Sky News
Encyclopedia
Sky News is a 24-hour British and international satellite television
news broadcaster
with an emphasis on UK and international news stories.
The service places emphasis on rolling news, including the latest breaking news. Sky News also hosts localised versions of the channel in Australia
and in New Zealand
, as well as their previously operated version
in Ireland. Sky News is also offered in an international version without the British adverts under the name Sky News International available in Europe and Asia.
Based at a news centre in London
, Sky News started broadcasting on 5 February 1989 as part of the then four-channel Sky Television
service. Sky News provides an hourly news radio service to multiple radio networks in the UK and Ireland. The channel currently has seven UK bases each with their own correspondents, and the channel can also call upon a wide range of resources and global bureaux provided by its parent company News Corporation
such as reporters from Fox News Channel
and Fox Business Network
(its sister news and business channels).
Sky News has built its schedule around the main anchors with appointment to view broadcasts regularly being supplemented by landmark broadcasts. Although most of its programmes feature one main presenter, when major breaking news reaches the channel it has recently started to revert to the old double-headed style with two presenters anchoring. Sky News is known for its innovations in news broadcasting and regularly wins awards for this and also for its broadcasting in general.
Sky News has started to revamp its graphics almost every year, with the latest revamp unveiled on the 6th May 2010.
In late December 2008, Sky News began broadcasting from Studio B at Sky News centre, while work on the main newsroom was being carried out. On 4 February 2009 at 6am broadcasting resumed from the revamped newsroom. This coincided with the channel's 20th anniversary on 5 February 2009.
From 30 March 2010, Sky News again began broadcasting from Studio B as the final preparations took place for the launch of Sky News HD. Broadcasting returned to the main newsroom at 9pm on 6 May 2010, for the launch of Sky News HD and the results of the 2010 UK general election.
, Sky News is partially-owned by Rupert Murdoch
's News Corporation
, which holds a minority stake in BSkyB. Murdoch said of Sky News in March 1992, when he was the full owner:
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 bureaux outside the United Kingdom and shares many more with other News Corporation
stations.
According to numerous articles published online at the time that Sky Sports News moved to the newly opened Sky Studios, the articles also mentioned that Sky News will soon be moving to the new studios.
Sky also produces a website (Sky News Online) and has a library sales division. Since 2005 Sky News has produced bulletins for Five News
on British TV channel Channel 5
, after winning the contract to supply the channel's news bulletins held by ITN since the channel's launch in 1997. Following a change in ownership at Channel 5 however, there is some doubt as to how long the contract will continue, as new owner Richard Desmond seeks to make his mark on the channel's strategy.
, allowing the U.K. government to contest the merger on competition grounds, instead of whether News Corp. would be a "fit and proper" owner for BSkyB. Withdrawing the concession was "probably the (lesser) of the bad options" for News Corp., said Louise Cooper, markets analyst for London-based BGC Partners.
that he would provide a new television news service. Sky News started broadcasting at 6pm on 5 February 1989.
In the early days the channel operated on a £40 million budget (plus £10 million share of overheads), which led Sam Chisholm 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." - 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". The channel has never been run for a profit, and has considered using ITN to supplement the service.
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 worldwide 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.
Sky News was the only UK 24 hour news channel (aside from CNN International on Astra 1A
, BBC World Service Television
started in 1991 but has never been broadcast in the UK) until November 1997 when BBC News
launched a new 24 hour channel, BBC News 24, now known simply as BBC News. 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.
In March 2004 it was announced that Sky News had won a 5-year contract to supply news bulletins to Channel 5
, taking over from ITN in January 2005.
On 24 October 2005, Sky News moved to new studios in Isleworth
, London, and underwent a major on-screen revamp. The new studio was integrated with the newsroom and boasted the biggest video wall in Britain; it was designed by New York architects Janson Design Group
. New music was scored by Adelphoi Music and recorded with a full orchestra at Air Studios, Hampstead
, and mastered at Metropolis Studios. New on-screen graphics were launched and the channel began broadcasting in Widescreen
(16:9
) format.
