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five dumps ITN

and appoints Sky (March 2004)

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LO
Londoner
Whilst all the reports say that Sky News will have a dedicated staff of 60 reporters, producers and technicians for Five News, the BBC News Online report says:
BBC News Online posted:
Sky reporters such as Adam Boulton will appear on the new service and will describe themselves as Five presenters for the duration of the report.

Having the likes of Boulton on a terrestrial service will be a big draw for Five News.

It is also very interesting that the international news coverage seems to be a big factor - it's true that ITN's Five News is restricted by not having access to any foreign correspondents, though the likes of James Bays did very well in Afghanistan and Iraq.
BBC News Online posted:
"The main attraction is having access to all the international bureaux, alongside the dedicated service of a similar type to that currently provided by ITN," said a Five spokeswoman.

"We will now have access all over the world - it was an irresistible deal," she said.

Sky has eight regional and seven international bureaux including offices in Washington, Moscow, Jerusalem and Delhi.
:-(
A former member
A Major Setup posted:
ITN is crap anyway. It died as a good news organisation long ago. Now that ITV has it's corporate claws well and truely dug into it, theres not much hope.

ITN's news coverage generally is tacky, cheap and low on analytical content..


You're reasons for saying that? Rolling Eyes
:-(
A former member
Altowers posted:
A Major Setup posted:
ITN is crap anyway. It died as a good news organisation long ago. Now that ITV has it's corporate claws well and truely dug into it, theres not much hope.

ITN's news coverage generally is tacky, cheap and low on analytical content..


You're reasons for saying that? Rolling Eyes


I watch television.

Comparing ITN's output to Sky's or the BBC, and the differences are obvious.
LU
Luke
A Major Setup posted:
Altowers posted:
A Major Setup posted:
ITN is crap anyway. It died as a good news organisation long ago. Now that ITV has it's corporate claws well and truely dug into it, theres not much hope.

ITN's news coverage generally is tacky, cheap and low on analytical content..


You're reasons for saying that? Rolling Eyes


I watch television.

Comparing ITN's output to Sky's or the BBC, and the differences are obvious.


I can only assume you don't watch ITV News or ITVNC, then. It's a myth to say that it represents tacky, low-culture news. Give it a try sometime.

And ITN also produces Channel 4 News, by the way.
CW
cwathen Founding member
Firstly, lets not treat ITN and ITV News as being the same thing, because they're not. ITN's news for ITV has very much gone downhill in recent years (although on the other hand, it is starting to make something of a comeback now). But output like Channel 4 news shows that ITN has still got it - they're just adjusting themselves to the whims of the broadcaster they are providing a news service for.

But, it does sound like Sky are becoming serious competition for them. And why not, Sky's news operation has now been running for 15 years and has become quite respected (it's refreshingly non-biased for being part of Murdoch's empire), it's a logical step for them to expand beyond their news channel and want to become a news provider for other channels too. They allready provide a contracted radio news service, why not a TV one too?

With ITN looking to once again become sole property of ITV, it's also quite logical that they will become less desirable for other broadcasters, and indeed would want to focus more tightly as ITV's news providers.

I do think in time you will see a situation where ITN makes ITV and C4 news, but beyond that does nothing else, whilst Sky becomes a serious player in the news provider market.
:-(
A former member
dvboy posted:
Larry Scutta posted:

It won't be 'Sky News' though.... it'll be 'five news' - a BSkyB production


But they'll be able to have the same reports on both and such. And I guess this means that in major breaking news events, they will simulcast with Sky News.


I doubt they will share many reports, there'd be no point in having a dedicated team for five news. Also the style of Sky News and that of five news is quite diffrent.
MD
mdtauk
the style of five news will undoubtably change along with this contract, so dont expect it to be the same!
CW
cwathen Founding member
martinDTanderson posted:
the style of five news will undoubtably change along with this contract, so dont expect it to be the same!

I don't see that it will change that much - C5 are not paying to have Sky News, they are paying for Sky News to provide their news service. Sky will tailor their service for 5 News, 5 News will not adapt to fit in with Sky.

There will undoubtedly be some changes yes, but I'm not expecting any fundamental shift in tone - apart from anything else Sky News will not be a very strong news provider if all of it's services are reworkings of the Sky News channel. Just as ITN delivers distinctly different products depending on what it's customer wants (compare ITV News and C4 News, for example), so will Sky have to do the same.
BA
Bacchic
A Major Setup posted:
ITN is crap anyway. It died as a good news organisation long ago. Now that ITV has it's corporate claws well and truely dug into it, theres not much hope.


For somebody with journalistic aspirations, your English is crap - what you mean is, 'its claws', 'truly' and 'there's not much hope.'
:-(
A former member
martinDTanderson posted:
the style of five news will undoubtably change along with this contract, so dont expect it to be the same!


As Cwathen says, the style of the programme will be whatever five (more precisely the head of news at Channel 5) wants it to be, after all they are the ones paying the money.
LO
Londoner
ITN to investigate Five's deal with Sky News
By Raymond Snoddy, Media Editor

INDEPENDENT Television News said last night that it would investigate whether Sky News used “loss leader” tactics to win a five-year news contract for Five, the commercial television channel

Full story: http://business.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,8209-1032411,00.html
FA
fanoftv
James Hatts posted:
ITN to investigate Five's deal with Sky News
By Raymond Snoddy, Media Editor

INDEPENDENT Television News said last night that it would investigate whether Sky News used “loss leader” tactics to win a five-year news contract for Five, the commercial television channel

Full story: http://business.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,8209-1032411,00.html


Hmm, interesting article. I liked how SKY described ITN's lose of the contract as 'sour grapes'.

Interesting point there about them being able to use Sky News' reporters, but will they? If there was a piece of breaking news whilst a five bulletin was on the air, surely Sky News would keep their reporters for their own channel and use them rather than letting five use them.

Unless in situations like this (may also work for any lives), they make the two anchors (of five news & sky news) ask the same question at the same time so that the reporter delivers the answer to both. Obviously reporters wouldn't be able to thank either anchor by name, and would most probably have an answer to a question ready so that they could be prompt rather than listening to the two feeds of voices asking the same question.

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