AS
Asa
Admin
Good decision for all. 'Nightly News' seems appropriate considering it will actually be on nightly but the real question is will there be any attempt to make it go out exactly at the same time each night or will it fall foul of sometimes being on at 10.30 and sometimes after 10.30 after a bunch of ads?
RT
rts
Founding member
MediaGuardian
Quote:
Axe falls on 'News at When'
Thursday October 2, 2003
ITV is to axe News at Ten for the second time in five years, but this time it will be for good.
The network and commercial TV regulators have finally admitted that the compromise they brokered three years ago has been a disaster for viewers and advertisers because the news was never on at a fixed time.
This afternoon the independent television commission announced it would accede to ITV's request to move its main evening news bulletin to a fixed 10.30pm slot five nights a week.
The decision brings down the curtain on the four-year "News at When?" saga that has seen broadcasters, regulators, politicians and the public engaged in a tug of war over when ITV should air its news bulletins.
It also signals a defeat for ITV in its head-to-head news battle with the BBC, sparked when the corporation's director general, Greg Dyke, moved the Nine O'Clock News to 10pm in October 2000.
The ITV director of programmes, Nigel Pickard, said today the decision was "absolutely in the public interest".
"Head-to-head news on the two main channels has not served viewers well. This solution enhances choice for news audiences, and restores a fixed slot for ITV's main evening bulletin," said Mr Pickard, who inherited the scheduling poser from his predecessor, David Liddiment.
"Now that a resolution has been agreed our news team can focus on delivering the strongest possible editorial proposition with a distinctive bulletin at 10.30pm," he added.
Sir David Nicholas, who launched News at Ten in 1967 and was chief executive of ITN for 12 years between 1977 and 1989, said the move marked the end of an era but welcomed the fact that the news would be on at a regular time each night.
"It's better than the existing situation. It's a welcome decision but it also underscores what a colossal strategic blunder it was moving the News at Ten in the first place and allowing the BBC in to steal the slot."
ITV first axed News at Ten in 1999 after regulators were persuaded that the network could clear prime time for blockbuster movies, drama and big football matches.
But after ITV kept missing the new 11pm start time, the bulletin quickly became dubbed "News at When?" and after a major ratings slide and concern that regional news was being relegated into a scheduling graveyard, the regulator forced it to restore the 32-year-old bulletin to 10pm.
However, in a move that both ITV and regulators agreed was an unworkable compromise, the network was only required to show the bulletin at 10pm three nights a week.
ITV executives and programming chiefs admit the compromise has been a disaster for viewers. Less than two weeks ago, the Granada chairman, Charles Allen, admitted "it was a bad commercial decision, never mind a bad public service decision".
The 'News at When' schedule also handed the BBC a nightly ratings boost because viewers knew the corporation's bulletin was on at a fixed time six nights a week.
The issue became a cause celebre among politicians and commentators, who accused ITV of abandoning its public service remit.
"The idea that in 2003 ITV has any kind of public service is a joke. I do not think that's a bad thing, the world has moved on. But the day they moved News at Ten was the day public service broadcasting died on ITV," said the former Channel 4 chief executive, Michael Grade, recently.
The ITV News editor, David Mannion, said today the new schedule presented an "exciting opportunity to produce a new and reinvigorated programme", while controller of news and current affairs Steve Anderson said the decision "finally brings to an end the scheduling uncertainties of the past".
"A fixed start time five nights a week gives viewers a clear appointment to view and allows ITV News to develop in a new and exciting direction," added Mr Anderson.
ITV has yet to decide on a definite start date for the new schedule.
A BBC spokesman said the corporation welcomed the news as it would give more choice to viewers.
Thursday October 2, 2003
ITV is to axe News at Ten for the second time in five years, but this time it will be for good.
The network and commercial TV regulators have finally admitted that the compromise they brokered three years ago has been a disaster for viewers and advertisers because the news was never on at a fixed time.
This afternoon the independent television commission announced it would accede to ITV's request to move its main evening news bulletin to a fixed 10.30pm slot five nights a week.