The 2005 relaunch also saw the introduction of a new schedule designed around "appointment to view" programmes rather than continuous rolling news. James Rubin
joined to present a new evening programme called World News Tonight, Julie Etchingham
presented another new "hard-hitting" evening show called Sky Report, Eamonn Holmes
joined to present Sunrise, Kay Burley
presented a new programme called Lunchtime Live
from 12 to 2pm, and the daytime show Sky News Today
saw the introduction of a three-presenter format. However the relaunched schedule was unsuccessful, and from October 2005 the BBC News channel overtook Sky News in the ratings.
In response to the schedule's unpopularity with viewers, changes took place in July 2006, with the removal of the evening programmes Sky Report and World News Tonight with James Rubin in favour of rolling news and an interactive programme, Sky News with Martin Stanford
, and the return to a two-presenter format on Sky News Today. On 25 February 2007 the channel changed its graphics scheme to include the display of breaking news in yellow.
On 1 October 2007 Sky introduced another new schedule, extending Kay Burley's Lunchtime Live programme and renaming it Afternoon Live. They also switched to a Sunrise format for much of the day, with a solo lead presenter and a summary newsreader. Sky News put more emphasis on interactive news with Martin Stanford
's new Sky.com News programme. And it introduced an early evening financial news programme presented by Jeff Randall
, initially on Mondays only. On 8 January 2008 Dermot Murnaghan
joined Sky to present Sky News Today from 9am to 1pm.
Further changes were made to the Sky News schedule on 8 September 2008, with Colin Brazier
presenting a new show from 1pm - 2pm, The Live Desk, Martin Stanford's Sky.Com News became SkyNews.com and moved to 7pm every weeknight, and Sky Midnight News
was introduced.
More changes took place during the early part of 2009. These changes involved major changes to the layout of the newsroom/studio, the introduction of a morning edition of The Live Desk and the extension of the financial news programme Jeff Randall Live
to run for 4 nights each week, Monday to Thursday.
From sunrise to midnight on 8 March 2010, Sky News was presented and produced exclusively by women to mark International Women's Day
.
In preparation for the start of high-definition broadcasting, Sky News moved to its second studio (Studio B) on the morning of the 30 March 2010. Broadcasting from Studio B continued until 9pm on 6 May, when they moved back to the main newsroom and launched Sky News HD in time for the 2010 General Election results. Sky News received a graphics refresh to coincide with the launch of the new HD channel - this was trialed during the soft launch for Sky News HD on 22 April; Sky News' distinctive orchestral theme music, in use since 2005, was also replaced on 6 May 2010. The new logo for both the SD and HD versions of the channel was released before launch - the main change being adopting a new logo to go with the modified Sky logo.
The new title music, composed by David Arnold
, was recorded with a 60-piece Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
in Angel Studios, London
and uses more than 132 audio channels for 18 second
of audio.
Sky News is free-to-air on the Astra 28.2°E
satellites carrying Sky. It is also available on Freeview and analogue and digital cable. In 2007 BSKyB announced its intention to cease broadcasting Sky News as well as other BSkyB channels over Freeview pending Ofcom
approval.
The international version is shown as free-to-air on Astra 1L at 19.2° east. 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 especially in the Scandinavian countries.
Most of Europe, the Middle East and Asia receive the same version of Sky News as the Astra 28.2°E transmission, though with localised advertising. These feeds are sometimes known collectively as "Sky News International" and carry a break filler, the same as that of BBC World News, which is used on the UK and Ireland feed of its sister channel Fox News Channel.
From mid-August 2010 Sky News International is broadcast in 16:9.
and Sky News New Zealand
are different channels that carry variable amounts Sky News UK programming, and share some of its style, but also have local programming and advertising. In Australia, a Sky News UK feed is also available at all times, on Sky News Active. 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. Sky News weather also give forecasts for The Republic of Ireland as well as the UK.
version of Sky News on 6 May 2010 to coincide with the 2010 election results. In the build-up to this launch, they have been upgrading their studios and several bureax both in the UK and around the world to be able to broadcast in HD.
