I don't mind if everything is done from the desk, as long there is a better schedule and nice background on the newswall, which I know there wont be. This is modern day Sky News afterall.
See, its original success with the SN Today format has led to its own downfall of Sky News itself.
Sky News used to be young and cool, now its stuffy and dry.
I think that quite a few people are being a little unfair on here at the moment.
Yes, compared to 6 years ago, Sky News is a shadow of its former self. It lacks the warmth and pace that it used to have - and that pace didn't always come from walking around "The Day Today" style with zooming cameras and pole cams etc. It came from the banter with the other presenters, and the fact that the studio and newsroom were very close together.
This is fundamentally where the new news centre failed - the studio and newsroom became distanced - so you lost much of that immediacy that came from actually being able to see the journos doing their jobs etc - it brought the viewer closer to the news, even if it was superficially.
The main problem as I see it at the moment is the complete lack of banter between presenters. Dermot was having a chat on air with the sports presenter only the other day, and it reminded me of how Sky News used to be. They need to put a stop to the "news updates" presenter, and create some new pairings and start double-heading the bulletins again.
They are already dipping their toes into a new format with the Live Desk - and I expect that this is the Sky News we will see during the daytime within a couple of years. It's how Sky News Today started back in 2001 - it started as a 3 hour segment, and was then introduced to most of the day by 2004 - so we can see that there is somebody at Sky News wanting to try some new things out. Maybe John Ryley is putting a stop to a lot of it?
With the refurbishment of the news centre, they really need to capitalise on the space that they have got. They have a wide range of backgrounds they could already use to give different shows and bulletins different feels.
For example, I would personally use the gallery window as a backdrop to Sky News at 10 and Sky News Tonight, with the newsroom on the right of the newswall as the backing for Sky News Today, and the newswall for other programmes - just an idea that could immediately freshen the channel up a bit.
Dermot presented from outside the hospital Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko died at on the BBC. He was also in the US for Sky's election coverage, and IIRC some of the coverage of the earlier primaries
He also presented outside for the Attempted London Car Bombings in 2007.
I think that quite a few people are being a little unfair on here at the moment.
Yes, compared to 6 years ago, Sky News is a shadow of its former self. It lacks the warmth and pace that it used to have - and that pace didn't always come from walking around "The Day Today" style with zooming cameras and pole cams etc. It came from the banter with the other presenters, and the fact that the studio and newsroom were very close together.
This is fundamentally where the new news centre failed - the studio and newsroom became distanced - so you lost much of that immediacy that came from actually being able to see the journos doing their jobs etc - it brought the viewer closer to the news, even if it was superficially.
The main problem as I see it at the moment is the complete lack of banter between presenters. Dermot was having a chat on air with the sports presenter only the other day, and it reminded me of how Sky News used to be. They need to put a stop to the "news updates" presenter, and create some new pairings and start double-heading the bulletins again.
They are already dipping their toes into a new format with the Live Desk - and I expect that this is the Sky News we will see during the daytime within a couple of years. It's how Sky News Today started back in 2001 - it started as a 3 hour segment, and was then introduced to most of the day by 2004 - so we can see that there is somebody at Sky News wanting to try some new things out. Maybe John Ryley is putting a stop to a lot of it?
With the refurbishment of the news centre, they really need to capitalise on the space that they have got. They have a wide range of backgrounds they could already use to give different shows and bulletins different feels.
For example, I would personally use the gallery window as a backdrop to Sky News at 10 and Sky News Tonight, with the newsroom on the right of the newswall as the backing for Sky News Today, and the newswall for other programmes - just an idea that could immediately freshen the channel up a bit.
Good point AJ, perhaps a different backdrop depending on which segment is being airred would be valid? CNN Headline News relaunched in August 2001 with this sort of format, with Showbiz from a 'showbiz desk', Sports was with Alisha Davis at a 'sports desk' and then back to presenters (back then it would have been Andrea Turner and Miles O'Brien).
Why could we not have a sports pod at the edge of the newswall with Jon Desborough and Chris Skudder etc, have another camera angle facing into the gallery for business with Anna Jones, weather at the mini newswall and then back to presenters for Sky News Today such as Dermot Murnaghan and Samantha Simmonds for example?
