The beginning of a new era…

A few months ago, I wrote an article about changes to the presenting line-up on ITV News, and specifically Alastair Stewart. Gratefully, over 9000 people read the article, and now here is the follow-up.

It’s been seven months since Tom Bradby (ITV’s former Political Editor), began presenting the revamped, ITV News at Ten.

ITV relaunched the iconic bulletin, airing a less ‘formal’ approach than that of BBC News at Ten. ITV’s approach is to have more discussion on the important issues, allowing more time for guests to examine the issues in more detail, and to expand the audiences knowledge of a particular subject.

When Tom took over presenting duties on Monday October 13th 2015, no distinct changes were made to the look of the bulletin – apart from the right ‘television wall’ being removed in order to create a more open-plan studio and setting. ITV wanted its audience to ‘warm’ to Tom and their new approach to the bulletin, before making any major changes.

Tom Bradby’s first ‘NaT’.

A few weeks after Tom took over, viewers were complaining that instead of being told about what’s happening around the world from an impartial point of view, they were instead hearing what Tom thought about the issues of the day. Plus, Tom’s awkward presenting style (which was probably down to first-time nerves), lead to viewers asking for the return of experienced presenters, Mark Austin and Julie Etchingham.

With ITV relaunching its iconic bulletin, it lead to a war of words between top BBC and ITV/ITN executives. The BBC accused ITV of running their 9pm programmes over-time, finishing after 10pm, in order for the audience to miss the headlines on the BBC, therefore forcing them to stay tuned to ITV News at Ten. ITV sources called the accusations ”nonsense”. But, the so called ‘battle of the bongs’ hasn’t just been between top executives, its also between the shows main presenters – BBC’s Huw Edwards and ITV’s Tom Bradby.

In many interviews ahead of his debut as presenter on News at Ten, Bradby accused the BBC of being ”too powerful”, and trying to put ITV News ”out of business”. Edwards hit back lauding the BBC’s superior viewing figures online – BBC’s 10pm bulletin regularly gains over 4 million viewers, ITV’s has around 2 million. Investing heavily in the bulletin, ITV persuaded many of the BBC’s top talent to defect to them – most notably Robert Peston (now ITV’s Political Editor), and Allegra Stratton (now ITV’s National Editor).

Huw Edwards – BBC

Tom Bradby – ITV

In January 2016, ITV relaunched ‘News at Ten’, with new opening titles, and tweaks to its virtual studio. The bulletins updated look incorporated images of ‘big ben’ striking 10pm (a nod to its iconic past), and images of the capital cities of the four provinces that make up the United Kingdom – Belfast (Northern Ireland), Cardiff (Wales), Edinburgh (Scotland), and London (England). The theme music was also updated to incorporate the chimes of ‘big ben’.

‘News at Ten’ logo.

‘News at Ten’ revamped studio.

Personally, its fantastic to see ITV investing money in one of televisions most historic, and iconic news bulletins. Since I was in my teens, ‘NAT’ has been of huge inspiration to me, and is one of the reasons why I studied journalism at University, and am working towards, to hopefully, one day, becoming a journalist. Its iconic stories have been influential across the globe, and its well-known faces (such as Alastair Burnett, Alastair Stewart and Sir Trevor McDonald), made us (the viewers), feel like we knew them personally.

It’s great to see ‘News at Ten’ return to its original look of incorporating ‘big ben’ striking 10pm, as well as incorporating the modern methods of today. The bulletin was famously axed in 1999, but returned in 2008 and has continued to the present day, and long may it be on our TV screens for years to come!

The end of an era…

Earlier tonight, viewers across the UK saw a true news broadcasting legend, end his near 30-year association, with ITV News at Ten.

ITV Newscaster Alastair Stewart, has been a part of News at Ten since he most famously anchored the programme LIVE, during the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. Since then, he has covered some of the world’s biggest news stories, including the Gulf War, a number of Budget specials (since 1992), and ITV’s General Election coverage (up until 2010).

Back in June 2015, it was announced that ITV/ITN bosses would be changing the award winning presenting line-up on ITV News. The biggest change announced, was that Political Editor Tom Bradby would become the sole anchor of ITV News at Ten, replacing Mark Austin and Julie Etchingham. Mark would move to the ITV News at 18:30 to present alongside Mary Nightingale, replacing Alastair Stewart as the main anchor. Julie would present News at Ten on a Friday, and Alastair would move to the ITV News at 1.30, presenting three times per week.

