries when you can get away with paying only ONE?

I find it at bit unfair the rumours Mark Austin gets the two most important news bulletins of the day. There is loads of other newscasters who can take over. Say Mark goes over to 10.30, Andrew Harvey, Mark Webster, Tim Ewart etc. can provide cover on the 12.30 or the 6.30.

What is your fascination with Mark Webster?

I'd like to see Alastair Stewart become a main face again - he has been great on the Lunchtime News the past fortnight or so.

Mark Webster is one of the worst newsreaders I have ever seen. He stumbled through the script, amde unnecessary pauses everywhere, and a had a constant expression of fear in his eyes. He also lacks the ability to ad lib and move away from whats written on the autocue eg As soon as the titles played on the Morning News, he began reading the first story without any welcome or introduction as to who he was. Truely awful.

But a great reporter, nonetheless. Hasn't he left ITV News?

I thought he was only reporting for them now?

John

Perhaps the 10.30 will be more in depth now then, what with presumably more use of the newswall and less wooden anchoring...

this thread may have been posted too early; this has, to my knowledge not been confirmed in any way by ITN, it's just assumption.

Well, a thread on the new BBC weather graphics appeared about 18 months before their screen debut, so I'm probably late if anything!!!