Since early 2008, Sky News has been using cameras in the field which can shoot in HD. Some one-off programmes have been made available in high definition to Sky+ HD viewers through the Sky Anytime
feature, under the branding Sky News HD. These programmes have included Technofile, Diana: The Final Word, Canoe Man: Rise and Fall of John Darwin and Pathfinders: Into The Heart Of Afghanistan.
At 5pm (GMT) on 20 January 2009, Sky News' live coverage of the Inauguration of Barack Obama
was carried in high definition on Sky Arts HD. This was the first ever live broadcast of Sky News in HD. Jeremy Thompson
fronted the coverage from Washington DC
. Michael Jackson
's memorial service was also presented in HD, with Kay Burley presenting.
Sky News moved operations to a chroma-key "green screen" set in Studio B from 30 March 2010 so that final preparations could take place in the main newsroom.
Sky News HD launched on Sky Channel 517 for the channel's election debate which was held on 22 April 2010. For the 10 days leading up to the debate, channel 517 displayed a countdown clock to launch. The Debate coverage was hosted in HD by Kay Burley
and Adam Boulton
. Following the end of the coverage for the evening, channel 517 moved to show a looping preview tape. This tape included the shows that were mentioned above as being available on Sky Anytime. This continued until Sky News HD was launched in full on the evening of 6 May 2010, to coincide with the coverage of the results for the 2010 General Election hosted by Adam Boulton.
On 26 July 2010, Sky News HD launched on the Orbit Showtime Network, broadcasting to the Middle East and Africa.
s in the United Kingdom.
In March 2007, 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. However, two months later Chrysalis sold its radio stations to Global Radio
, and in October 2007 following a business review Global's chief executive announced that they would be withdrawing from the joint venture. Sky have announced plans to find a partner elsewhere.
The Sky News Radio feed is available FTA on the Astra 2A satellite at 28.2 East by manually tuning it in: 12207.00 V, 27500, 2/3 (Label: SNR).
See: Sky News reporters and presenters
When elections, either national or international, take place, Sky edits its schedule to focus on them. Recent examples have been the 2010 United Kingdom general election, the 2006 Israeli legislative election, the 2008 United States Presidential Election
and the 2008 United Kingdom local elections
. Sky also often shows long interviews; for example, Anna Botting
's exclusive half-hour interview with Carla Bruni
in early 2010. 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.
Pakistan: On Terrors Frontline was shown throughout the week beginning Monday 23 March 2009. The Sky News press release stated;
The series of reports has since won the 2009 RTS Award for Foreign News Coverage.
Several years earlier, after the merger between Sky Television plc
& British Satellite Broadcasting
, Hammel's introduction was "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".
Sky News operates under the requirements of United Kingdom
broadcasting regulations that require neutrality although there are occasional claims that Sky News may be inherently biased due to the fact that it is a News Corporation company; most of News Corporation's news outlets have an openly conservative or right-wing outlook. Ofcom received complaints regarding the network's lack of neutrality ahead of the 2010 General Election.
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. MacKenzie announced his resignation in August 1994, 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.
Sky News covered the trial in Boston
US trial of Louise Woodward
with live coverage. When Sky returned to a regular schedule, viewers demanded the trial coverage. 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 but sentenced to time served.
In November 2005 the then head of BBC News, Peter Horrocks
acknowledged that Sky News remained the first choice for "key opinion formers".
Ofcom
received 652 complaints regarding the network's neutrality after it hosted the second Leaders' debate in the 2010 General Election.
On Saturday, 8 May 2010, Sky News presenter Kay Burley
was heckled by a few protestors during an interview on College Green
, one of whom demanded Burley be sacked. The channel cut the interview to go to a commercial break. Ofcom
received 832 complaints about the incident.
Ofcom received 696 complaints over Sky News journalist Adam Boulton
's conduct during an interview with Alistair Campbell.
., the latest being 'News Channel of the Year' in 2011.
Sky News has won BAFTA awards for coverage of the 11 September 2001 attacks
and the 2003 Soham Murders
.
Coverage of the 7 July 2005 London bombings
won the 2006 International Emmy Breaking News award commending the "fast and accurate" reporting.