The announcement came as huge shock, especially as Mark Austin had just won the award for ‘Newscaster of the Year’, in February 2015. As news of the change sank in, it became increasingly clear Alastair’s association with News at Ten was coming to an end, and sadly tonight (Friday 09/10/2015), it did.

So, why did bosses decide to change the presenting line-up? According to ITV News editor Geoff Hill: ”it signals the start of an exciting new chapter for ITV News”, and with increasing competition from BBC News at Ten, as well as online news organisations, bosses felt they needed to revamp the programme, in order for it to stay ‘fresh’, and compete with other news providers.

Mark Austin presented his final News at Ten on Thursday 08/10/2015, after 8 years as main anchor of the programme, and even though Alastair was the main relief newscaster, it’s his association with the programme, that will be sorely missed.

Mark Austin presented his final News at Ten on 8/10/15. Credit: ITN.

ITV News and Alastair in particular, have been a true inspiration to me over the years. His professionalism, authority, knowledge and passion for news, is one of the main reasons I began my career in journalism. If I come even an inch close to the career he has had, I would be an extremely happy man.

As I expected, his final NAT close was ‘low key’, but as Alastair has said previously: ”it’s the news that’s the star. We’re simply lucky enough to be asked to write it, and read it.”

Personally, it has been a true honour for me to watch him present the worlds most iconic news programme, for over a decade. He will be truly missed by me (and a few others too), and I wish him luck with his ‘new’ role on ITV News at 1.30.

Alastair Stewart closes his final NAT, presenting alongisde Natasha Kaplinsky.

Will he, won’t he…

UPDATED.

YOU might not know this, but there’s an election happening in May, and in the run-up to it, the main party leaders will take part in TV election debates. But, over the past week they have been thrown into disarray. Let me tell you why…

During the campaign of 2010, the leaders of the three main political parties – Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrats, all took part in a three-way television debate, in which they answered questions from the public about economic, health and social issues. The debates screened on the BBC, ITV and Sky News were watched by over 22 million viewers, and were seen as a huge success.

Fast forward to late 2014, and the three main broadcasters, now joined by Channel 4, announced their plans for the upcoming General Election – including a return of the TV debates. The BBC and ITV announced their debates would feature the leaders of the Conservative, Labour & Liberal Democrats, although the latter would include UKIP leader Nigel Farage. The third and final debate to air on Channel 4/Sky News would be a head-to-head between David Cameron and Ed Miliband. The debates would take place, every 2 weeks from April 2nd, and continue on April 16th, and end on April 30th – exactly one week before polling day.

Controversy…

When the plans were announced, The Green Party expressed their disappointment at being excluded, and demanded to be included. Their demand was rejected, and the party launched an online petition which gained over 275,000 signatures, and saw a huge surge in membership. The campaign led to the BBC and ITV announcing plans for a seven-way debate, featuring leaders from the UK’s seven main political parties, including the Tories, Labour, Lib Dems, the Greens, UKIP, the SNP and Plaid Cymru. The Greens accepted the new proposals, and congratulated the broadcasters for listening to them.

The first debate is due to take place on Thursday April 2nd on ITV, hosted by ITV News presenter Julie Etchingham; the next on BBC One would air on April 16th, hosted by David Dimbleby; the third and final debate to air on Sky News, would take place on April 30th and be chaired by Jeremy Paxman, with the aftermath hosted by Kay Burley.

However, a few days after the plans were confirmed, the PM announced that he would only take part in ONE of the proposed debates, because he thinks the debates are a waste of his time, specifically if they’re held during the election campaign. Instead, Mr Cameron has held the broadcasters to ”ransom”, by proposing a 90 minute debate with the 6 remaining political leaders, if it is held on Thursday, March 26th – 4 days before campaigning starts.

But, his actions have been criticised by politicians, political commentators, and voters for trying to ”derail the democratic process”, and has even been accused of ”running scared” from the Labour Party, and has been called ”a chicken” by Labour leader Ed Miliband.

The broadcasters have since announced that the debates will still be go ahead, and they’ll be ”empty chairing” the PM, if he doesn’t show up.

But, what do the public think about the debates?

