It'd be interesting to see exactly why that happened -- the news will have come from the same wire, and both be monitoring them constantly... it sounds as though Sky have a serious technical issue if they are being constantly late with things coming from the wires. Pre-relaunch and 9 times out of 10 they'd be ahead of the other two by at least a minute or so. It seems very odd.
It shouldn't be a technical problem in the speed of the wires getting through. Maybe their old caption generator had a copy and paste facility from the wire into the software, and the new one doesn't? Sky have retained 2 line astons - and I know people at News24 find it hard to squeeze a story, quickly, into about seven words.
Sky faster 9 times out of ten from wires? A bit much! If both decided to go with the same wire at the same time, in the last few months before the relaunch News24 were actually quicker on average (measured on wires that obviously HAD to be broken asap, rather than the more marginal ones where discussion might be needed). Go back a year or so and Sky were comfortably faster. News 24 was getting its act together before this relaunch!
One observation - and I hope this doesn't seem inappropriate in the morning. The "old" Sky seemed to have a George Best obsession. They'd go big on any health scare or brush with the law, leave the aston up for hours, swamp the story with correspondents. Now it seems there is a genuinely big George best story, they're running it third (actually just up to second). Personally, I think they used to go over the top and their current emphasis is about right, but it's odd that they're not going bigger on it.
Maybe tonight's output editor will be getting a rocket up the proverbial tomorrow morning for breaking one of the oldest Sky commandments - Thou Shalt Always Lead On George Best.
Of course News24 breaks the BBC guidelines each time it copys and pastes.
BBC Producer Guidelines posted:
we should normally only rely on an agency report if it can be substantiated by a BBC correspondent
AFAK BBC World and World Service still follow this rule.
Just quoting wires can be dangerous. Wasn't it sky who last week reported that Harold Pinter had died. In fact he had just won the Nobel Prize!
CBS News is being ARCed to 14P16 (as other 4:3 sources are) - but this means the name supers and CBS logo are no longer graphics safe. Even the Beeb don't show ABC World News Tonight in 14P16 - chosing the safer 12P16. I'm surprised Sky just don't show it 4:3 - as unlike News 24 they can switch aspect ratio on transmission. (*)
I also notice that the ad break that just went was 4:3 commercials but flagged as 16:9...
(*) CBS doing an item on Sudoku tonight - as ever the US is a bit behind the UK in these crazes. (Isn't Sudoku - like - totally over? To be said in valley girl-esque manner)
Of course News24 breaks the BBC guidelines each time it copys and pastes.
BBC Producer Guidelines posted:
we should normally only rely on an agency report if it can be substantiated by a BBC correspondent
AFAK BBC World and World Service still follow this rule.
Just quoting wires can be dangerous. Wasn't it sky who last week reported that Harold Pinter had died. In fact he had just won the Nobel Prize!
News 24 normally acknowledge the source of single agency reports - so will say "The Reuters News agency is reporting that..." rather than just stating it as fact. Normally if two agencies quote independently, rather than just report each other, then that is deemed more acceptable - though AFP is always treated more cautiously than Reuters, AP or PA.
Great numbers - thanks! It's fascinating to see the five minute breakdowns.
Interesting though - those numbers follow the trends of the numbers I saw, but don't quite match up. And five minute slots - haven't seen those before. The ones I get to see are BARB, in fifteen minute chunks, via a..... route...! from one of the big broadcasters.
Does the website say where they come from? BARB as well?
As an aside, w12, it would be good if you could post a (v. brief) indication of the overnights for the next week or so, just to see how things pan out. Unless anyone else has them, that is.
Very interesting - thoughknown before by anyone with a simple mind- that News24;s ratings are nothing really when it simulcasts with BBC One. Just proves certain points regarding Sky being the number one channel of choice when major stories break, namely they CANNOT use figures like these because they're not accurate.
Also, sorry, but both the Sky Report and WNT wereSHAMBLES tonight! Etchingham was getting on my tits by constantly thanking us for joining her and choosing Sky whilst trying badly to fill time before it started with the derailment news, whilst Reubin was just DIRE. Plain and simple.
I was expecting a more smooth transition of a relaunch from Sky and am left rather disappointed.
Oh, and is it me or is Dame Kay showing more tit and leg these days since she got her own show????
Great numbers - thanks! It's fascinating to see the five minute breakdowns.
Interesting though - those numbers follow the trends of the numbers I saw, but don't quite match up. And five minute slots - haven't seen those before. The ones I get to see are BARB, in fifteen minute chunks, via a..... route...! from one of the big broadcasters.
Does the website say where they come from? BARB as well?
I didn't make clear but they were for Tuesday
And just look at the Rubin hour. Ouch
Beaten by ITV NC at times... That's gonna hurt.
Not to mention the programme actually had a rating of zero at quite a few points throughout the hour
Just quoting wires can be dangerous. Wasn't it sky who last week reported that Harold Pinter had died. In fact he had just won the Nobel Prize!
Yes it was, but that wasn't a mistake by a wire service repeated on air. Someone - whether in the gallery or the presenter - managed to turn "he's won the Nobel Prize" into "he's dead".
Just guesswork.... I'd guess the presenter had "tuned out" of the open talkback coming from the gallery, and hadn't been following the slightly off-mic conversation going on. The producer hadn't checked the presenter was "across" the story. The presenter was suddenly told, with urgency, "break Pinter, NOW!!!", she panicked, thought "what's the story?", couldn't ask because she was already live, took a punt on what an urgent story about Harold Pinter could be, and went for the obvious. Unluckily for her, he hadn't died, he'd won the Nobel Literature Prize.
So I'd say the blame probably lies with the producer for not checking the presenter knew the story before going with it. The presenter should have stalled on air, saying "we're just getting some news coming in on Harold Pinter, details just coming in now...." until someone in the gallery realised and saved her. Mistakes all round, but the buck probably stops with the producer.
Last night's train derailment in Liverpool meant that Sky News executives were forced to scurry away into corners at their relaunch bash in Whitehall to relay instructions to the newsroom via their mobiles. Thankfully, there were no major casualties in the incident, but head of Sky News Nick Pollard revealed in his speech at the revamp party that his son had a close shave - he was travelling on the train behind. After making sure his son was OK, Pollard said he berated him for not jumping off the train, running down the track and taking pictures of the incident on his camera phone to give to Sky News. He was joking, of course. You were joking, right Nick?
Someone I know who doesn't take an interest in these things took one look at them standing at the new newswall and said "Ugh, it looks like ITV, and that's not a good thing! They should go back to the old one..". Tried explaining the difference, but they wouldn't listen...
