Sky News | General Discussion

I think this was one of the best eras of SkyNews. I dont think it was over the top at all IMO. It was fast paced and it got your attention. I dont think the delivery was tabloid. And to say the action in a real live working newsroom as "chickens with their heads cut off" during a historic major story is overly critical. I certainly wouldnt say they did it to add anything or make it tabloid. They are doing their jobs to get the story on air fast. SkyNews was never a funeral presentation like the BBC or other channels. It young, energetic and fresh. At the time it seemed like they covered every breaking story, smoothly and calmly and with care. Now its just a funeral and drudgery to watch. The sleepy and apologetic coverage of breaking news is unfortunate. The full coverage of that story was a great example of what the channel was capable of when they were driven and desired to be different from BBC and ITV.

Sorry but that era was awful, I'm not saying that the current one is good, one is extremely over the top and the other one is too dull.

They needed to scale it back after 2005 and I believe they found the right balance in 2011/2012 but they kept scaling back when they really should have stopped and we're left with the current dullness.

Yes, I hated the look pre the 2005 revamp. I do like the simplicity of the current look (though rarely watch) but do agree it's far from inspiring - I've never been a fan of the web page/app sequence in any guise really.

I really wish there was a new look in the pipeline! The current package is enough to send you into a coma... How hard can it be to find a middle ground between the graphics bursting through your screen a la 2005 and the bland mess we have now.... I completely agree with other posters on here regarding the studios! Neither have the versatility of Sky News Cente and I still feel losing that was a huge loss to the channel! The virtual studio in particular is totally unbearable to watch! All out politics (discounting Adam) and Sky News tonight are now the best shows to watch as we get that old Sky News feel from the Westminster studio

Do you think that we might be lucky on 5th February? I don´t know why they eventually didn't launch a new look. Was it because of the switch to the new automated system? Due to the extensive Brexit coverage, the Comcast deal? Or maybe a combination of all? I also remember a post back in September when the new shows launched which also said that they were working on a new look lunchtime live, which then also didn't launch.

I think it may also have something to do with the fact the channel’s future was in doubt not long ago. When 21CF buying Sky was still a possibility, people thought Sky News would have to be split off or even closed down, as due to Fox News in the US the regulator had obvious doubts in Fox’s ability to produce balanced news. If the channel was at risk of being sold or closed, there was obviously no point in rebranding.

I really hope so, it seems like we’ve been waiting ages and I’m sure I remember that a new look was due to launch but then never materialised? The whites are just too minimalistic to me and I wish they’d do something to make things look a little more professional! I mean the virtual studio looks like a regional newsroom... I’m sure that’s not the look they are going for! Also, I note the blue lights on Mark Austin’s News Hour which made the glass box look more interesting have now reverted back to the standard red! Also, is anyone on here technically able enough to create a mock on what they’d like the graphics to be? Would be really interested to see some ideas as some of the BBC mocks I’ve seen over in the gallery have been excellent

Exactly it is a pity they didn't stick to the blue lights during the news hour. They harmonized quite well with the orange lighting in the box. Now it is just too much beige and red. When the sunlight is not strong outside especially during the press preview the walls of sky central look beige/greenish which is quite disgusting. When the glassbox launched this was not as bad. Probably different camera settings now.

I do think the TOTH now is a bit tame and doesn't come across as authoritative at all but then again I'm not sure you need the whole 2005 situation either. I think they got the approach right around 2010/2011 - grabbed the attention and sounded authoritative and all about the news and had 'the voice of god' which is messed. The clip below is a great example:


I don't actually mind the glass box given the way they mix up the presentation for it with the strands like Kay's show or the Newshour and the content is actually probably better than it was a few years in my opinion (it felt rather stale, at least to me' back around 2014).
That said it does lack the energy it had before the move to the Sky News Centre and I don't think they run with breaking news/are prepared to throw the schedule out the window/ be proper rolling news the way they once were. These days it feels more like rolling bulletins and discussions with a new topic thrown in every so often but it's quite common for the same headlines to be there at the start and end of the day. It all feels a bit safe.

But then I think that's true with all news channels - CNN used to feel like a full schedule that would follow the news throughout the day whereas now it's all fragmented strands repeating the same stories and unless something major happens you've got little hope of finding much non US news at weekends.
And even Sky Sports News which for so long I thought was a really watchable channel with double-headed bulletins throughout the day and a lively, relaxed feel seems to have lost its way. The informal tone has gone and it's all style, no substance these days and seems keener than ever to swallow the PL hype.

I think AJ Jazeera English is probably the closest thing around in terms of how it covers news to the Sky news of old. It feels like they're at the centre of the action and tracking stories around the clock in a way that it doesn't feel with other channels (though I'm sure on all news channels journalists are working away night and day)

Completely agree the whole place looks filthy these days! So beige and browny compared to this clean, fresh look on launch day:

https://youtu.be/Z3euEx0wOTs

I also note they never use this angle anymore:

https://youtu.be/P5eyqPTJz4o

A shame as it’s quite bright and looks really clean... I just can’t get on board with those blue and red rectangle lightboxes in the background at the moment! There’s no pattern to them and it’s almost as though they have been installed by someone doing the bird box challenge! Even the colours in those look washed out and the fact remains that nothing compares to this:

https://youtu.be/gtU5xNclaN8

Those deep blues and bright crisp whites really are something! I suppose we will never see anything like that on the channel again... I actually prefer when they are out on location now as it seems the reigns come off a bit and things feel much less bland! Anything to take us out of those hideous ‘studios’ for a while!

Mark the 5th of February in your diaries, something special is happening.

Can't say anything more than that I'm afraid...

Someone else mentioned February 5 about the BBC (unless I’m mistaken) if it’s both what’s special about that day?