AJ, I agree the banter was good when we had the likes of Anna Botting with Jeremy Thompson, Kay Burley with Mark Longhurst, Juliette Foster with Chris Roberts and my favourites, Lisa Aziz with Allan King.
If we are to continue with one main presenter then they should try to inject some warmth when handing over to the summary presenter and not just have a wipe then back to the main presenter etc or wipe to the sports presenter etc...seems lifeless and too clinical.
Whatever they do do - I personally hope they keep the graphics, keep the red, blue and white colour scheme and utilise their humongous studio.
Why restrict 'lazy cannot be arsed coz I get paid too many thousands of pounds to get my arse off a chair presenters' when you have so many resources to use and to continue the innovation we used to connect to Sky News?
AJ, I agree the banter was good when we had the likes of Anna Botting with Jeremy Thompson, Kay Burley with Mark Longhurst, Juliette Foster with Chris Roberts and my favourites, Lisa Aziz with Allan King.
When those pairings were first introduced, they were described by Sky as mixing familiar faces with new ones.
This is what they need to do again - mix the likes of Dermot, Kay, Jeremy, Anna, Colin and Chris with the new breed of "updates" presenters. They need to hold a couple of screen tests and see who works best together.
The reason why these update presenters seem so wooden and - to an extent - timid, is because they have nobody to bounce off and nobody to "save" them if they stutter. Pairing them up at the desk would increase the quality of these presenters simply by boosting their confidence a bit.
AJ, I agree the banter was good when we had the likes of Anna Botting with Jeremy Thompson, Kay Burley with Mark Longhurst, Juliette Foster with Chris Roberts and my favourites, Lisa Aziz with Allan King.
When those pairings were first introduced, they were described by Sky as mixing familiar faces with new ones.
This is what they need to do again - mix the likes of Dermot, Kay, Jeremy, Anna, Colin and Chris with the new breed of "updates" presenters. They need to hold a couple of screen tests and see who works best together.
The reason why these update presenters seem so wooden and - to an extent - timid, is because they have nobody to bounce off and nobody to "save" them if they stutter. Pairing them up at the desk would increase the quality of these presenters simply by boosting their confidence a bit.
I completely agree and promise NOT to produce some wishlist of presenter line ups!!!
I agree, this whole seperation into 1. class anchors (Eamon, Jeremy,Kay, Dermoth, Botting) and 2. class news updates presenters is wrong. I can't even remember their names, all the women are blond and the same. They don't need them. NWS in the evenings is now a rotation of them and when there's major breaking news they usually don't know how to deal with them and the channels looks amateurish.
They need to have at least one slot double anchored with some banter and fun, Colin and Ana Jones would be great but now she's stuck with business.
AJ, I agree the banter was good when we had the likes of Anna Botting with Jeremy Thompson, Kay Burley with Mark Longhurst, Juliette Foster with Chris Roberts and my favourites, Lisa Aziz with Allan King.
When those pairings were first introduced, they were described by Sky as mixing familiar faces with new ones.
This is what they need to do again - mix the likes of Dermot, Kay, Jeremy, Anna, Colin and Chris with the new breed of "updates" presenters. They need to hold a couple of screen tests and see who works best together.
The reason why these update presenters seem so wooden and - to an extent - timid, is because they have nobody to bounce off and nobody to "save" them if they stutter. Pairing them up at the desk would increase the quality of these presenters simply by boosting their confidence a bit.
You are right. I think the whole channel would improve drastically with just introducing a 2 presenter format, and leaving everything else the same. Some channels can work with single presenting, but Sky News doesn't, but in saying that the only programme I think benefits from this is The Live Desk.
At least Sunrise, Live at Five and Sky Evening News should be double headed.
As you say, I can see presenters like Asish and the new one on News Sport and Weather would probably improve with pairings.
The Live Desk needs to be more lively too, I think Colin Brazier doesn't suit it. It's a shame they can't get Martin Stanford to do that, then return for his show at 7.00, he would get 2.5 hours a day then.
Anna Botting needs to rejoin Jeremy Thompson though!
