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Sky News

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Sky News
Ownership
OwnerBSkyB

Sky News is a 24-hour British domestic and international television news and sports-news channel that started broadcasting on 16 February 1989 as part of the then four-channel Sky Television service.[2] It was modelled on the US CNN channel [3] and soon gained a reputation for immediacy and innovation that reflected well on BSkyB. The station can now be viewed in the UK, and around Europe and the world. Sky News also provides news for UK local radio stations.

The usual rolling news schedule is supplemented with a number of landmark programmes and news specials. It has a distinctive look and sound, and despite occasional criticism, has won many awards over the years. The channel has seven UK and eight foreign offices, and it can call on worldwide News Corp resources. The channel has appeared in both films and television programmes, but has lost three-quarters of its viewers and its historic lead in the last few years to BBC News 24.

Overview

Sky News is owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation via his holding in British Sky Broadcasting. Murdoch said of it in March 1992, when he was the full owner:

Taking nothing away from CNN, which has done an outstanding job, I would point out that Sky News, the Fox [his US television network] news service and the News Corporation's combined reach - which have together over three thousand journalists spread over every continent and every country - leave us with an army of news gatherers second to none both with regard to their access to news and ability to bring news from anywhere into people's homes

The station's headquarters are in Osterley, West London, employing well over 50 on-screen staff (anchors, weather forecasters, correspondents and reporters) and over 600 behind-the-scenes staff. The station has eight of its own bureaus outside the United Kingdom and shares many more with other News Corporation stations.

Sky also produces Sky News Radio news bulletins for commercial stations, a website (Sky News Online); and a Library Sales division, and bulletins for Five News.

History

On 8 June 1988, Rupert Murdoch announced to the British Academy of Film and Television Arts that he would provide a new television news service with the words We are seeing the dawn of a new age of freedom for the viewer[2]. Sky News started broadcasting at 6pm[2] on 16 February 1989.[4]

Visually Sky News looked very neat, with slick and classy presentation and John O'Loan's original vocation as an architect showing in the studio set. Sky had gone for the same format as the 9 O'Clock News on the BBC which had recently been redesigned to give the impression of activity and immediacy by placing the newsreader against a backdrop of the working newsroom. Sky News, it was universally agreed as staff nodded in vigorous approval, had succeeded rather better at the same thing. The critics were mildly taken aback. Contrary to some of the horror scenarios bandied about by the chattering classes there seemed to be little to grumble about. And as its slogan of 'We're there when you need us,' emphasised, it was always on.[2]

In the early days the channel operated on a £40 million budget[2] (plus £10 million share of overheads), which led Sam Chishom to propose to Murdoch the station be closed, but Rupert was pleased with its achievements ... there were overriding reasons of prestige and politics for keeping it ... the final hurdle of the Broadcasting Bill had still to be overcome and the case for the acceptability of Sky would collapse if suddenly there was no news channel. [2] - former deputy Prime Minister Viscount Whitelaw said to the House of Lords in 1990 that Sky News had a very high reputation ... I admire it, as do many other people, it will certainly waken up both the BBC and ITN and ensure that they compete with that is a very important news service[2]. The channel has never been run for a profit, [5] and has considered using ITN to supplement the service. [4]

By March 1992 Sky turned from loss to profit, when Murdoch would say Sky News, has quietly, if expensively, become the first building block of what we envision will become the premier world-wide electronic news-gathering network anywhere. Ask anyone in Europe, and particularly the BBC and you will be told that Sky News has added a new and better dimension to television journalism[3].

Sky News was the only UK 24 hour news channel (aside from CNN international on Astra, BBC World Service Television started in 1991 but has never been broadcast in the UK) until November 1997 when BBC News 24 launched. In September 1999 the European Commission ruled against a complaint by Sky News which argued that the publicly funded BBC News 24 was unfair and illegal under EU law. The EC ruled that the television licence fee should be considered state aid (within the meaning of Article 87) and that it was justified due to the public service remit of the BBC and that it did not exceed actual costs of the channel.[6]

In March 2000 Sky News Active was launched, a 24-hour interactive service providing headlines (and other services which ranged from weather, the top story of the day and showbiz) on demand.

In March 2004 it was announced that Sky News had won a 5-year contract to supply news bulletins to Five, taking over from ITN in January 2005 [7].

