22/10/2009
ITV News will unveil a new look across all of its national programmes from Monday 2 November, which will be supported by a major on and off-air marketing campaign promoting news throughout the schedule.
The new look, including a state-of-the-art set, graphics and opening titles, will be consistent throughout all programmes – including the ITV Lunchtime News, ITV Evening News and ITV News at Ten. The work reflects the ITV1 channel branding and has been developed by ITV, ITN, and creative agency, Bruce Dunlop Associates.
In the last year ITV News has won both a BAFTA and an International Emmy for its coverage, and viewing figures for ITV News at Ten have risen by nine percent so far this year, compared to the equivalent period in 2008. Mark Austin and Julie Etchingham will present News at Ten, Alastair Stewart and Mary Nightingale host the Evening News, and Katie Derham or Alastair Stewart will present the Lunchtime News.
ITV can also confirm that from January 2010, Julie Etchingham will present the network’s flagship current affairs strand, Tonight, which moves to a new weekly peak time slot and will run throughout the year. Mark Austin will continue to present ‘Real Crime with Mark Austin’, which will also return in 2010.
ITV will also be bringing together all of its journalistic resources in a new production model for Tonight. ITV Studios, ITN and ITV’s wider UK news operation will work together to produce the strand. A number of programmes will also be available to independent producers.
Announcing the changes, Michael Jermey, ITV’s Director of News, Current Affairs and Sport, said: “ITV News programmes are performing extremely strongly, getting journalistic scoops and winning major awards. We believe the investment in our news brand announced today will further enhance the appeal of our programmes for ITV1 viewers.
“Our current affairs output will be strengthened by our national and regional news teams working more closely with our network current affairs producers than ever before. ITV1’s weekly current affairs programme ‘Tonight’ will be able to tap into the best of our journalism right across the ITV network. The close collaboration between newsrooms and current affairs specialists will help us produce excellent programmes for viewers.”
David Mannion, editor in chief of ITV News, said: "We are delighted that ITV has decided to make this very significant investment in its news from ITN. It is a ringing endorsement of the quality of work delivered daily by an exceptional team of journalists and technicians. We are also greatly looking forward to working with ITV's excellent Tonight team."
For further information please contact:
james.macleod@itv.com