In June 2007 Sky News was named the "Best News Channel" at the Broadcast Digital Channel Awards. It beat several other national and international broadcasters including Al Jazeera English and the BBC
but failed to beat them every other year.
networks or other international affiliates.
.
In 2009 the website underwent a largely cosmetic change to bring it in line with the on-screen look of Sky News TV. The site makes use of flash video encoding to match the visual style of the TV channel with pictures and breaking news
.
. With a growing selection of news blogs written by staff and guests, Sky News now has a tailored selection targeted towards each demographic of its audience. A recent addition to Sky News Online has been messageboards or forums
.
to provide Sky's basic channels (including Sky News) on their cable TV service expired after a dispute between Virgin Media and BSkyB. At Midnight, Sky News was removed, the electronic programming guide changed to "Sky Snooze Try BBC" until Sir Richard Branson demanded the message be removed 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 returned to Virgin Media Network along with all the other "Sky Basics" channels that were removed in March 2007. This deal between BSkyB and Virgin Media was confirmed on 4 November 2008. Sky News reappeared on Virgin Media on 13 November.
* Film by 20th Century Fox
, a News Corporation
asset.
Satellite television
Satellite television is television programming delivered by the means of communications satellite and received by an outdoor antenna, usually a parabolic mirror generally referred to as a satellite dish, and as far as household usage is concerned, a satellite receiver either in the form of an...
news broadcaster
News broadcasting
News broadcasting is the broadcasting of various news events and other information via television, radio or internet in the field of broadcast journalism. The content is usually either produced locally in a radio studio or television studio newsroom, or by a broadcast network...
with an emphasis on UK and international news stories.
The service places emphasis on rolling news, including the latest breaking news. Sky News also hosts localised versions of the channel in Australia
Sky News Australia
Sky News Australia is an Australian 24 hour cable and satellite news channel available in 2.5 million homes on Foxtel, Austar, Optus Television and Neighbourhood Cable subscription platforms....
and in New Zealand
Sky News New Zealand
Sky News New Zealand is a simulcast of Sky News Australia however carries the NZ branding, and appears on SKY Television. The programming is nearly identical to Sky News Australia, except for a nightly bulletin, plus a twice weekly afternoon one, being produced in New Zealand.- History :In the late...
, as well as their previously operated version
Sky News Ireland
Sky News Ireland was a television news channel which broadcast in the Republic of Ireland. Sky News International is now available throughout Ireland...
in Ireland. Sky News is also offered in an international version without the British adverts under the name Sky News International available in Europe and Asia.
Based at a news centre in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Sky News started broadcasting on 5 February 1989 as part of the then four-channel Sky Television
Sky Television plc
Sky Television plc was a public limited company which operated its four-channel satellite television service, launched by Rupert Murdoch's News International on 5 February 1989...
service. Sky News provides an hourly news radio service to multiple radio networks in the UK and Ireland. The channel currently has seven UK bases each with their own correspondents, and the channel can also call upon a wide range of resources and global bureaux provided by its parent company News Corporation
News Corporation
News Corporation or News Corp. is an American multinational media conglomerate. It is the world's second-largest media conglomerate as of 2011 in terms of revenue, and the world's third largest in entertainment as of 2009, although the BBC remains the world's largest broadcaster...
such as reporters from Fox News Channel
Fox News Channel
Fox News Channel , often called Fox News, is a cable and satellite television news channel owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a subsidiary of News Corporation...
and Fox Business Network
Fox Business Network
Fox Business Network is an American cable news and satellite news television channel that began broadcasting on October 15, 2007. It is owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation...
(its sister news and business channels).
Sky News has built its schedule around the main anchors with appointment to view broadcasts regularly being supplemented by landmark broadcasts. Although most of its programmes feature one main presenter, when major breaking news reaches the channel it has recently started to revert to the old double-headed style with two presenters anchoring. Sky News is known for its innovations in news broadcasting and regularly wins awards for this and also for its broadcasting in general.
Sky News has started to revamp its graphics almost every year, with the latest revamp unveiled on the 6th May 2010.
