This Morning

Though ITV News doesn't have that many resources does it ? ITV News really only has the regional stuff doesn't it?

ITN provides ITV News's network newsgathering - and that's a commercial agreement. If ITV Studios want to use ITN facilities for This Morning then that will presumably have a cost (either through an uplift to the ITN contract to provide ITV News if This Morning were added, or an ad hoc charge on a per-use basis) ITN outsource a lot (all?) of their truck provision anyway don't they - and for This Morning to use them they'd either need to remove a truck from the ITN pool used for ITV News or be reporting on a story in the same location as ITN had deployed one of their trucks?

The reality is that This Morning are presumably using Skype, FaceTime and 3G/4G LiveU/WMT-style links to allow them to offer something better than a sound-only phone call on a topical story? Sure they could try and deploy an OB truck - but these days, for a single camera live, a 3G/4G backpack (or even a mobile phone with video calling) solution is probably a faster-turnaround solution and logistically more practical?

How would they have managed the link on Tuesday to Spain? Would that not have been exactly the same just with more time to prepare? Because they had a full set up then?

Not having seen it I can't say - but some stories are set-up in advance (either because they are produced and set-up by This Morning or are 'diary' stories that you know about in advance for a given date). If that were the case - then you could send a producer and possibly some crew, or hire locally, and set up an SNG truck should it be deemed that level of insert I'd guess.

I was thinking more of ITV News Group rather than ITN. (ie the regional news operations).

I suspect most ITV News regions only have one or two SNG trucks available to them (depending on the number of sub-regions) - and I'd expect them to be using more and more 3G/4G backpack cameras these days. The huge cost savings involved in avoiding a truck mean the push in that direction is becoming unavoidable. Of course if they don't deploy for lunchtime then This Morning might be able to bring a crew in - but arranging for that 'on the day' could be tricky.

Simon Coulder was meant to be somewhere else this morning, I'm pretty sure they said that just before the interview. This Morning use a lot of Skype for interviews and I don't think it detracts from anything.

Rylan Clark-Neal covering for Phil with Holly today.

I want to see Fearne Cotton guest present some time soon!

Breaking News strap.

No thanks xD

That's just the usual aston isn't it, with Breaking News where it would normally say someone's name?

Rylan Clark-Neal and Dan Neal are covering for Eamonn and Ruth on July 8. Phil and Holly present the following Friday with the summer season starting on July 20 with Eamonn and Ruth.