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so it's News at 2230

ITC approves move (October 2003)

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NG
noggin Founding member
Square Eyes posted:
Mark Smith posted:

No it was ITV moving their news to 11pm that started all this in the first place, leaving the BBC to fill the vacant 10pm slot.

Well yes, and when the BBC moved to 10pm (whilst the ITC were reviewing the ITV situation), ITV actually welcomed the move. At that time, ITV had bulletins at 6.30pm & 11pm, and were actually happy with that. ITV must have seen it as an opportunity for the ITC to get off their back, as a news requirement was being fulfilled at 10pm, but oh no.

It was the ITC that interferred and created the "News at When" scenario, forcing ITV to move their news back to 10pm when the BBC had already moved their bulletin to that time. The whole conflict and ridiculous compromise thing was a creation of the ITC.

ITV is so much more heavily regulated than the BBC will ever be, why should the ITC have the power to dictate the schedule ? ITV have to go through months of consultation and the approval of the ITC to alter the schedule. But seemingly the BBC can move their bulletin around with a whim.

Doesn't seem right.


That isn't quite accurate.

The BBC announced the move to 2200, but to happen quite a long time after the announcement. ITV welcomed the move at this point - as they believed it would mean the ITC were less likely to demand the ITV news moving to 2200.

The ITC then ruled that ITV DID have to return to 2200 - and ITV had a couple of months to comply.

HOWEVER - in less than a month - and at least 6 months before expected (and 2 or 3 months before ITV) the BBC went ahead and moved their news to 2200 - which surprised everybody - and annoyed ITN/ITV who expected to be returning to 2200 before the BBC...
BR
Brekkie
Well, I think it's the best solution the ITC will allow for ITV News. I personally preferred the Nightly News at 11pm, but as ITV didn't schedule News at Ten properly, I think 10.30pm will do fine.

What they must do now is ensure they schedule films and two-hour dramas at the weekend (with The Premiership going it frees up Saturday nights).

I also imagine that on Champions League Nights that the 10.30pm bulletin will be pushed back to 10.45pm.

ITV now have to work on new programming for the freed slot, and also the 11pm slot - a mixture of regional programmes and sport.

I also think they should introduce a "Midnight Movie". With no ads shown after midnight, ITV1 should screen an uninterrupted movie at midnight on a regular basis IMO.

Back to ITV News - is this the end of Trevor McDonald? Having him return to the Evening News would mean a change in the current format - which works very well.
:-(
A former member
I predict we'll see a swap between Sir Trev and Droopy Austin. People are quick to condemn Sir Trev, saying he should retire, but I still think he is one of the slickest and most professional newscasters on TV.

Saying that, I'd like to see Katie Derham get the new job, leaving Mary to do the Evening News and maybe get Trev to do weekends. Surely that'd be cushier than his current job, having all week off!
SE
Square Eyes Founding member
Phil posted:
I predict we'll see a swap between Sir Trev and Droopy Austin. People are quick to condemn Sir Trev, saying he should retire, but I still think he is one of the slickest and most professional newscasters on TV.

Saying that, I'd like to see Katie Derham get the new job, leaving Mary to do the Evening News and maybe get Trev to do weekends. Surely that'd be cushier than his current job, having all week off!

But but ....... what of John Suchet ? I agree that Mark Austin does appear to be being groomed for a high profile role (he's covered quite a few News at Ten's) but surely John Suchet is supremo at ITN.
LO
Londoner
Media Guardian posted:
ITV's decision finally to end the 'New at When' saga was thrown into relief last night when the broadcaster's night-time news bulletin was beaten by a 17-year-old movie on Channel Five.

Just 3.1 million people watched the 10pm news programme, which has been steadily losing viewers since ITV decided to axe News at Ten five years ago.

This was 2 million fewer than watched BBC1's 10pm news and 200,000 fewer than Five's Commando, a 1985 action movie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger as a special forces colonel who goes back to active service after his daughter is kidnapped.
:-(
A former member
Square Eyes posted:
But but ....... what of John Suchet ? I agree that Mark Austin does appear to be being groomed for a high profile role (he's covered quite a few News at Ten's) but surely John Suchet is supremo at ITN.

Well I would be inclined to agree with you, being a John fan myself, but what does he do at the moment? He's a stand-in, hardly the highest profile job they have going there. I really can't see John being the number one. Wasn't Mary supposedly "number two", being Kirsty Young's replacement?
BR
Brekkie
I think it's time for Trevor to retire gracefully. ITV should then give him a more prominant role on Tonight with Trevor McDonald and as a presenter on major events such as elections etc.
AN
Andrew Founding member
Well Trevor McDonald still is people's most trusted person and recently topped at Radio Times poll, despite the fact that most Radio Times readers probably haven't seen him present anything for ages.

Moving Trev to 6.30 would help boost the Evening News ratings as well as the changes at 10.30 improving the ratings at that time.

So maybe it should be like this:

Lunchtime News - (M) Katie Derham, (TuWThF) Nicholas Owen
Evening News - (MTuWTh) Mary Nightingale (F) Katie Derham
Evening News - (MWF) Trevor McDonald (TuTh) Mark Austin
Late News - (MTuWTh) John Suchet (F) Mark Austin
Weekends - Andrea Catherwood, Katie Derham & Felicity Barr

Obviously the one day covers wouldn't be advertised as such, so the new late news would be advertised as being with John Suchet
:-(
A former member
I say Katie and Nick should co-present the Lunchtime News. It would work miles better.
AN
Andrew Founding member
Phil posted:
I say Katie and Nick should co-present the Lunchtime News. It would work miles better.
Thats an idea, maybe the 6.30pm one could go back to being single headed, with Trevor McDonald?

It wasn't long ago that it seemed ITV1 had a shortage of news presenters, now there seems to be too many!
EH
Ed Hammond
It'll only succeed if it manages to tread the path between being high and lowbrow. Highbrow news viewers will probably be watching Newsnight at that time so you won't get that audience. But make it too trashy and you'll end up with basically a repeat of the Evening News.

Perhaps they should "dumb up" (ugh! what a phrase!) the Evening News, to counter the dreadful stories they have on the Six, and then make their late-evening news programme a bit more tabloidy.
:-(
A former member
I reckon the move to 10:30 will coincide with the retirement of Trevor and the new look.

I am hoping it will be fronted by John Suchet with Katie Derham as the second presenter and Mark Austin as the occasional fill in. It would be nice to see it with analysis on the top stories, all the other headlines in detail, sports news, business news, an interesting feature, starting on time and the local news.

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