News at Ten - Weeknights on ITV1

OK I don't get it. News at Ten is slicker, easier to watch, and (dare I say) journalistically superior to its BBC equivalent. So why is it still getting this hammering in the ratings?

People i guess just stick to what they know. I think it will take many years before they fully re-establish themselves with the viewers. I hear that NBC Nightly News took nearly 18years or so before it became top. (Although i dont think thats fair comparison is it?)

I think however good News at Ten is, its down to ignorance. If people watch the 10 O' Clock News all the time, why will they want to switch over? They would rather stick to what they know.

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I think however good News at Ten is, its down to ignorance. If people watch the 10 O' Clock News all the time, why will they want to switch over? They would rather stick to what they know.



I think it's going to take a lot of time. The real question is whether ITV will think long term enough to give it time. Putting it on 5 nights a week would certainly help in changing long-extablished viewing habits.
I don't think Trevor's presence is necessarily helping - not because he's good or bad, but because it feels temporary for as long as he's around. Let's get the permanent team in place asap and let the whole thing start settling down.
Sould it be Mark and Julie? ITV have clearly indicated some doubts about Mark by getting Trevor back. And I think Mary has looked terrific in the News at Ten chair this week. It really seems to suit her.

I think one of the main issues is that ITV News - and by extension News at Ten - is no longer a strong quality brand associated with News, and it hasn't been for a couple of years now. Ditching the ITV News Channel can't have helped - though financially was a very sensible move no doubt.

ITV is no longer a channel widely associated by people with serious news. The BBC News brand is much stronger - as it is consistent across 24 hour channels, BBC One, the bbc.co.uk website, BBC radio etc., and even ties in to regional news. People just watch a BBC News outlet when they want news.

Sky also have a strong news brand - though it is particularly associated with their 24 hour channel - and far less so with their Five News output (which is understandably not Sky branded)

I think ITV having moved around their lunchtime and evening news bulletins, and having shunted regional news around in various ways, have weakened their core news brand. Interestingly the Early Evening news - which has been fiddled with less - is probably the best performing by a long way, against stiff competition in the 1800-1900 news hour.

The News at Ten brand is no longer what it was - and watching Sir Trevor is like looking back in time. Nice for nostalgia - but they both feel really dated - in a slick and modern way.

Sir Trevor is a national institution - but I find him as a newsreader increasingly mannered and it just doesn't sound like he has written what he is reading. Other newsreaders may not write everything they read - but they do make it SOUND as though they have. (Some write or re-write everything...)

I think changing the brand from ITN to "ITV News" in 1999 was the most disastrous move. It replaced a known and trusted brand with something associated with fluff and Blind Date . News at Ten now has a strengthening independent brand, and I think if ITV keep it going for a few more years it will equal, if not surpass the Ten in ratings.

I wouldn't totally agree with that. Initially of course ITV News wasn't as strong a brand as "ITN", but over it's first five years or so, especially following the Iraq War and 2004 relaunch, "ITV News" itself became a very strong brand with a very clear identity, and some pretty reputable journalism - though of course not without it's faults.

In the last year or two the brand has suffered. It began with the closure of the news channel and wasn't helped by moving the Lunchtime News and leaving the Weekend News as an after thought. Ironically probably the only programme to go from strength to strength during this time was the 10.30pm bulletin - but once news of News at Ten's return broke, all that effort was wasted.


ITN on the other hand has probably benefited from distancing itself slightly from the ITV output. Any criticism of ITV News is seemingly offset by praise for Channel 4 News, while the company has arguably diversified more into new media areas than both Sky News and the BBC. I'm sure in hindsight they probably wish they could have kept on to their 24 hour news channel, but in most other areas of providing news ITN is as important as ever.

these are all just your personal dislikes really. there is no evidence to show that the 'brand' has suffered by moving the weekend and lunchtime bulletins around.

I don't think changing from ITN News to ITV News was a disastrous move. Casual viewers wouldn't notice the difference 'except one letter' and would still continue to watch regardless of the name.

Indeed, some people still refer to the 'ITN News'.

But I don't think it's just the letter that matters. The logo was pretty iconic and was used everywhere on graphics and on the opening and closing titles from the 70's up until around 2000 as they still kept the ITN logo on the graphics when they first rebranded as ITV News.

That's why I think the ITN brand was so strong.

Well, can't say for certain but I'm sure ratings for bulletins at 4.30pm and 11.45pm on Saturdays would provide the evidence required, and again on Sundays where the 6.40pm bulletin, previously the highest rated of the week, has lost it's slot.


I don't know about Lunchtime to be honest - how do ratings compare at 1.30pm to the 12.30-1.30pm edition, and the 12.30-1pm edition which aired before that?


My opinion though is the ITV Weekend News is far weaker now than it was up to about 2 years ago. It used to have an identity and reputation almost as strong as the flagship weekday bulletins - but now it feels like ITV don't particularly care about providing a decent weekend news service.