The Newsroom

Sky News presentation - New studio onwards

(October 2016)

This site closed in March 2021 and is now a read-only archive
IT
itsrobert Founding member
If they're happy to (repeatedly) cede that ground...

It's still a low blow from Sky. And they're completely trying to cash in on ITN's traditional prestige and history. It's a 100% rip off of the ITN News presentation from 1995 mixed with News at Ten 2008. Not cool in my opinion. The way you were building it up, I thought it was going to be something original and groundbreaking. It basically looks like a rehash of what ITN's been doing for decades.

I disagree.


I say this as someone with many friends at ITV News... but if ITV revere the concept and branding of a signature news bulletin at 10pm so highly, why undermine it by scrapping it every few years when it turns out "Guess Whose Genitals? with Keith Lemon" isn't the monster hit they thought it would be, so they have to scurry back with their tails between their legs and try to pass it off as a reclamation of ITN's heritage rather than what it is... which is an admission-of-defeat?

ETA: This isn't a criticism of ITV News, but of ITV as a corporate entity. I happen to know that many folks in their newsroom are very unhappy about the temporary ditching of their Ten, as well they should be.

Ok, that's a fair point. But this is about Sky, not ITV. Regardless of ITV's maneuverings, can't Sky News come up with something completely original themselves? Just because ITV faff about with their late news, does that really give Sky carte blanche to rip them off? At least when the BBC did it in 2000, the bulletin had a unique identity. Going on that video above, the CGI clock face is identical to ITN's from 2008. And even the deconstructed clock face in the studio background is a blatant copy! I'd have more respect if Sky could come up with a decent original identity for the programme.
Mouseboy33 and Nicky gave kudos
JO
Jon
Sky News is a commercial operation, if it wants to shout "I'm your News at Ten substitute" to people they are entitled to do so how they deem fit. It's clearly going for the traditional News at Ten look because It's viewers is where any new viewers for this programme are coming from. There is nothing unprofessional in this type of behaviour and I don't really see how they could create a stronger brand to entice viewers annoyed by the lack of ITN's product in the time slot than something as derivative as what they've come up with.

Also for them ITN don't own the exclusive rights to use the image of the clock face of Big Ben either.

So Sky News are making a logical move in my opinion that's also make sense commercially.
BA
Bail Moderator
Wow.......so a complete and blatant rip-off of ITN! How original!

No doubt ITV when bringing back the NAT will complain about how the BBC and now Sky ripped off their idea (again).
tmorgan96, Skygeek and Brekkie gave kudos
IT
itsrobert Founding member
Bail posted:
Wow.......so a complete and blatant rip-off of ITN! How original!

No doubt ITV when bringing back the NAT will complain about how the BBC and now Sky ripped off their idea (again).

Which, from a presentation perspective, would be quite a fair accusation in my opinion. ITN chose and developed the News at Ten brand - the clock face being a significant part - in 1967 and developed it over decades. If you asked anyone which programme they associate Big Ben with and it would be News at Ten. It would be equivalent to ITN nicking the pips and drums or the flags identity from the late 1990s.

I haven't got a problem with Sky moving in on the "News at Ten" idea - what I do have a problem with is the closeness of the branding. That image of Anna Botting on the TVF home page absolutely screams Trevor McDonald and the ITN News at Ten from 1992!

*
Image credit: TV Live
AN
all new Phil
I have to agree with the sentiments here - it's a bit of a cheap shot and will lead to ridicule for Sky more than anything else. The Big Ben design for News at Ten is *so* iconic and linked to ITV, that literally nobody will watch it without thinking Sky are being a bit silly.
BR
Brekkie
The fault is with ITV's stupidity, not with Sky.
Skygeek, Cando and AJ gave kudos
BA
Bail Moderator
Bail posted:
Wow.......so a complete and blatant rip-off of ITN! How original!

No doubt ITV when bringing back the NAT will complain about how the BBC and now Sky ripped off their idea (again).

Which, from a presentation perspective, would be quite a fair accusation in my opinion. ITN chose and developed the News at Ten brand - the clock face being a significant part - in 1967 and developed it over decades. If you asked anyone which programme they associate Big Ben with and it would be News at Ten. It would be equivalent to ITN nicking the pips and drums or the flags identity from the late 1990s.

I haven't got a problem with Sky moving in on the "News at Ten" idea - what I do have a problem with is the closeness of the branding. That image of Anna Botting on the TVF home page absolutely screams Trevor McDonald and the ITN News at Ten from 1992!

*
Image credit: TV Live

But ITV almost went as far as wanting government intervention to stop the BBC having a News at 10 as being commercially unfair. Only for them (ITV) to dorp NAT months later...
WW
WW Update
Bail posted:

But ITV almost went as far as wanting government intervention to stop the BBC having a News at 10 as being commercially unfair. Only for them (ITV) to dorp NAT months later...


All true, but this doesn't change the fact that this look (or rather what we've seen of it so far) is embarrassingly unoriginal.
SK
Skygeek
Bail posted:
No doubt ITV when bringing back the NAT will complain about how the BBC and now Sky ripped off their idea (again).

Which, from a presentation perspective, would be quite a fair accusation in my opinion. ITN chose and developed the News at Ten brand - the clock face being a significant part - in 1967 and developed it over decades. If you asked anyone which programme they associate Big Ben with and it would be News at Ten. It would be equivalent to ITN nicking the pips and drums or the flags identity from the late 1990s.

I haven't got a problem with Sky moving in on the "News at Ten" idea - what I do have a problem with is the closeness of the branding. That image of Anna Botting on the TVF home page absolutely screams Trevor McDonald and the ITN News at Ten from 1992!

But ITV almost went as far as wanting government intervention to stop the BBC having a News at 10 as being commercially unfair. Only for them (ITV) to dorp NAT months later...

Yes - an attempt to be anti-competitive, followed by choosing not to compete. Utterly bizarre!
VM
VMPhil
The fault is with ITV's stupidity, not with Sky.

Sorry but I really don't see how this lets Sky off for completely ripping off someone else's brand.
MA
Markymark
Didn't Sky try a similar thing last time ITV moved NaT. I seem to recall an attempt at creating a 'Sky News at Ten' branding, but with a low key 'Sky' element ?!
DV
DVB Cornwall
Never fear Huw will wipe the floor with this imposter.

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