In late December 2008, Sky News began broadcasting from Studio B at Sky News centre, while work on the main newsroom was being carried out. On 4 February 2009 at 6am broadcasting resumed from the revamped newsroom. This coincided with the channel's 20th anniversary on 5 February 2009.
From 30 March 2010, Sky News again began broadcasting from Studio B as the final preparations took place for the launch of Sky News HD. Broadcasting returned to the main newsroom at 9pm on 6 May 2010, for the launch of Sky News HD and the results of the 2010 UK general election.
Overview
Although owned by British Sky BroadcastingBritish Sky Broadcasting
British Sky Broadcasting Group plc is a satellite broadcasting, broadband and telephony services company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, with operations in the United Kingdom and the Ireland....
, Sky News is partially-owned by Rupert Murdoch
Rupert Murdoch
Keith Rupert Murdoch, AC, KSG is an Australian-American business magnate. He is the founder and Chairman and CEO of , the world's second-largest media conglomerate....
's News Corporation
News Corporation
News Corporation or News Corp. is an American multinational media conglomerate. It is the world's second-largest media conglomerate as of 2011 in terms of revenue, and the world's third largest in entertainment as of 2009, although the BBC remains the world's largest broadcaster...
, which holds a minority stake in BSkyB. Murdoch said of Sky News in March 1992, when he was the full owner:
The station's headquarters are in Osterley, West London
Osterley
Osterley is a district in the London Borough of Hounslow in west London. It is situated approximately west south-west of Charing Cross.Osterley lies north of the A4 and extends further northwards beyond the M4 Motorway...
, 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 bureaux outside the United Kingdom and shares many more with other News Corporation
News Corporation
News Corporation or News Corp. is an American multinational media conglomerate. It is the world's second-largest media conglomerate as of 2011 in terms of revenue, and the world's third largest in entertainment as of 2009, although the BBC remains the world's largest broadcaster...
stations.
According to numerous articles published online at the time that Sky Sports News moved to the newly opened Sky Studios, the articles also mentioned that Sky News will soon be moving to the new studios.
Sky also produces a website (Sky News Online) and has a library sales division. Since 2005 Sky News has produced bulletins for Five News
Five News
5 News is the news programme of British broadcaster Channel 5, produced by Sky News. From 1 January 2005, Sky News was awarded the contract to provide the news for Channel 5, replacing ITN, which had provided the channel's news service from the channel's launch in 1997...
on British TV channel Channel 5
Channel Five
Channel 5 is a television network that broadcasts in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1997, it was the fifth and final national terrestrial analogue network to launch. The station was branded as Five between 2002 and 2010...
, after winning the contract to supply the channel's news bulletins held by ITN since the channel's launch in 1997. Following a change in ownership at Channel 5 however, there is some doubt as to how long the contract will continue, as new owner Richard Desmond seeks to make his mark on the channel's strategy.
Spin-off proposal
Jeremy Hunt - the secretary of state for culture, media and sport - announced on 3 March 2011 that under News Corporation's proposal to take full control of BSkyB, Sky News would be "spun off" into a separate company. As part of a series of undertakings, the company's chairman and a majority of the board of directors would be required to be independent, but News Corp would continue to hold a 39.1 per cent stake in the new company. However, that concession was withdrawn in the wake of the News of the World phone hacking affairNews of the World phone hacking affair
The News International phone-hacking scandal is an ongoing controversy involving mainly the News of the World but also other British tabloid newspapers published by News International, a subsidiary of News Corporation. Employees of the newspaper were accused of engaging in phone hacking, police...
, allowing the U.K. government to contest the merger on competition grounds, instead of whether News Corp. would be a "fit and proper" owner for BSkyB. Withdrawing the concession was "probably the (lesser) of the bad options" for News Corp., said Louise Cooper, markets analyst for London-based BGC Partners.
Establishment and early years
On 8 June 1988, Rupert Murdoch announced to the British Academy of Film and Television ArtsBritish Academy of Film and Television Arts
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts is a charity in the United Kingdom that hosts annual awards shows for excellence in film, television, television craft, video games and forms of animation.-Introduction:...
that he would provide a new television news service. Sky News started broadcasting at 6pm on 5 February 1989.
