I prefered the last version of the theme - it really built up nicely and was pretty dramatic.
The revamp will inevitably be major - they have a lot to compete with on the BBC, and I think there will be a lot of new ideas. We've already seen them being tested out, so I think we will be very pleasantly surprised.
The only way it will be perfect, however, is if Leyla is promoted and does some more "major" bulletins!
ITV has decided to move its main evening news programme to 9pm, the slot vacated by the BBC more than two years ago, in the event of war with Iraq.
The move will be widely interpreted as a signal that the network recognises there is no point in both main channels broadcasting their flagship news bulletins at the same time.
ITV sources say the move initially will only be for the duration of the war, but in the longer term it is likely that the network will find a permanent slot for News at Ten, now shown at 10pm on an average of three nights a week.
The network made an informal approach to the independent television commission yesterday: it is thought that the regulator will approve the plan. After September 11 ITV scheduled a number of special bulletins at 9pm, which regularly attracted about 10 million viewers.
Lately, News at Ten, presented by Sir Trevor McDonald, has only been attracting about 3 million, compared with 5 million or 6 million for the Ten O'Clock News on BBC1 presented by Huw Edwards.
Nigel Pickard, who took over as director of programmes at ITV at the beginning of February, has decided it would be clearer if the news was at 9pm every day, rather than taking decisions on a day-to-day basis. It will usually be about half an hour long, but could be extended to an hour, depending on the weight of news each day.
An ITV source said yesterday: "We don't know exactly how this situation is going to develop, but if the Iraq crisis escalates to war then we would move to a 9pm bulletin. There would be a massive appetite for news and information and we think that the public would be not be best served by having the main bulletins on ITV1 and BBC1 head to head.
"We found after September 11 that there was real demand for news at 9pm which ITV1 met with special bulletins, and we feel its right to provide the same service if there is a war."
The bulletin would revert to the present pattern - a 10pm bulletin on three nights a week - after the conflict. But in the longer term, it is likely that the late bulletin would move to a permanent slot on five nights a week, probably at 10.30pm. At the moment even the 10pm bulletin rarely starts on time.
ITN, which makes the programme for ITV1, is concerned that News at Ten is the only bulletin on the channel that is losing viewers: Evening News at 6.30pm has been performing strongly, although it is still does not regularly get as high ratings as BBC1's Six O'Clock News.
Last night ITV broadcast a special edition of the programme from Downing Street, presented by the ITV News political editor, Nick Robinson, when six people who took part in this month's anti-war march in London were given the chance to question Tony Blair.
· Channel Five is to screen Michael Jackson's version of his interview with Martin Bashir on Monday. The programme was first aired in Britain on Tuesday on Sky One and was watched by 2 million people - the channel's third-biggest audience.
I think that permanently moving the 10/10:30 programme to 9 would be the greatest decision ITV could take right now; it would clear the schedule after the programme for films and dramas and would also enable ITV to use the opportunity to rework it's entire weekday schedule:
5:00 - I Want That House (or other network daytime series)
5:30 - ITV Early Evening News
6:00 - Regional News Programme (including a recap of national and international headlines at the end)
6:30 - Regional Programme (i.e Heart Of The Country)
7:00 - Emmerdale / other soaps alternating in this slot.
7:30 through to 9:00 - NEW, ORIGINAL PROGRAMMING, as well as other proven series such as The Bill etc...
9:00 - ITV 9 O' Clock News
9:30 - Regional News
9:45 to Night Network - Film premier, Arts programming (eg, South Bank Show), Architecture/Culture shows, Drama, Classic Programming (ie French Fields)...
Then, ITV could move all the other rubbish it broadcasts at primetime to daytime; replacing even worse trash like Trisha!
Jamez, Crossroads is absent from boring_user_name's schedule because it's likely that ITV (if they have ANY sense) will put the soap out of its misery and AXE it!!!
Perhaps this schedule for ITV daytime would be good...
6.00am GMTV
9.00am New Talkshow
10.00am This Morning
12.00pm Lunchtime News
12.20pm Regional News
12.30pm Regional programme
1.00pm Today with Des & Mel
2.00pm Soap / Drama
3.00pm News Headlines & Regional news
3.15pm CITV
5.40pm Early Evening News
6.00pm Regional News
6.30pm Gameshow
7.00pm Emmerdale
7.30pm Coronation Street
8.00pm Tonight / The Bill / Airline / Survival special etc.
9.00pm Nine o clock News with regional update
9.25pm Film / drama / comedy show
10.30pm Baddiel & Skinner / 2DTV etc.
11.00pm Regional programme
11.30pm Film
12.00am ITV Night Time
I cant imagine GMTV giving up their time after hearing how they made they ITV pay for their advertising during the F1
Cant see ITN putting three news broadcasts out at the same time (1200) ITV, C4, five and dont N24 have news specials during big events at 12
The 9pm move is not permanent in anyway. I think the bulletin will probabley only be about 10-15mins long with a later news bulletin at around 10.45pm.