The decision brings down the curtain on the four-year "News at When?" saga that has seen broadcasters, regulators, politicians and the public engaged in a tug of war over when ITV should air its news bulletins.
It also signals a defeat for ITV in its head-to-head news battle with the BBC, sparked when the corporation's director general, Greg Dyke, moved the Nine O'Clock News to 10pm in October 2000.
The ITV director of programmes, Nigel Pickard, said today the decision was "absolutely in the public interest".
"Head-to-head news on the two main channels has not served viewers well. This solution enhances choice for news audiences, and restores a fixed slot for ITV's main evening bulletin," said Mr Pickard, who inherited the scheduling poser from his predecessor, David Liddiment.
"Now that a resolution has been agreed our news team can focus on delivering the strongest possible editorial proposition with a distinctive bulletin at 10.30pm," he added.
Sir David Nicholas, who launched News at Ten in 1967 and was chief executive of ITN for 12 years between 1977 and 1989, said the move marked the end of an era but welcomed the fact that the news would be on at a regular time each night.
"It's better than the existing situation. It's a welcome decision but it also underscores what a colossal strategic blunder it was moving the News at Ten in the first place and allowing the BBC in to steal the slot."
ITV first axed News at Ten in 1999 after regulators were persuaded that the network could clear prime time for blockbuster movies, drama and big football matches.
But after ITV kept missing the new 11pm start time, the bulletin quickly became dubbed "News at When?" and after a major ratings slide and concern that regional news was being relegated into a scheduling graveyard, the regulator forced it to restore the 32-year-old bulletin to 10pm.
However, in a move that both ITV and regulators agreed was an unworkable compromise, the network was only required to show the bulletin at 10pm three nights a week.
ITV executives and programming chiefs admit the compromise has been a disaster for viewers. Less than two weeks ago, the Granada chairman, Charles Allen, admitted "it was a bad commercial decision, never mind a bad public service decision".
The 'News at When' schedule also handed the BBC a nightly ratings boost because viewers knew the corporation's bulletin was on at a fixed time six nights a week.
The issue became a cause celebre among politicians and commentators, who accused ITV of abandoning its public service remit.
"The idea that in 2003 ITV has any kind of public service is a joke. I do not think that's a bad thing, the world has moved on. But the day they moved News at Ten was the day public service broadcasting died on ITV," said the former Channel 4 chief executive, Michael Grade, recently.
The ITV News editor, David Mannion, said today the new schedule presented an "exciting opportunity to produce a new and reinvigorated programme", while controller of news and current affairs Steve Anderson said the decision "finally brings to an end the scheduling uncertainties of the past".
"A fixed start time five nights a week gives viewers a clear appointment to view and allows ITV News to develop in a new and exciting direction," added Mr Anderson.
ITV has yet to decide on a definite start date for the new schedule.
A BBC spokesman said the corporation welcomed the news as it would give more choice to viewers.
SE
Square Eyes
Founding member
It's a good decision to have the news on at a fixed time, however, it could be an awkward slot.
Most drama premieres and movies start at 9pm and some are usually 2 hours in duration, how is that going to fit in ? Having said that, the extra 30 mins might give them the opportunity to try out new ideas, maybe some new sitcoms ITV ?
I would imagine that typically, we'll see 1 hour programmes straddle the 9.30 - 10.30 slot, so as to be a spoiler for the BBC News.
Most drama premieres and movies start at 9pm and some are usually 2 hours in duration, how is that going to fit in ? Having said that, the extra 30 mins might give them the opportunity to try out new ideas, maybe some new sitcoms ITV ?
I would imagine that typically, we'll see 1 hour programmes straddle the 9.30 - 10.30 slot, so as to be a spoiler for the BBC News.
LM
The Digital Spy article on this says that the 10.30-ish regional programming will be moved into primetime, so that probable means filling up the 10.00-10.30 slot on some nights.
Square Eyes posted:
It's a good decision to have the news on at a fixed time, however, it could be an awkward slot.
Most drama premieres and movies start at 9pm and some are usually 2 hours in duration, how is that going to fit in ? Having said that, the extra 30 mins might give them the opportunity to try out new ideas, maybe some new sitcoms ITV ?
