Sir Trevor McDonald retires from ITN

I think you're being slightly melodramatic there.

Sure, the bosses of ITV clearly have no interest in ITN or news - it doesn't bring in money, doesn't keep their shareholders happy, etc etc. Their handling is certainly under question.

But I think the product ITV News produces, considering its very limited budget in comparison, is very good. It is consistently more watchable, IMHO, than the BBC News at 10, it takes the trouble to explain to viewers exactly what is going on with complicated stories (the EU rebate being a good example), the reporters are always told to make the story relate to the viewer, and it's a more pleasing watch. Is making news relavant to the viewer dumbing down?

They have also produced a series of good stories, even some exclusives like the London bombing report. OK, I wish that, when they got them, they would stop crowing about it forever, but you can't deny they're doing a good job with what they've got. Even the head of Sky admits they're doing well.

Sure, there could be more international news, and the bulletin could be longer, but again, ITN are working within the framework set by ITV there.

I certainly don't think, at the moment, that it should be in any way abandon ship time. The staff at ITN are doing a very good job given the difficult circumstances they find themselves in.

He spent his final day in the newsroom answering a flood of emails and calls from well-wishers, posing for photos with floor managers and signing autographs for colleagues.

ITV top brass and his long-term chief writer came in especially to work on his final show. The programme ran normally and smoothly, which is what he had said he wanted.
[snip]
Then it was the traditional Sir Trevor sign-off - "And that's the way it looks tonight" - with the briefest of thank-yous for all the good-will messages.

Upstairs in the newsroom, around 60 ITN managers and colleagues, plus Simon Shaps, the new director of television at ITV, cheered as Sir Trevor came up from the studio for the last time, before champagne and Kettle Chips were passed around.

Here it is again. It's nice to hear the old theme, but strange hearing it with "modern" graphics!

Ta for posting that..
What looks a little odd is the camera pulling in at the end, with the lights going down - when I think I'd expect it to pull out instead.

I would've loved it if Trevor had lost it big-time at the end of the bulletin and let rip into ITV for ****ing news about on ITV and generally crapping all over ITN. It's well known he was very miffed about News at Ten going - and didn't like the removal of the ITN brand. Although what with him continuing to present Tonight I accept it would be unlikely.

Yeah, that was presumably the director giving us one last look at Trevor.

It was a great signoff and end to the programme last night. Short and succinct and the use of the 1992-1999 News at Ten closing theme was excellent. A really nice touch.

He's a funny one old Sir Trev. Practically no one in the industry rated him as a newsreader - and people at ITN thought he was a bit wooden - but the public loved him. Fundamentally proves that people running news no nothing.

Here is the News At 10.30 in Full
http://upload3.putfile.com/videos/34913035925.wmv