Sky News Ticker

I notice the ticker has made a return on Sky News - because there's so much happening in the news at the moment!

Interesting - perhaps trying to pre-empt somthing from News 24??

You seem to forget that Sky aren't as petty as the BBC. Sky is just a good news channel - the BBC copy completely! (I Don't want to start another BBC Sky row again, but it's just my opinion, and I'm entitled to it)

Quite right! I think Sky got the idea from their US counterparts, such as CNBC and their own Fox News.

Yeah but really in this instance I bet Sky are brining it back because N24 are showing signs of a ticker now.

The big suits at the news channels are probably more interested in profit and viewers rather than the news itself. It's all just a ratings war.

sometimes sky use their ticker when there's a big news event - such as the Hutton Inquiry which is currently going on - this happened a few weeks back - i can't remember what the event was though - it was a couple of weeks after the war ended.

AJ

I agree!

Yeah it was the Euro decisiion when it was last used I think??

I was very suprised that they started using it today, as by their own admission they were expecting it to be a slow day at the court. Why not start using it yesterday??

Given that the ticker only displays information about the Hutton Inquiry, then I doubt this marks the introduction of a permanent on-screen ticker, for the moment, at least; the rumours that N24 may be introducing a ticker are most probably coincidental. Sky have used a ticker in the past for major events: the Iraq war and budget coverage, where there was also a "Latest" strap, which we now see slides neatly in from the side of the screen.

It is also intersting to note that, at 11pm, there will be a reconstruction of today's proceedings at the Hutton inquiry, using the official inquiry transcript, and actors...in fact, I see now, that, at 18:44, they have just advertised the reconstruction as next, and there was a room on-screen with courtroom setup. Interesting. Perhaps this will just be a preview to the 11pm showing.

Big Brother - explain to me how in this era of free market capitalism, the introduction of a ticker tape is likely to increase the profitability of a news channel? If indeed they are making a profit at all.

As has been pointed out, given that 95% of it has been devoted to the Hutton Inquiry, with special red squares with "HUTTON INQUIRY" moving across the screen, I doubt very much it is because News 24 have slightly altered their ticker.

Tickers on Sky have been used for many years now - since the relaunch in 1998, when they used one to update headlines during recorded programming. They were also used for major events such as the fuel crisis, Balkans crisis, election 2001, Iraq war, the budget... way before News 24 AND the American networks were bothering with them.

Remember that CNN, Fox and MSNBC had NEVER used tickers before September 11th, Sky were using a ticker months prior to that for the general election; so if anyone is copying, it's certainly not Sky.

V. interesting regarding the actors and courtroom set up - had expected someone to do this. Think Channel 4 did it for the Damilola Taylor inquiry. You never know, might be the first bit decent acting to come out of Sky in 15 years!! But good to know they are taking it seriously - far more and far better coverage than I've seen on the BBC or ITV.

Interesting to say the least...
http://www.mromega.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/skynews_aug12.jpg

Makes it easier to follow for the viewer rather than text put on screen.

Other Sky News today: Geoff Meade is coming back to the UK to take James Forlong's old job as Royal/Military Correspondent.

Laurence Lee is promoted to correspondent and is going to Moscow.

David Bowden has also been promoted to correspondent and will be a London based UK correspondent.

Press release at www.skypublicity.co.uk/press_n.asp?rel=538

A minor thing that I noticed this morning, is that during the rolling coverage of Gilligan giving evidence, instead of having "breaking news" flashing up every 5 seconds because someone coughed, they're using "Latest" instead.