'Mark Austin to replace Trevor McDonald' says Sunday Times

this is NOOOS i have been dreading! There is loads more better presenters like Alistair Stuart, Angela Rippon and even Nicholas Owen on ITV and they have to the most boring, un-bothered, and self-obsessed presenter!
Boring, well you know why, no feeling in what he says

un-bothered, becouse i have noticed when he isnt speaking a few times he looks up to the ceiling and looks away and doesnt interact with the presenters as much. Nina, Mary, Nick, Alistair, Angela are much better!

self-obsessed, becouse he is always at his blazer just when he turns around and when that is done, he starts to finally do his job. and always streaching across the desk! ARRAGH!

like honestly, they were lucky to get Angela back, and then Alistair left ITN, moved to LNN and now is back at ITN, which means they were again lucky. And even he has some experience with the News At Ten, and he pronounces things right!
Nick Owen, is just a great presenter IMO. Brings some form of life to the programe and interacts with the viewers and is really relaxed when interviewing people

not a great choice by ITN

I do rate Mark Austin - although think he's much better in the field. His Iraq war and tsunami coverage was really excellent.

It would be great to see Alastair do more mainstream stuff, but he's been tainted by London Tonight, and I think he's just lost that little something he had all those years ago when he was originally at ITN. But having said that, his coverage of elections is fantastic - maybe he's one of the old school that is well suited to rolling news...and certainly isn't stuffy. (Compare to someone like Peter Sissons!!)

But it's a bit of a dilemma. Can't really think of any good reporters that would deserve the promotion. Having said that Mark Austin wasn't considered a great presenter a few years ago. He's certainly improved.

Where's Dennis Tuhoy and Phil Roman when you need them?

How about Mark Webster or John Draper for the Evening News?

Or Phil Gayle?

Could it be possible they might make evening news single-presenter again? as they're bringing back a double-presenter lunchtime slot?

Doubt it, not when its doing well in the ratings, they wont want to mess around with the formula. And if it was who would present it?? Mary Nightingale (She's never there!)
I hope that when Mark Austin goes on the 10.30 they dont have him standing up for half the programme. They way they have it now helps to set the three bulletins apart.

And he may not even be on nationally if SMG get what they want and end up with a scottish 10.30

I prefer a solo - anchored programme, and I think the ITV Evening News might be better with just one anchor ie. Mary Nightingale. But I find it highly unlikely they would alter the programmes format once again, considering it is doing fairly well just now.

Anyway, ITN say that the 10.30 is the flagship programme, and I know the late news on both the BBC and ITV has always been referred to as the flagship programmmes. But clearly the Six and the Evening News get more viewers than the Ten and 10.30; and they are better resourced. The Evening News is clearly more in - depth than the shorter, so - called flagship 10.30 news. So if the Evening News went solo, surely whoever presenter that would more or less have the top job. Say Mary did the 6.30 and Mark the 10.30, the 6.30 is clearly going to perform better than the latter.

Your wrong about the Six and Ten, moreoften than not the Ten now beats the Six in ratings.

As for single anchor -no, I doubt it.

I dont agree, the Six is consistent and all 5 programmes are in the BBC's top 30 each week, with the Ten thats not the case, it may occasionally pull in a large number but its influenced by its lead in where as the Six has a fixed lead-in in the form of Neighbours and its ratings are therefore pretty consistent.

OK, fair enough. But it is clear that, that is not the situation for ITV News, the 6.30 does a whole lot better than the 10.30. I don't see why they cannot have it as their flagship bulletin.

To all intents and purposes the 6.30 IS ITV's flagship bulletin.

They just don't call it that explicitly because they are in the slightly anomalous position of having their best-known and most trusted presenter on another bulletin.

By your argument, Mark Austin is getting a demotion.

That's certainly one way of looking at it. I wonder whether or not the move to 10.30 will involve a pay rise?

The facts remains that a) the 10.30 is not as well resourced as the 6.30 and b) fewer people will see Mark in his 10.30 role than watch him on the Evening News.

On the other hand there is a certain cachet to being the face of the late-night bulletin, and to being Trevor's successor.