On 24 October 2005, Sky News moved to a new studio with revised music and on screen graphics all in Widescreen (16:9) format and a new schedule. James Rubin joined to present an evening show, and Eamonn Holmes to present Sunrise. This relaunch was disastrous for the channel, and, since October 2005 BBC News 24 has overtaken Sky News in the ratings. The changes were reversed in July 2006 and on 25 February 2007 the channel changed its graphics scheme that displays breaking news in yellow, but without restoring the viewers.

Reception

BBC News 24 and Sky News weekly reach June 05-Jan-07
BBC News 24 and Sky News weekly reach June 05-Jan-07

Sky News is free-to-air on the Astra 2 satellites carrying Sky Digital. It is also available on Freeview and analogue and digital cable, though not currently via the UK's biggest cable operator, Virgin Media, due to a dispute. In 2007 BSKyB announced its intention to cease broadcasting Sky News as well as other BSkyB channels over Freeview pending Ofcom approval.[8][9]

Sky News is also shown internationally, and can often be seen in hotels as well as being offered by some cable providers as part of their English-language line-up.

The international version is shown as free-to-air on Astra 1KR at 19.2E. It is also carried encrypted on a number of satellites for international reception - including but not limited to Hot Bird, Nilesat, Amos 1 and Intelsat 10-02. It is also usually carried on cable systems in Europe, particularly (but not only) in Northern Europe.

Sky News cannot be made available for general American viewing as Sky does not hold the international rights to much of Sky News's output, in particular of sporting events.

Regional variations

Most of Europe, the Middle East and Asia receive the same version of Sky News as people in the UK, though with localised advertising. These feeds are sometimes known collectively as "Sky News International".

Sky News Australia and Sky News New Zealand are different channels that carry a lot of Sky News UK programming, and share it's style, but also have local programming and advertising. In Australia, a Sky News UK feed is also available at all times, albeit a tiny quarter screen version. From 2004 to 2006 Sky News Ireland similarly carried local programming. This was then discontinued, the Irish feed reverting to a local advertising only service.

Virgin Media dispute

On 1 March, 2007, the contract for Virgin Media to provide Sky's basic channels (including Sky News) on their cable TV service expired after a dispute between Virgin Media and BSkyB. [10]. At Midnight, Sky News was removed, the electronic programming guide changed to "SKY SNOOZE TRY BBC" until Richard Branson demanded the message be removed[11] saying I have asked them to take it down. We do not mean any disrespect to Sky News. I think it is a very good news channel.

Sky News radio

Sky News Radio is a provider of news bulletins for radio stations in the United Kingdom.[12] Sky News Radio provides bulletins, audio and scripts to radio newsrooms. Its clients include talkSPORT and UTV Radio stations, Guardian Media Group (Real Radio, Smooth, Century and Rock), Chrysalis Radio (Heart, LBC, Galaxy), and others. Together the 60 + client stations reach 18 million people a week. The radio newsroom operates from Sky News' purpose-built studios at Osterley, London.

In March, BSkyB and Chrysalis Group announced a joint partnership to launch a dedicated Sky News Radio station on the proposed bid by Channel 4's 4 Digital Group for the second DAB multiplex in the United Kingdom.[13] It was also announced on 3 April 2007 that LBC News 1152 would be replaced with Sky News Radio.[14]

Programming

File:Sky News New Colourscheme.jpg
Sky News with their new colour scheme as of February 2007, the black space at the bottom can be very clearly seen on HDTVs

When elections, either national, or international take place, Sky edits its schedule to focus on them. Recent examples have been the UK General Elections of 2005, the Israeli Elections of 2006, and the US Mid-Term Elections of 2006. Sky also often shows long interviews. Recent examples of these have been Adam Boulton's exclusive half-hour interview with Al Gore. At the end of each year, in December and January of the new year, a series of special 'Year in Review' shows are shown which look back at memorable news stories from the past year.

Identification and stings

Bruce Hammal is heard at the top of each hour introducing the channel, for example saying "Sky News, with presenter/s.", after October 2005 he said "Live from the Sky News Centre, this is Programme name with presenters." or "This is programme name with presenter/s". After the merger he said "This is Sky News a part of the British Sky Broadcasting Network", in 1993 the introduction was "From the Sky satellite network this is Sky News", and by 1995 "This is Sky News, part of the Sky Television Network" - or just "This is Sky News".

Perception and awards

File:Kayburleytsunami.jpg
Kay Burley reporting from the tsunami zone
Sky News viewing peaked during 9/11, Gulf War 2, Asian Tsunami, 2005 London bombings and the death of Diana, Princess of Wales but has generally declined to a quarter achieved in 1992-95

Sky News operates under the requirements of United Kingdom broadcasting regulations that require neutrality.