AJ, I agree the banter was good when we had the likes of Anna Botting with Jeremy Thompson, Kay Burley with Mark Longhurst, Juliette Foster with Chris Roberts and my favourites, Lisa Aziz with Allan King.
When those pairings were first introduced, they were described by Sky as mixing familiar faces with new ones.
This is what they need to do again - mix the likes of Dermot, Kay, Jeremy, Anna, Colin and Chris with the new breed of "updates" presenters. They need to hold a couple of screen tests and see who works best together.
The reason why these update presenters seem so wooden and - to an extent - timid, is because they have nobody to bounce off and nobody to "save" them if they stutter. Pairing them up at the desk would increase the quality of these presenters simply by boosting their confidence a bit.
You are right. I think the whole channel would improve drastically with just introducing a 2 presenter format, and leaving everything else the same. Some channels can work with single presenting, but Sky News doesn't, but in saying that the only programme I think benefits from this is The Live Desk.
At least Sunrise, Live at Five and Sky Evening News should be double headed.
As you say, I can see presenters like Asish and the new one on News Sport and Weather would probably improve with pairings.
Definately - I think Dermot, Kay, Jeremy and Anna Botting could benefit from co-presenters.
I kind of liked the unfounded rumour of a Sky News Tonight from 9pm through to midnight with Anna Botting (and perhaps someone like Jason De La Pena).
Asish would benefit from a strong lead like Kay Burley and I also think Samantha Simmonds and Sasha Twinning are rising stars and could co-present with Jeremy or Dermot?
I doubt they will opt for double headed programmes though, as John Riley is not a fan of such an idea.
I would say that I think Anna Botting is a strong lead anchor and I would like to see her remain the main anchor for Sky News' evening slot - if she would only stick with this, we will think of Sky News at night is Anna as we already think Live at Five is Jeremy.
I think that quite a few people are being a little unfair on here at the moment.
Of course banter is required, I thought it too obvious to mention. Bob Friend and Anna Botting were masters at this, but with single heading, lack of any viewer debates like the good old Your Call format from 1998 - 2001 where viewers would phone and text in questions for an MP, Minister or other public figure who was in for the day.
Double heading, with handovers to the Web Desk, Sports Desk, Business, and Weather, are essential, and the banter should be appropriate for the time of day. Sunrise, alot - Sky News at Ten - little.
And the different Strands should have a unique look, or presentational feature. For Example
__________________________________________
Sunrise
Orange tints for graphics, Soft Area with handovers to News Update presenter, Travel, Sports, and Weather.
Sky News Daytime
Normal Graphics + Business DOG, From the newsroom (no desks) regular Business, Sport and Weather updates, Modern fast(ish) pace for graphics, a bit of whizz
Sky News Lunchtime
Normal Graphics, Mix of Main Desk backing onto newswall and Soft Area. Have a guest on each day, interviewed in the Soft Area, with video, phone, and e-mail questions coming in from the public for about 15-25mins after the interview. Business, Sport, and Showbiz/Culture updates throughout the day lunchtime@skynews.com
Sky News Early Evening
Normal Graphics Blue tinges perhaps... Main Desk backed onto the newsroom, Slower Pace than daytime, double headed, more traditional presenting with a feature report from the newswall and some nice banter between presenters and guest brought in to discuss ongoing stories. Handover to 5-10min segments with the Web Desk.
Web Segments in 2 hours: Top Clicked, Web Interview, Google Searches Segment, Tech Preview
Sky News Business Programme
Presented from the Main Desk with guests in, and special newswall graphics in use, and emails read out to the guest collected throughout the day - business@skynews.com
Sky News at 9, 10, Midnight
Normal Graphics, darker shades, Single headed - Small Desk with gallery or newsroom view, then from 11 - 12 Main Desk and newswall. Serious presentation with banter only on Handovers with Sport, Web Desk and Weather.
Sky Overnight - International Service
Normal Graphics (with necessary international tweaks) Single Headed, with handovers to Sports, Weather, and Web Desk recorded segments Will be from the main desk backed onto the newswall and segments coming from in the newsroom areas.
