ITV London Tonight

So now it's a couple of months into the single anchor format - what's everyones thoughts?

I'm finding my LT almost unwatchable since it became single headed and am consideing switching to the BBC tbh. I don't know what it is really, the seem to be doing even more pointless stories than they usuallly did. The single anchor format is just dull I think, ok for a weekend bulletin like it always has been but for a 30 mins bulletin it just is a drag. The interaction used to be great between all the previous anchors, apart from ay Robin there's just none now.People may say it's a news bulletin, but a bit of light hearted banter makes a show IMO. BBC London can just about get away with having one anchor because they have more stories of substance, LT even more full of "fluff" just can't IMO.

All the single headed format has done is shown how weak Nina Hossain is as a solo presenter. Ben and Charlene have adapted to the format well, but as per usual it's the weak copy that goes out which shows up the programme for being cheap and sharing resources with other parts of ITV News.

The only positive is they do seem to have more of a serious agenda, but even the worst BBC London News bulletin is still streets ahead of a 30 minute bulletin on ITV.

Tonight on London Tonight during Glen Goodman's report regarding driver-less trains they had a graphic which showed how much london underground workers got payed. The image on that graphic was one of a train that was bombed at Aldagte during 7th July terrorist attacks in London. The image featured a picture of a Circle line train with investigation equipment after the attack
http://www.southparknewsnow.net/USERIMAGES/LULT.PNG
The image on London Tonight Graphic
http://video.news.sky.com/sky-news/content/StaticFile/jpg/2010/Oct/Week4/15774075.jpg
The image of the train just after the attack

I am not sure what everybody else thinks but I do think it is irresponsible and insensitive to show the image of this tube train that was involved in 7/7 for a completely unrelated story.

I suppose there've literally just searched for trains from wherever they get their images from and pciked the 1st image or whatever without checking - A bit insensitive maybe , but just human error really.

Carelessness imo...another problem I found with tonight's programme, on the subject of driver-less trains Ben was asking for viewers opinions on driver-less trains, he asked "did you know your train had no driver". If im correct the trains have got drivers at this moment in time, its Boris ided to have no drivers.#

Rant over

All London Underground trains have "Train Operators" which is the official term for drivers. The Victoria and Central Line have automatic train control, but still have train op's.

God has London Tonight turned into Real Crime or something tonight, I hate it when they do these exclusive special reports about things from 10 years ago, along with ominous music over most of the reports . Fair enough have a documentary about it - like Tonight, but it shouldn't take over the majority of the main 6pm bulletin.

Along with the ridicolously giant and ugly "ITV NEWS LONDON TONIGHT EXCLUSIVE" for some of the report/s.

Also then after 20 minutes on LT, it's virtually the same, albeit condensed report as the lead stort on the ITV News @ 6:30.

In fairness it must beat Look North's (NE&C) fifteen minutes of BBC-commissioned "Tyne and Wear Metro: The musical". Urgh.

I see what you mean - report appeared on the News at Ten. God-awful gradients, film-effect, useless fades-to-black... absolutely awful. The reporter seems to think she's as big as the story as well. "...and I tracked her down" and all that crap.

So as seen in the ITV News thread Nina Hossain is pregnant again, I imagine Ben will take the covering duties which will probably mean the use of more cover presenters like Charlene. But it's interesting to see that Sally Biddulph was used to cover Ben Scotchbrook absence from the programme yesterday. Could we see more of Sally when Nina goes off on leave?

We had to endure Coventry Market: The Musical not so long back...

Rather than moaning about that image here, why not drop them a line?

londontonight@itv.com

I'm sure if you explained why you were both shocked and (even if not true) upset by it, they'd change it if it is used again.

It'll probably be Ben for Nina and Charlene for Ben. Sally was excellent though and should cover for Nina and Ben more often.