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ITV News at Ten

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For programmes named "News at Ten", seeNews at Ten (disambiguation).

ITV News at Ten
Title card used since 2016
Also known asNews at Ten
GenreNewsandCurrent affairs
Presented by
Voices ofGayanne Potter (intro)
Theme music composer
Opening theme"The Awakening"
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
Production
Production locationsITN headquarters,London,England
Editors
  • Laura Wilshaw[1](Programme Editor)
  • Rachel Corp[2](Editor, ITV News)
Camera setupMulti-camera
Running time30 minutes
Production companyITN
Original release
NetworkITV
Release3 July 1967(1967-07-03)[3]–
5 March 1999(1999-03-05)
Release22 January 2001(2001-01-22)–
30 January 2004(2004-01-30)
Release14 January 2008(2008-01-14)–
present
Related

ITV News at Ten(or more commonlyNews at Ten) is the flagship eveningnewsprogramme on Britishtelevision networkITV,produced byITNand founded by news editorGeoffrey Coxin July 1967.[3][4]The bulletin was the first permanent 30-minute news broadcast in the United Kingdom, and although initially scheduled for only thirteen weeks due to fears that its length would turn viewers off,[5]the bulletin proved to be highly popular with audiences and became a fixture of the ITV schedule.

News at Tenrose to popularity for its winning combination of in-depth, analytical news coverage and populist stories,[6]as well as for its use of Big Ben's chimes to separate news headlines in its opening sequence. It simultaneously helped popularise newscasters such asAlastair Burnet,Andrew Gardner,Reginald Bosanquet,Sandy Gall,Anna Ford,John Suchet,Mark Austin,Alastair StewartandTrevor McDonaldinto well-known television personalities.

When the bulletin was axed in 1999 in order for primetime entertainment programming to air uninterrupted, there was a public outcry. ITV reluctantly brought the programme back – under the nameITV News at Ten– in 2001, airing it at 10pm for a minimum of three nights per week, but eventually replaced it with theITV News at 10.30in 2004. It was not until January 2008 thatNews at Tenwas reinstated to the ITV schedule. The programme has been anchored byTom Bradbysince 2015.

History[edit]

1967 to 1999: the original run[edit]

ITN had been ITV's news provider since the channel's launch in September 1955. News updates from ITN tended to run 14 minutes in length at most, with no fixed broadcast time.[7]From his arrival in 1956, ITN editor Geoffrey Cox had consistently argued to theIndependent Television Authoritythat ITN should be providing at least one news bulletin of substantial length, in order to cover and analyse major news stories more closely. ITV argued against the idea of a 30-minute evening bulletin, insisting a news programme of such length would eat into its primetime entertainment schedule and turn viewers away from the channel, but the ITA granted Cox's wish in 1967. ITV stations reluctantly agreed to give the proposed bulletin – a Monday-to-Friday programme, fixed at 10pm – a 13-week trial run to test its success.[8]

A still from aNews at Tenopening sequence from its launch.

News at Tenbegan broadcasting on 3 July 1967[3]under the editorship of Cox,[5]who stipulated that the aim of the new programme was to "remove the spin and bring facts and the news as it really was."[8]ITV's stance was seemingly confirmed early; the programme had little news to cover in its first few editions, having launched in the middle of summer during a slow news week.[8]However, a reversal of fortunes quickly took place after an "action story" from ITN reporterAlan Harton theArgyll and Sutherland Highlandersre-enteringCrater,which ran for a then-unheard-of length of 5 minutes.[9]A series of similar in-depth reports eventually helped to giveNews at Tena regular viewership of seven million every night, forcing ITV to keep the programme. By 1969,News at Tenhad become the first news bulletin in Britain to enter the top 20 most-watched programmes of the week.[10]