In early 1994 Kelvin MacKenzie, former editor of The Sun newspaper, was appointed Managing Director of BSkyB. MacKenzie's proposed changes to Sky News lead to clashes with CEO Sam Chisholm and the head of Sky News, Ian Frykberg, who protested what they saw as an attempt to take its news values down market. The most ferocious battle occurred when Mackenzie wanted Sky News to run an interview with Lady Bienvenida Buck. Frykberg refused to air the interview and resigned shortly afterwards - the interview was put on Sky One.[15] MacKenzie announced his resignation in August 1994,[15] but not until Sky News had transmitted live pictures of the freeway chase of OJ Simpson white bronco on 17 June 1994 bringing US 'helicopter journalism to the UK[16].

Sky News covered the trial in Boston US trial of Louise Woodward with live coverage.[citation needed] When Sky returned to a regular schedule, viewers demanded the trial coverage. [citation needed] From Woodward's home in Elton, Cheshire Sky broadcast locals reactions, but this brought criticism of maintaining a pro-Louise Woodward stance, as she was found guilty.[citation needed]

From 2000 onwards, Sky News began expanded the international coverage opening bureaus in Africa, Europe, and the far East. It won awards from the Royal Television Society[17].

Sky News has had BAFTA awards for coverage of the September 11, 2001 attacks [18]and in 2003 for the Soham Murders[19].

Coverage of the 7 July 2005 London bombings won the 2006 International Emmy Breaking News award commending the "fast and accurate" reporting.[20]

Sky News has lost out recently to BBC News 24 - with BBC News head Peter Horrocks saying in November 2005 that Sky News should no longer be the first choice for 'key opinion formers'.[21]

Reporters and presenters

Further information: Sky News reporters and presenters

Bureaux

Bureaux in bold are Sky News bureaus, others are shared with other News Corporation networks.

United Kingdom

Worldwide


Other information

* Film by 20th Century Fox, a News Corporation asset.

References

  1. ^ "Sky News: UK News, World News and Business News. The First for breaking global News!". 3 April 2007. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Chippindale, Peter and Franks, Suzanne (1991). Dished! The Rise and Fall of British Satellite Broadcasting. ISBN 067171077X.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ a b Clarke, Neville and Riddell, Edwin (1992). The Sky Barons: The Men Who Control the Global Media. ISBN 0413636801.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ a b Horsman, Mathew (1997). Sky High: The Inside Story of BSkyB. ISBN 0752811967.
  5. ^ "Touch down for Sky". BBC News. 2002-01-07. Retrieved 2007-01-29. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  6. ^ "SG(99) D10201 - State aid No NN 88/98 – UNITED KINGDOM Financing of a 24-hour advertising-free news channel out of the licence fee by the BBC" (PDF). Retrieved 2007-05-23. {{cite web}}: line feed character in |title= at position 134 (help)
  7. ^ "BBC NEWS - Entertainment - TV and Radio - Five to take Sky News bulletins". 3 April 2007. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  8. ^ "Ofcom looks into Sky News move". Retrieved 2007-05-16.
  9. ^ "Sky's top shows to go terrestrial". Retrieved 2007-05-16.
  10. ^ "Cable - News - Sky One, Sky News pulled from Virgin - Digital Spy". Retrieved 2007-04-09.
  11. ^ "Richard Branson puts stop to 'Sky Snooze' joke - - Guardian Unlimited Business". Retrieved 2007-05-23.
  12. ^ "Audio Channel". Retrieved 2007-04-09.
  13. ^ "BSkyB and Chrysalis to launch "Sky News Radio"". Sky News. 2007-28-03. Retrieved 2007-03-04. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  14. ^ "LBC News to become Sky News Radio". Radio Today. 2007-04-03. Retrieved 2007-04-03.
  15. ^ a b Horrie, Chris (1999). L?ve TV: Telebrats and Topless Darts. ISBN 0671015745.
  16. ^ McGregor, Brent (1997). Live, Direct and Biased?. ISBN 0340662255.
  17. ^ "Royal Television Society - Latest news". Retrieved 2007-05-23.
  18. ^ "BAFTA Awards: 2002". Retrieved 2007-05-23.
  19. ^ "Bafta 2003: the winners". Retrieved 2007-05-23.
  20. ^ "Sky News Wins 7/7 Award". Sky News. 2006-09-26. Retrieved 2007-01-29. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  21. ^ Robinson, James (2005-11-20). "BBC news admits 'opinion-formers' prefer Sky". The Observer. Retrieved 2007-01-29. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
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