New look five news at 7

Adam Boulton just been on Five News at 7. Not sure I've seen him on Five before - normally Sky keep him to themselves

Looks like Five News at 7's days are numbered:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/feb/09/dawn-airey-channel-five-channel-4-rtl

See also
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/feb/09/interview-dawn-airey

"There are also some radical plans for Five's news output, produced by Sky News, which will see daytime and weekend updates ditched, although Airey insists there will be more news not less. Five's second, half-hour weekday bulletin, currently scheduled at 7pm, will be moved to 6.30pm and extended to an hour, but it will have a very different feel, a mixture of "news, talk and entertainment" that Airey has dubbed "Five and Friends", comparing it with Fox News's successful current affairs show Fox & Friends in the US.

"It's up for debate who will present it," she says, although presumably Natasha Kaplinsky, Five's star newsreader, about to return from maternity leave, could have a role. "We are reducing our bulletins where the audience is de minimis" - insignificant, for those who don't speak Latin - "and we're reinvesting that time and money into primetime."

Hasn't Five News at 7 seen it's audience increase quite dramatically since Kaplinsky went on maternity?

It does make sense though them moving to 6.30pm, even if it's up against ITV and the BBC regional news, as since Family Affairs ended it's only been a filler slot with nothing of real value there though. A shame though the updates are ending - that is what defined Five News in the early days, and IMO as the updates have got less frequent, the quality of Five News has deteriorated.

I thought it was the 5 o'clock bulletin that had been getting bigger audiences recently.

The updates certainly are less frequent. Last Wednesday there was only an 8 o'clock one

Will miss Five News at 7. Nice to have a bit more of a 'fun' bulletin, while still getting the serious news. Hopefully the replacement will be just as good or better

With regards to the daytime/weekend bulletinsits not clear if they are totally going - see http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/feb/09/interview-dawn-airey

Or severely reduced - see http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/feb/09/dawn-airey-channel-five-channel-4-rtl

Scrap most is obviously different to ditched. I hope they keep the weekend bulletins. Its seems very half hearted not broadcast some news at all some days. A weekend bulletin could be done fairly cheaply, with all Sky reports and maybe even a Sky presenter

While not to everyone's tastes, I think Five's positive news agenda makes it distinctive and a very welcome part of the range of different styles of news we have in the UK. Five News is my favourite news for these reasons. And yet it always covers serious stories, in depth if required

One final though - reductions or even axing daytimes bulletins could put Kate Gerbeau out of a job

I'd of thought that was a coincidence, seeing as they've relaunched the 7 program and given it a relatively new format with a completely different audience target.

Sounds interesting though if they've changed their plans over Five News as a whole, seeing as it wasn't too long ago they had a full relaunch of the bulletins and changed what they represented and reported on, with a lighter feel to it, so it does seem like they're not sure it's worked or aren't happy with it.

I don't think the tone will change. This new Five and Friends programme seems like it will be 'relaxed' and informal. And there are no plans to change the flagship 5 o'clock bulletin it would seem

Saw this posted in the weather thread. Apparently 10 reporters will be axed from five. Will they have any dedicated reporters left if this is true or does the figure include 'behind the scenes' staff as well as on screen reporters?

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=990185

The latest BARB figures show an audience for the 5pm programme of 1.3 million on 8th Feb (when London had heavy snow). Is that Five News's biggest every audience?

The Tuesdays and Friday bulletin where also in Five's top 10 that week, both with over a million viewers

Has the 5pm bulletin been rebranded as Five News with Natasha Kaplinsky since she returned, or have they left it as plain old Five News?

It's back to Five News with Natasha Kaplinsky.

Now Natasha is back Matt will become under used like Kate and Helen.