In the early days the channel operated on a £40 million budget (plus £10 million share of overheads), which led Sam Chisholm 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." - former deputy Prime Minister Viscount Whitelaw
William Whitelaw, 1st Viscount Whitelaw
William Stephen Ian Whitelaw, 1st Viscount Whitelaw, KT, CH, MC, PC, DL , often known as Willie Whitelaw, was a British Conservative Party politician who served in a wide number of Cabinet positions, most notably as Home Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister.-Early life:Whitelaw was born in Nairn, in...
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". The channel has never been run for a profit, and has considered using ITN to supplement the service.
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 worldwide 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.
Sky News was the only UK 24 hour news channel (aside from CNN International on Astra 1A
Astra 1A
Astra 1A was the first satellite launched and operated by SES . During its early days, it was often referred to as the Astra Satellite, as SES only operated one satellite originally....
, BBC World Service Television
BBC World Service Television
BBC World Service Television, often abbreviated to WSTV, was the name given to two of the BBC's international satellite television channels between 1991 and 1995. It was the BBC's first foray into worldwide television broadcasting...
started in 1991 but has never been broadcast in the UK) until November 1997 when BBC News
BBC News
BBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
launched a new 24 hour channel, BBC News 24, now known simply as BBC News. In September 1999 the European Commission
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
ruled against a complaint by Sky News which argued that the publicly funded BBC News 24 was unfair and illegal under EU
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
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.
Sky News since 2000
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 Channel 5
Channel Five
Channel 5 is a television network that broadcasts in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1997, it was the fifth and final national terrestrial analogue network to launch. The station was branded as Five between 2002 and 2010...
, taking over from ITN in January 2005.
On 24 October 2005, Sky News moved to new studios in Isleworth
Isleworth
Isleworth is a small town of Saxon origin sited within the London Borough of Hounslow in west London, England. It lies immediately east of the town of Hounslow and west of the River Thames and its tributary the River Crane. Isleworth's original area of settlement, alongside the Thames, is known as...
, London, and underwent a major on-screen revamp. The new studio was integrated with the newsroom and boasted the biggest video wall in Britain; it was designed by New York architects Janson Design Group
Janson Design Group
The Janson + Tsai Design Group is an architecture and acoustic design firm that specializes in studio and entertainment design. Founded by Dennis Janson in 1997, the firm is a medium sized specialty firm. Mr. Janson has practiced in this specialty field since 1979...
. New music was scored by Adelphoi Music and recorded with a full orchestra at Air Studios, Hampstead
Hampstead
Hampstead is an area of London, England, north-west of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Camden in Inner London, it is known for its intellectual, liberal, artistic, musical and literary associations and for Hampstead Heath, a large, hilly expanse of parkland...
, and mastered at Metropolis Studios. New on-screen graphics were launched and the channel began broadcasting in Widescreen
Widescreen
Widescreen images are a variety of aspect ratios used in film, television and computer screens. In film, a widescreen film is any film image with a width-to-height aspect ratio greater than the standard 1.37:1 Academy aspect ratio provided by 35mm film....
(16:9
16:9
16:9 is an aspect ratio with a width of 16 units and height of 9. Since 2009, it has become the most common aspect ratio for sold televisions and computer monitors and is also the international standard format of HDTV, Full HD, non-HD digital television and analog widescreen television ...
) format.
The 2005 relaunch also saw the introduction of a new schedule designed around "appointment to view" programmes rather than continuous rolling news. James Rubin
James Rubin
James Philip "Jamie" Rubin is a former diplomat and journalist. He is currently an executive editor at Bloomberg News. Having served in the State Department during the administration of President Bill Clinton, he became a Sky News television news journalist and commentator...
joined to present a new evening programme called World News Tonight, Julie Etchingham
Julie Etchingham
Julie Etchingham is an English television newsreader and journalist. She is currently co-presenter of ITV News at Ten and is the presenter of the current affairs programme Tonight, having replaced Sir Trevor McDonald....
