UK NEWS

BONG! NEWS AT TEN AXED

Sir Trevor is the face of News At Ten

Sunday March 16,2008

By Adam Helliker

Comment Speech Bubble Have your say(5)

ITV is set to axe its flagship news programme – just months after its heavily publicised relaunch.

News At Ten, which was brought back in January to the accompaniment of its musical bongs, will be cancelled “before the summer” because of its poor viewing figures, according to a well-placed source.

The dual-presenting by Sir Trevor McDonald and Julie Etchingham is seen as a failure – and ITV chairman Michael Grade is getting the blame as it was his idea, added the insider.

Insiders say News At Ten has also faced difficulties with the poor ratings inherited from the 9pm dramas – also launched by Mr Grade.

These have included Honest, The Palace and Echo Beach/Moving Wallpaper.

The bulletin has consistently failed to outperform BBC One’s 10 O’Clock News. On its first night, it could only muster 3.8 million viewers against the BBC’s 4.9 million and the figures have grown steadily worse.

But even when the news has been preceded by high-rating shows like Champions’ League football it has drawn just two million viewers.

News At Ten is consistently attracting only half the audience of its BBC rival and beat the 10 O’Clock News only once – when the BBC postponed its bulletin because of extra time in an FA Cup match.

And it has twice suffered the humiliation of being seen by smaller audiences than entertainment programmes – Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA and an episode of the Channel 4 drama Shameless.

The ITV source said Sir Trevor, 68, who was brought out of retirement to present News At Ten, had said he was keen to leave.

It is thought that ITV will revert to the 10.30pm bulletin, presented by Mark Austin.

A television industry insider said: “They wouldn’t get rid of the news altogether, bearing in mind the emphasis others such as Channel 4 are putting on their public service credentials.”

News that the programme is to be axed will come as more of a blow to Ms Etchingham, at the peak of her career, than Sir Trevor, at the end of his.

The 38-year-old Cambridge graduate gave up a lucrative position at Sky News to join ITV. The mother of two boys, aged four and 19 months, she trained as a journalist with BBC Midlands before breaking into network news after beating more than 1,000 applicants to front BBC’s Newsround in 1994. It was there that she met her producer husband Nick Gardener.

After stints with BBC Breakfast News and BBC News 24 she joined Sky in 2002, where political heavyweights she interviewed included Tony Blair, Hillary Clinton and Condoleezza Rice.

Last October she was forced to apologise to the Conservative Party after an aside during a speech on immigration by David Cameron was accidentally broadcast on Sky.

Sir Trevor said he had taken much convincing to return to news presenting.

“I had to think about it for a long time, but what was irresistible was to be part of the relaunch,” he added. “I’ve always believed that you can’t live your life looking over your shoulder, but it was irresistible.

“It was also terribly flattering to be asked. I didn’t even realise that they knew where I lived any more.”

On dual presenting, he said: “It’s gone back to what it was when News At Ten was born. I think it creates pace and interest.”

NEWS AT TEN AXED ! ???

16.03.08, 1:27pm

I hope this report matches the usual accuracy of express reports and is incorrect and baseless.
ITV has a por record for not showing any backbone and staying with it's decisions. I've only just started watching News@10 again racently and really enjoyed the new style and it's coverage.

I trust this article is a load of hooey and the itv news will continue in it's current slot.

• Posted by: Nikk_blakk • Report Comment

AND JUST WHO I S TREVOR PHILLIPS??? NHS?

16.03.08, 1:07pm

Maybe dull he is, but what has he to do with News at 10??? or this article?

• Posted by: janegt • Report Comment

GOODBYE TO DULL TREVOR PHILLIPS

16.03.08, 1:00pm

Good - this is a positive move. Trevor Phillips is so DULL, STAID and BORING, and the woman with him was very prissy and low-toned.
Why on earth this man ever got the "reputation" he enjoyed, I cannot tell. His voice was SO affected and silly, plus he looked uncomfortable and very old.

• Posted by: NHS • Report Comment

NEWS FOR DUMMIES

16.03.08, 9:34am

The idea that people who watch football are going to stay in their seats and watch News at Ten immediately afterwards is pretty bizarre.
After the match they will be straight down the Pub won´t they'?
And a lot of them are morons who don´t give a s**t what goes on in the world so long as their favourite team is winning.
Put a decent documentary on immediately before the News and you will get an audience that stays.

• Posted by: IvorMoan • Report Comment