The arrival of the new 30-minute programme allowed ITN to give a more in-depth and detailed treatment of serious news for the first time on British television, as well as coverage of populist stories and issues that would attract the viewing audience.[6]The programme built on these concepts by introducing reporter packages, not the norm then but now a staple of television news,[8]and a team of two newscasters taking turns to read stories instead of a sole presenter: a two-man team would inject personality into television news,[6]as well as allow breaking news to be handed to the newscaster not in vision. The original newscasting team included Alastair Burnet, Andrew Gardner, Reginald Bosanquet,George FfitchandLeonard Parkin.[9]News at Tenalso employed several other distinctive features which proved popular with viewers: the use ofBig Ben's chimes (or "bongs" ) to separate the news headlines being read in the opening sequence, and the "… And Finally" report – a quirky and often humorous end piece designed to send the viewing audience to bed "on a high note" after 30 minutes of hard news coverage.[11]

News at Tendeveloped a solid reputation for its extensive coverage of international news stories.[9]Foreign correspondent Sandy Gall, the first ITN journalist to cover the start of theVietnam Warin 1965, returned there on several occasions to produce reports forNews at Tenuntil he was forcibly removed from the country following theFall of Saigonin 1975.Michael Nicholsonreported in-depth on the 1976Soweto uprisingforNews at Ten,and later went on to cover theFalklands Warin 1982, after which he was awarded theSouth Atlantic Medalfor his work.News at Ten,by now the UK's most popular news programme, ultimately forced the BBC to follow ITN's lead and extend its own programming to match,[6]althoughLord Annandeclared in his 1977Committee into the Future of Broadcasting,"We subscribe to the generally held view that ITN has the edge over BBC News."[10]

In the absence of Alastair Burnet (who left ITN in 1972 to pursue a career in print journalism),News at Tenpaired Andrew Gardner and Reginald Bosanquet to create one of the programme's most well-liked newscasting duos.[12]In 1978,Anna Fordbecame the bulletin's first female newscaster, and Alastair Burnet rejoined the programme in the same year. For more than a decade onwards, Burnet was the newscaster most associated withNews at Ten,his "serious persona", "sepulchral tones" and "deferential interviewing style" becoming respected hallmarks of the programme.[13]By the late 1980s, Burnet – now a member of the ITN board of directors andNews at Ten's associate editor – began to draw criticism that he was losing the personal touch with his audience, allowingNews at Tento settle into a "stodgy" and "old-fashioned" complacency.[13]Nonetheless, the programme continued to maintain a solid high audience during the 1980s and well into the next decade.

The development of satellite technology[5]in the 1980s allowedNews at Tento broadcast live from several locations around the world, including theGreat Wall of Chinaduring a visit fromthe Queenin 1986. Alastair Burnet presentedNews at Tenfrom the United States during several presidential campaigns, as well as the 1984 conventions of theRepublicanandDemocraticparties. Alastair Stewart presentedNews at Tenlive from Saudi Arabia, the fall of theBerlin Wallin 1989 and the liberatedKuwait Cityduring the 1991Gulf War.

Burnet retired from ITN in 1991 after several clashes with the ITV companies over the future of the news organisation.[13]In November 1992,News at Tenwas given its first major relaunch, in part to address the criticism it had attracted over the last few years.[8]In a bid to regain the personal touch that had been lost, the programme dispensed with the dual-presentation team in favour of a sole newscaster,Trevor McDonald,who subsequently became one of the most well-known newscasters in the UK. Julia Somerville,John SuchetandDermot Murnaghaneach presentedNews at Tenwhen McDonald was absent. The bulletin carried this format until March 1999.

DespiteNews at Ten's continued stature and popularity, ITV announced its intention to axe the bulletin in 1993, proposing two new peak-time bulletins at 6:30pm and 11pm. ITV justified the move as a measure to stem the decline in television viewing audiences and to allow the uninterrupted broadcast of movies, dramas and other entertainment programmes, but the plans were met with widespread criticism from viewers, severalMembers of Parliament,the then-Prime MinisterJohn Majorand the National Heritage Committee.[14]TheIndependent Television Commission(ITC) ruled that ITV had not established a solid case for the removal ofNews at Ten,pointing to BBC News having experienced a larger viewing decline than ITN, but were restructuring the contents of their news programmes rather than move them to different timeslots.[14]The proposals were eventually withdrawn after the ITC threatened ITV with legal action.

