Mark Austin to host both 6.30pm and 10.30pm bulletins

that's a good point

But in all fairness, I was told there were launching about 12 months earlier than they did....

In relation to Mark Austin, to my knowledge, ITN are yet to confirm the move, but if MG are reporting it then its likly to happen.

I think yes, it is almost certain that Mark will do the 10.30, but I feel that it is unrealistic to say that he will do both bulletins. If this is the case, as I have said before, I do not believe that the system will remain for long, and after a while they will get a permanent 6.30 replacement alongside Mary or Nina, like Steve, Bill or perhaps even Mary and Nina.

Is this not just a cloaked admission by ITV that they actually have no high profile newsreaders whatsoever, and they are now paying the price for years of cut backs and underinvestment in news?

Surely not.

The most obvious replacement for Mark on the 6.30 would be Steve Scott - but I think cat's theory proves this - he is a nobody.

I'd never thought about the idea of having both Mary and Nina, but thats quite a good idea, that way they could both remain on the Evening News.

It's true... there is nobody.

The BBC and Sky have spent the past few years stealing each other's presenters, occasionally dipping into the ITV pool. All the while, ITV have sat back and done sod all, watching newsreader after newsreader retire, get pregnant, or leave, and doing nothing to combat the problem.

Fifteen or even ten years ago there would've been a mass competition within the ranks at ITN to bag the late evening news bulletin (when people actually watched it), but today they have to go scrabbling around and the best they can do is find someone who already does the news (or nooz, as Austin might say) at an earlier time as well.

It's a real shame for ITV, and a real tragedy for viewers, especially as Mark Austin is dire. Couple to that the problem that by the time Sky and the Beeb move into their new news centres, ITV's studio will be about as technologically advanced as a postage stamp at a PC World, and the postage stamp will probably be better value for money.

A studio revamp and a new graphics package don't make a programme necessarily more technically advanced.

You think so? I happen to think he is a very good anchor - much better than Mr. wood man himself, McDonald. I think he is miles better than a lot of BBC anchors as well...

yes but he is a legend! i remeber the football on five days

I think doing something to stop employees getting pregnant is probably illegal!


I do think the biggest mistake ITV made in recent years was losing Kirsty Young. She'd be superb for the 10.30 programme.

You are joking right? Kirsty Young has to be one of the most overrated newsreaders around at the moment.