Well, a new poll released by the Sunday Times, shows support for the debates at 69%, but asked if they think a different format should be considered, 21% said it should. Asked if there should be a head-to-head debate between Cameron and Miliband, 42% are in favour, and 42% are against it.

But asked, who the public think are to blame for the breakdown in talks between the broadcasters and political leaders, it’s not good reading for Cameron – over 40% blame the PM for his ”disgraceful” actions, whilst 13% blame the broadcasters.

Today (11/3/15), makes further grim reading for the PM. A new poll released by ComRes for ITV News shows, 64% of voters believe the PM has ”damaged his reputation”, over his refusal to take part, and his ignorance to even answer questions about the debates. Also today, a new digital debate was put forward by Youtube, the Daily Telegraph & The Guardian, which would take place on Monday, March 23rd – which is what the PM wants.

With the pressure from politicians, and now voters anger increasing everyday, will the PM do the right thing, and finally agree to take part in all 3 of the proposed TV debates? Well it remains to be seen whether he’ll give in, or remain ignorant when questioned on the subject.

Whatever happens between now and April 2nd, there is no denying, it will certainly be interesting!

100 days to go…

YOU might not know this, but it’s only 100 days to go, until the General Election on Thursday 7th May 2015, and it promises to be the most exciting election, ever.

During the course of today (27/1/15), we heard a number of stories across newspapers, mobile news apps, and television news programmes, about what each political party is going to do, to secure our vote.

For the Conservative party, they brought out Chancellor George Osborne to tell us, that they are the ”only party” to keep Britain’s economic recovery on track, and that a Labour government would ”wreck the recovery”.

But, what recovery is Mr Osborne talking about? You might say. Many believe there is a ‘North vs South’ recovery happening. With the new jobs being created in the south of the country, whilst the North is not seeing job growth as quickly as the south. The north has seen job growth, but its slow.

Another fact to add in, is wages. Wages in the south are extremely high, compared to the north, because living there is expensive, but people in the north, haven’t seen a wage rise, and with food, energy, and clothing prices still high, the poorest, are becoming poorer.

Labour on the other hand, sent leader Ed Miliband to talk to reporters, choosing to focus on the National Health Service (NHS). The party pledged to train 10,000 more Nurses, to cut spending on bringing in agency staff from abroad, and to pour more money in to the service. ”Under David Cameron, there have been 8000 fewer nurses trained and hospitals have been left scrambling to repair the damage”, Mr Miliband said.

To pay for more investment in the NHS, the party would take money from its new ‘Time to Care’ fund costing £2.5 billion, which would be funded from a higher mansion tax, reclaim money from tax avoidance and, place a levy on tobacco companies. The Conservatives have come out saying Labour would ”lose control” over NHS spending and, plunge the service into a ”black hole”, in which it would never recover from. Jeremy Hunt, Health Secretary even compared Labour, to the new left-wing party in Greece, Syriza.

But, a new Comres poll for ITV News, reveals that the NHS is high on voters agenda, with more people trusting Labour with the NHS, than the Tories. In the same poll though, it reveals that the Conservatives are the most trusted party to look after the economy, and Labour are still struggling to convince voters about their plans.

This election is not just about the main parties though, it’s about the ever-growing popularity of the small parties – particularly UKIP and The Green Party. With trust in politicians at an all-time low, people have turned to the smaller parties to improve their lives, because after decades of either Conservative or Labour governments, they feel nothing has changed for them.

UKIP appeal to working class people in particular because of it’s ‘no nonsense’ approach, and with the party cleverly depicting leader Nigel Farage, as a man who ”loves a pint and cigarette” down his local, they believe he is one of them, and someone who can bring the change they so desperately want.

On the other hand, The Green Party have seen a surge in popularity recently, due to the comments many UKIP candidates have said about gay, black, and disabled people during the past few months, and the fact they were left out of the TV debates in the run-up to the General Election. It added 2,000 members in ONE day amid a blaze of publicity over the issue, with membership soaring past UKIP, and even the Liberal Democrats.

A new poll for Sky News, the ‘Poll of Polls’, has predicted that Labour will be the biggest party, and hold the ‘balance the power’, with 282 seats, 44 seats short of an outright majority of 326 seats. The Conservatives are predicted to have 270 seats.

No matter what people say, or what the politicians do, this will be the closest and, most exciting General Election, ever!