1999 to 2008: a xing and theNews at When?era[edit]

In September 1998, following intense lobbying from the ITV companies, the ITC finally reviewed plans for a new weekday primetime ITV schedule that saw the removal ofNews at Ten(and the 5:40pmEarly Evening News) in favour of new 6:30pm and 11:00pm news bulletins. The ITC undertook extensive audience research which found that the public preferredNews at Tento stay by a proportion of 5 to 3,[14]but nonetheless granted ITV permission to axeNews at Tenfor a one-year trial period. The programme's demise in March 1999 coincided with an overhaul of news on ITV, which continued to be produced by ITN, but now branded on screen as ITV News. Trevor McDonald presented the new flagshipITV Evening Newsat 6:30pm, a one-minute news summary was broadcast at 10pm, and this was followed by the 20-minuteITV Nightly Newsat 11:00pm presented byDermot Murnaghan.But these changes ultimately resulted in a 13.9% decline in overall viewing figures for ITV News.[14] In 2000, the ITC ordered ITV to reinstateNews at Tento stem the ratings decline. The BBC then decided to cash in on the move by shifting its own long-runningNine O'Clock Newsto 10pm. McDonald returned to front the retitledITV News at Tenin 2001, with a dual-presenting team of Dermot Murnaghan andMary Nightingalereplacing McDonald on theITV Evening News.However, the haphazard scheduling of the revived 10pm bulletin ultimately led to its downfall. While the BBC'sTen O'Clock Newswas fixed at 10pm for six nights a week, theITV News at Tenwas broadcast for only three nights a week, allowing entertainment programmes to be broadcast past 10pm for the rest of the week. In addition, the programme was often delayed by overrunning entertainment programmes on the nights that it was scheduled for 10pm. This inconsistency led to the bulletin being unceremoniously dubbedNews at When?[15][16]

In 2003, ITV received approval from the ITC to axe the programme and replace it with theITV News at 10:30,fixed at that time every weeknight. McDonald presented this bulletin from its launch on 2 February 2004 until his retirement on 15 December 2005.Mark Austinbecame the programme's main host from January 2006.

2008 to 2015: reinstatement to ITV schedules[edit]

In October 2007, ITV chairmanMichael Gradeannounced the return ofNews at Ten,following comments he made in March that the original removal of the programme was "a shocking mistake [that] damaged ITV more than anything else."[17]The bulletin returned with its original name on 14 January 2008, broadcast from Monday to Thursday at 10pm, with an 11pm bulletin titledThe Late Newsairing on Friday evenings. The revivedNews at Tensaw the reintroduction of the dual-newscaster team, pairing new presenterJulie Etchinghamwith Trevor McDonald, who had temporarily come out of retirement. Etchingham and Mark Austin presentedThe Late News.[17][18]In March 2009,The Late Newswas dropped in order forNews at Tento return to its traditional Monday-to-Friday 10pm slot, giving the programme a "consistent home at the heart of the schedule".[19]

McDonald finally retired fromNews at Tenin October 2008 after hosting the programme's specialUS electioncoverage from Washington[20]and was replaced by Mark Austin in November. Austin presented theITV News at 6:30simultaneously until he was replaced on that programme by Alastair Stewart.[21]