I would imagine that typically, we'll see 1 hour programmes straddle the 9.30 - 10.30 slot, so as to be a spoiler for the BBC News.
Most drama premieres and movies start at 9pm and some are usually 2 hours in duration, how is that going to fit in ? Having said that, the extra 30 mins might give them the opportunity to try out new ideas, maybe some new sitcoms ITV ?
I would imagine that typically, we'll see 1 hour programmes straddle the 9.30 - 10.30 slot, so as to be a spoiler for the BBC News.
The Digital Spy article on this says that the 10.30-ish regional programming will be moved into primetime, so that probable means filling up the 10.00-10.30 slot on some nights.
NS
The Digital Spy article on this says that the 10.30-ish regional programming will be moved into primetime, so that probable means filling up the 10.00-10.30 slot on some nights.
Well the ITC presser said
The change will also mean that most of the regional non-news programmes currently shown at 10.30pm will be moved into peak. The late regional news will follow the 10.30pm bulletin.
NickyS
Founding member
Lee M posted:
Square Eyes posted:
It's a good decision to have the news on at a fixed time, however, it could be an awkward slot.
Most drama premieres and movies start at 9pm and some are usually 2 hours in duration, how is that going to fit in ? Having said that, the extra 30 mins might give them the opportunity to try out new ideas, maybe some new sitcoms ITV ?
I would imagine that typically, we'll see 1 hour programmes straddle the 9.30 - 10.30 slot, so as to be a spoiler for the BBC News.
Most drama premieres and movies start at 9pm and some are usually 2 hours in duration, how is that going to fit in ? Having said that, the extra 30 mins might give them the opportunity to try out new ideas, maybe some new sitcoms ITV ?
I would imagine that typically, we'll see 1 hour programmes straddle the 9.30 - 10.30 slot, so as to be a spoiler for the BBC News.
The Digital Spy article on this says that the 10.30-ish regional programming will be moved into primetime, so that probable means filling up the 10.00-10.30 slot on some nights.
Well the ITC presser said
The change will also mean that most of the regional non-news programmes currently shown at 10.30pm will be moved into peak. The late regional news will follow the 10.30pm bulletin.
TE
This is terrible. An end to a household name. These stupid dramas on ITV 1 are the cause of the late start times for News At Ten. Trim these programmes or remove some of the ad breaks. KEEP NEWS AT TEN.
:-(
A former member
If the BBC can manage to keep the 10 News on at 6 days a week so can ITV and thus that's what they should do. Keep News at Ten, make it better, move the ads around, put in more analysis, don't be stupid and just give up on it and move it!
AS
I don't think they're just giving up on it - the move back to NAT never looked particularly permanent. Just looking back at a clip of the ITV report on the return of NAT there's David Liddiment saying, "In the working week it's 10 most nights of the week and the important thing is the news will appear at the end of the big movie or the Morse or the big long-form drama that they're watching so I don't think they'll be any sense where the viewer will feel inconvenienced." Of course, the mish-mash, lowsy timing, is it isn't it? and breaking films with NAT wasn't and isn't ideal.
For me, the News at Ten respect and 'brand name' died in 1999.
Bets on then that the 10.30pm bulletin will be introduced on the first day of the brand new look, early 2004?
Asa
Admin
Altowers posted:
If the BBC can manage to keep the 10 News on at 6 days a week so can ITV and thus that's what they should do. Keep News at Ten, make it better, move the ads around, put in more analysis, don't be stupid and just give up on it and move it!
I don't think they're just giving up on it - the move back to NAT never looked particularly permanent. Just looking back at a clip of the ITV report on the return of NAT there's David Liddiment saying, "In the working week it's 10 most nights of the week and the important thing is the news will appear at the end of the big movie or the Morse or the big long-form drama that they're watching so I don't think they'll be any sense where the viewer will feel inconvenienced." Of course, the mish-mash, lowsy timing, is it isn't it? and breaking films with NAT wasn't and isn't ideal.
For me, the News at Ten respect and 'brand name' died in 1999.
Bets on then that the 10.30pm bulletin will be introduced on the first day of the brand new look, early 2004?