Saw World News last night for the 1st time (New freeview box...) and what a bloody confusing format that is. 60 seconds in and we're off for a break then some reports and another break then weather for Africa, then papers then Markets for Africa from some other company then more weather all of this interjected by numerous ad breaks. Really confusing and tiresome. Well, it did the trick...yawn...
Here are a few changes I would make. Kevin Owen is an excellent presenter and it's ashame to waste him on Overnights.Put him on weekends with Helen or Julliette and instead of M. Popplewell during the weekdays on Sky News Today as a replacement.
Also for Overnight Gillian Joseph,Martin Popplewell and Grainne.
Anna Botting and JT on Live At 5 would do much better and Helen Fospero with Anna Jones and Martin Stanford on Sky News Today AM.
Ginny, Mark and Steve are good together and Chris Roberts and Paula should do evening news because it was great this week without Gillian.
I have created, what I think is the perfect schedule. It is designed not to incorportate any of the new presenters, which as far as I can see have not really proved themselves. I agree that Ginny has the makings of a good presenter but needs a few overnight shifts on her own, however she has not been included. Having said that I have included Anna Jones because I liked the way she worked with Mark over the Christmas period.
So here is the new and improved schedule;
06:00 – Sunrise with Steve Dixon and Lorna Dunkley
09:00 – Sky News Today with Martin Stanford and Julie Etchingham
12:00 – Sky News at Noon with Kay Burley
13:00 – Sky News Today with Mark Longhurst and Anna Jones
17:00 – Live At Five with Jeremy Thompson and Anna Botting
18:30 – Sportsline
19:00 – Sky News Tonight with Chris Roberts and Paula Middlehurst
19:30 – The Sky Report (recorded report with live studio debate following)
20:30 – World News ( recorded packages with analysis from Tim Marshall, James Rubin and guests)
22:00 – Sky News At Ten with John Suchet and Graìnne Seioige
23:00 – Sky News with John Suchet and Graìnne Seioige
As you can see the evening atv programmes are now 1/2 hour segments within the hour. I have put Paula in with Chris, in the light of her great efforts this week.
I don't think that John Suchet suits five news, so I've moved him to sky news at ten, which think will add a bit of prestige and identity to the evening programming; whioch others have said is needed. I think ky Burley is better on her own show and by just having on for one hour a day, she shouldn't bring to much same to the channel.
I knew somebody would say that (see below) but I thought it would be better here since it is the forum about sky news, where most people come to discuss sky news and have made comments about the schedule on sky news.
What may appear perfect to you isnt in the eyes of some of us and to Sky, although I love the idea of Grainne getting her own time with John Suchet!
But I dont see why Julie Etchingham should be demoted seeing as she has her own slot for herself, why move her back to ordinary daytime news? And Live at 5 is these days one of those things that needs to be single-headed, even though I dont really like JT that much
But dont you see it as quite awkward having the "appointment to view" programmes beginning on the half-hours?
I don't understand why Live At Five needs to be a single-headed operation, we are dealing with a rolling news environment and so you have to think: breaking news, quick reactions and being agile and I don't see that in single-headed programs, you are very much reliant on the one presenter. I also do not buy your argument about Julie getting a 'demotion' with this schedule. It is what is called playing on peoples strengths, and with the atv schedule not taking such a prominent role as before, I could only see her returning to her previous role, where as before she would chair the debates and interviews and as I see it (though possibly not reflected in the schedule) take the role as more of a lead presenter, thus not wasting her talent. This is also not 'ordinary daytime news' this is 3 hours of the biggest breaking stories, live reaction, comment and debate. This would also not be a demotion for Stanford who could become the relief anchor for SNA10 and LA5 (as at present, he would also keep his own weekly show).
With your comments about the atv schedule now shortened to 30mins each, the titles would work similarly to sportsline, I do not see a problem in this, instead it means that people thorughout the early evening (primetime) can get 1/2 hour of sky news followed by 1/2 hour of in-depth or global news, I do not see why this is awkward or a problem, as at the end of the day sky trying to get people to stay with a news channel for sixty minutes when the average listening time is just 9 may be aiming jus a bit to high.
I'm glad people like the idea of John and Grainne although I have no idea, what they'd be like together. With this schedule I have tried to bring back the popular partnerships without spoiling the current schedule completely. Inevitably there are problems, but i see these as moves that would in the long term aid sky news. Each pairing is designed to have a stronger presenter for breaking news.
How long has Jo Wheeler been doing the weather today, i got up at eight and I'm sure she was doing it then and she's doing it now, at TEN thats '14 hours'
Lucy Alexander on SNT AM with Alan and Anna; she's the lead anchor too. I notice how there was no name announcement at theTOTH - most probably because her name has not yet been recorded.