News at Tenstruggled to regain its high viewing figures following several years out of the 10pm timeslot, its 2008 return watched by 3.8 million viewers in comparison to 4.9m for the BBC. However, the bulletin occasionally beat theBBC News at 10in the ratings: an overrunning football match onBBC Onehelped deliver ITV 4.3m at 10pm;[22]severe weather conditions on 2 February 2009 saw terrestrial TV news bulletins receive a boost in ratings andNews at Tenwas watched by 4.8m; and a week of specialBritain's Got Talentsemi-final programmes in May 2009 sawNews at Tenbeat the BBC with figures of 6.1m (26 May) and 6.4m (28 May), the latter being the programme's highest audience figure since 2003.[23]

In November 2009, the famousBig Benclock tower was removed from the programme's opening credits after concerns it alienated viewers outside London,[24]but was ultimately reinstated toNews at Ten's opening sequence following a further ITV relaunch in January 2013. From November 2009, the bulletin was known asITV News at Ten,but known on screen as simplyITV News.

2015–present: refocus on reputation[edit]

As part of a move to enhance the reputation of ITV's news and current affairs output,[25]News at Tenwas restructured and redeveloped across a number of months: the new format launched in October 2015, placing more emphasis on analysis, context and a more "conversational" presentation style under new presenterTom Bradby,former ITV News political editor;[26]then the appointments of former BBC News journalistsRobert Peston(as political editor) andAllegra Stratton(as national editor), who both reiterated in the press ITV's newfound intention to challenge the dominance of BBC News;[27]and a refreshed set and opening title sequence in January 2016, which saw the reinstatement of theNews at Tenname on screen.[27]

In November 2015, it was reported that tension had developed between senior figures at the BBC and ITV following comments made about the viewing figures for both 10pm news bulletins:[28]prior to theNews at Tenrelaunch, Bradby commented on the powerful nature of BBC News during an interview withThe Telegraph,saying that the scheduling of BBC One's 10pm news against ITV'sNews at Tenwas not in the public interest and that the corporation should "mount a strategic retreat".[26]The BBC'sHuw Edwardsposted onFacebookthat ITV should end its "creative handling of audience figures".[28]A senior ITV News executive said to The Guardian that the BBC's attitude "is such [that] they are trying to smash and crush us" and that the corporation's "arrogance has got to such a level."[28]Nigel Dacre, editor of ITV News between 1995 and 2001, criticised the channel's use of "junction management", which involves the deliberate overrunning of the 9pm programme so that viewing figures forNews at Tenare inflated.[29]

As an experiment to try and boost ITV's viewing figures at the 10pm slot, on Monday 27 February 2017,News at Tenmoved to 10.30pm for eight consecutive weeks to make way for new entertainment programmeThe Nightly Show.[30]The bulletin returned to its original 10pm timeslot from 24 April 2017.

For a number of weeks in the run-up to the2017 general electionNews at Tenwas extended by 15 minutes, pushing the late regional news to 10:45pm.

On 3 January 2018, a fire alarm forced ITV News staff to evacuate the building during the live broadcast ofNews at Ten.By the time crew members were allowed into the studio, the following programme was already on air.[31]

On April 26th 2024, presenterRageh Omaarbecame unwell whilst the programme was on air. Omaar could be heard stumbling over and slurring his words, sparking viewer concern for his wellbeing. Omaar received medical care in hospital thereafter, before being discharged to complete his recovery at home. The planned rerun of this bulletin on ITV1+1 was pulled from broadcast[32][33][34]

Theme music and opening sequence[edit]

News at Tenis famed for its use of the Big Ben clockface, the headline "bongs" and the dramatic and familiar theme music, all retained and reworked into various guises across five decades.[27][35]

From 1967 to 1992, its opening and closing themes were straightforward excerpts fromThe Awakening,a piece oflibrary musiccomposed byJohnny Pearson.In 1992, composerDave Hewsonwas appointed to produce a new arrangement ofThe Awakening.Since April 1995, Hewson has produced several rearrangements of the famous theme for all ITV News programmes.

The story of the adaptation ofThe Awakeningwas featured in an official TV tie-in book, although incorrectly referring to the title music asArabesque:[36]

The tune is calledArabesqueand was written byJohnny Pearson,who went on to write many other television theme tunes. The decision to use it was taken only at the last minute and after the first week it was nearly dropped. Viewers were complaining it was too harsh. A composer fromDisneywas called in during the first week to write a new theme tune. But an ITN sound mixer called Alfie Wilson wanted to stick with the old tune. He took the original recording ofArabesqueto a nearby music studio and got it remixed—smoothing out some of the strident tones of the original. By the second Monday ofNews at Tenthere was still no decision on which piece of music to use. Just before the programme started, editor Geoffrey Cox said, "Let's go with what we've got for the time being." Alfie played his remixed version on air and that's the one that was played five nights a week until a new arrangement ofArabesquewas created for the revamp in 1992.

— News at Ten: A Celebration,1999

The most memorable[citation needed]series ofNews at Tentitle sequences launched in 1969: a camera pan across theHouses of Parliamentand up theWestminster Clock Tower,followed by a sharp zoom into the tower clockface and the programme's name appearing on screen in time to the strident beats ofThe Awakening,with the headline "bongs" playing directly afterwards. (If the bulletin started significantly after 10pm, the "bongs" were dispensed with.) Further refreshes of the opening sequence continued to use this basic concept for several years afterwards, even after the introduction of computer-generated titles in 1988, which incorporated a virtual flyover over nighttime London. As part of the programme's 1992 revamp, the familiar sequence was replaced by simple camera shots of the clock tower and ITN's headquarters. In 2008,News at Tenreworked its 1988 flyover sequence for its relaunch. The programme used the same opening titles as other ITV News bulletins from 2001 to 2004 and again from 2009 to 2016, all loosely based on elements established byNews at Tentitle sequences from its early days. In 2016, a new title sequence was introduced, focusing more closely on the traditional image of the Big Ben clockface.[27]

Awards[edit]

News at Tenwon its first award from theNational Viewers and Listeners Associationin August 1968.[37]The programme has been honoured over the years by the prestigiousRTS Television Journalism Awards,including theNews – International coverageaward in 1997 and the covetedNews Programme of the Yearin 1998, 2010, 2014 and 2021.

The programme has received theBAFTANews Coverageaward twice: in 2009 for their coverage of the2008 Sichuan earthquake;and in 2010 for the2010 Haiti earthquake.

News at Tenhas also won awards in the television/news programme categories at theInternational Emmyawards (2009) and thePlain English Awards(2010).

On air staff[edit]

See also:List of ITV News on air staff

Lead newscaster[edit]

Other newscasters[edit]

Former newscasters[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^"Media Masters – Laura Wilshaw".26 November 2020.Retrieved28 March2021.
  2. ^"ResponseSource: Rachel Corp selected as editor at ITV News".Retrieved28 March2021.
  3. ^abc"News at Ten" will return to ITV1 "".BBC News.23 October 2007.Retrieved5 May2010.
  4. ^Obituary report for Geoffrey Cox,News at Ten,2 April 2008
  5. ^abc'Rees, Norman, Gardner, Andrew, Nicholas, David, Purvis, Stewart (5 March 1999).Turning back the clock' report,News at Ten(Television). London, England:ITN.
  6. ^abcd'Conboy, Martin (2010).Journalism in Britain: A Historical Introduction(2nd ed.).ISBN9781446209721.Retrieved16 July2015.
  7. ^"ITN – Independent Television News".The Ident Zone.MHP. 11 May 2009.Retrieved11 May2009.
  8. ^abcde"News at Ten:Forty Years Off and On ".ATV News & Soap Zone. 25 October 2007. Archived fromthe originalon 23 November 2007.Retrieved25 October2007.
  9. ^abc'Cox, Geoffrey (1976).The ITN Story(Television). London, England:ITN.
  10. ^ab"Nigel Ryan: Editor of ITN who consolidated 'News at Ten', launched 'First Report' and put more female journalists on screen".The Independent.2014.Retrieved15 July2015.
  11. ^"And Finally..Best of Those News at Ten Funnies".The Daily Record. 2008.Retrieved15 July2015.
  12. ^"Veteran newsman Gardner dies".BBC News. 1999.Retrieved6 October2015.
  13. ^abc"Sir Alastair Burnet".The Telegraph. 2012.Retrieved28 December2012.
  14. ^abcd'Bromley, Michael (2014).No News is Bad News: Radio, Television and the Public(1st ed.). Routledge.ISBN9781317876113.Retrieved30 July2015.
  15. ^"News at When".Transdiffusion Broadcasting System. 2002. Archived fromthe originalon 30 September 2007.Retrieved23 October2007.
  16. ^"Timeline: a decade of News at When?".The Guardian.2007.Retrieved31 July2015.
  17. ^abTryhorn, Chris (7 December 2007)."News at Tenreturns to ITV ".The Guardian.London.Retrieved7 December2007.
  18. ^"News at Ten".ITV. 2 January 2008. Archived fromthe originalon 18 January 2008.Retrieved2 January2008.
  19. ^Holmwood, Leigh (25 February 2009)."News at Tengoes five-nights-a-week ".The Guardian.London.Retrieved26 February2009.
  20. ^Conlan, Tara (30 October 2008)."Sir Trevor McDonald to leave News at Ten next month".The Guardian.London.Retrieved31 October2008.
  21. ^Plunkett, John (19 August 2009)."More Mark Austin on News at Ten".London: MediaGuardian.Retrieved10 October2010.
  22. ^Holmwood, Leigh (29 February 2008)."News at Ten'sbongs beat the BBC ".The Guardian.London.Retrieved31 August2008.
  23. ^Holmwood, Leigh (29 May 2009)."Britain's Got Talent boosts News at Ten".The Guardian.London.Retrieved29 May2009.
  24. ^Robinson, James (22 October 2009)."ITV to drop Big Ben from News at Ten titles".The Guardian.London.Retrieved5 May2010.
  25. ^"ITV outlines vision for news".Broadcast.London. 15 October 2015.Retrieved6 November2015.
  26. ^ab"News at Ten's new host Tom Bradby: Everyone thinks BBC News is too powerful".The Telegraph.London. 24 October 2015.Retrieved6 November2015.
  27. ^abcd"Tom Bradby – Revamped ITV News at Ten will be 'distinctive, more human and funnier than the BBC'".Evening Standard.London. 12 January 2016.Retrieved19 January2016.
  28. ^abc"ITV executives criticise" arrogant "BBC as News at Ten row escalates".The Guardian.London. 4 November 2015.Retrieved6 November2015.
  29. ^Patrick Foster (20 November 2015)."ITV accused of boosting News at Ten ratings with scheduling shenanigans".The Daily Telegraph.Retrieved24 March2016.
  30. ^Ben Dowell (25 November 2016)."Is David Walliams' new weeknight entertainment show killing off ITV's News at Ten?".RadioTimes.Retrieved18 February2017.
  31. ^Slawson, Nicola (3 January 2018)."ITV News at Ten forced off air by fire alarm".The Guardian.Retrieved7 January2018.
  32. ^https://news.sky /story/rageh-omaar-receiving-medical-care-after-on-screen-behaviour-worries-fans-13123761?dcmp=snt-sf-twitter
  33. ^https://deadline /2024/04/itv-news-rageh-omar-receiving-medical-care-after-becoming-unwell-live-on-air-1235897210/
  34. ^https:// bbc.co.uk/news/uk-68913112
  35. ^"Big Ben face to go from ITV News".BBC News.22 October 2009.Retrieved19 January2016.
  36. ^"Johnny Pearson".The Daily Telegraph.London. 3 May 2011.Retrieved27 November2011.
  37. ^"NEWS AT TEN GETS AWARD".

External links[edit]

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