presented another new "hard-hitting" evening show called Sky Report, Eamonn Holmes
Eamonn Holmes
Eamonn Holmes is an Northern Irish journalist and broadcaster. He is known for his work on UK and Irish television, notably presenting GMTV and This Morning. He is married to TV presenter Ruth Langsford.-Education:...
joined to present Sunrise, Kay Burley
Kay Burley
Kay Burley is an English television newsreader, presenter and journalist. She currently anchors the Afternoon Live programme on the Sky News station.-Early life:...
presented a new programme called Lunchtime Live
Lunchtime Live
Afternoon Live with Kay Burley, formerly Lunchtime Live, is a three hour weekday news programme in the United Kingdom on Sky News, presented by Kay Burley. It combines rolling-news coverage with reports on various "human interest" stories...
from 12 to 2pm, and the daytime show Sky News Today
Sky News Today
Sky News Today is a programme on Sky News which currently runs between 10:00am and 1:00pm and is presented by Dermot Murnaghan and Colin Brazier -Overview:...
saw the introduction of a three-presenter format. However the relaunched schedule was unsuccessful, and from October 2005 the BBC News channel overtook Sky News in the ratings.
In response to the schedule's unpopularity with viewers, changes took place in July 2006, with the removal of the evening programmes Sky Report and World News Tonight with James Rubin in favour of rolling news and an interactive programme, Sky News with Martin Stanford
Sky News with Martin Stanford
Sky News with Martin Stanford was a news programme on Sky News which ran between 8:00pm and 10:00pm Monday to Friday between July 2006, and February 2007...
, and the return to a two-presenter format on Sky News Today. On 25 February 2007 the channel changed its graphics scheme to include the display of breaking news in yellow.
On 1 October 2007 Sky introduced another new schedule, extending Kay Burley's Lunchtime Live programme and renaming it Afternoon Live. They also switched to a Sunrise format for much of the day, with a solo lead presenter and a summary newsreader. Sky News put more emphasis on interactive news with Martin Stanford
Martin Stanford
Martin Stanford is a news anchor at Sky News who currently presents SkyNews.Com. Stanford had his own interactive show on the channel, Sky News with Martin Stanford from July 2006 to February 2007...
's new Sky.com News programme. And it introduced an early evening financial news programme presented by Jeff Randall
Jeff Randall (journalist)
Jeff William Randall is a journalist, who presents Jeff Randall Live, a business and politics show on Sky News...
, initially on Mondays only. On 8 January 2008 Dermot Murnaghan
Dermot Murnaghan
Dermot Murnaghan is a British journalist and television presenter.He is well known for his work as a presenter of ITV and BBC News as well as the shows Eggheads and Treasure Hunt . He co-presented BBC Breakfast from Monday to Thursday as well as regularly fronting national BBC news bulletins...
joined Sky to present Sky News Today from 9am to 1pm.
Further changes were made to the Sky News schedule on 8 September 2008, with Colin Brazier
Colin Brazier
Colin Brazier is a news presenter for Sky News, who currently presents The Live Desk. Prior to this, he fronted Sky News Today's afternoon shift between 2:00pm and 5:00pm.-Biography:...
presenting a new show from 1pm - 2pm, The Live Desk, Martin Stanford's Sky.Com News became SkyNews.com and moved to 7pm every weeknight, and Sky Midnight News
Sky Midnight News
Sky Midnight News is a live news show that airs every day at 00:00am-00:30 on Sky News and on Sky News HD in the UK.It features a round-up of the news stories & a look ahead to the morning news. It is the only programme of its type in its time slot in the UK. It is regularly presented by Anna...
was introduced.
More changes took place during the early part of 2009. These changes involved major changes to the layout of the newsroom/studio, the introduction of a morning edition of The Live Desk and the extension of the financial news programme Jeff Randall Live
Jeff Randall Live
Jeff Randall Live is a business programme which is broadcast on Sky News in the United Kingdom at 19:00 from Monday to Thursday. It began on 24 September 2007 as a weekly show, and is hosted by the business journalist Jeff Randall...
to run for 4 nights each week, Monday to Thursday.
From sunrise to midnight on 8 March 2010, Sky News was presented and produced exclusively by women to mark International Women's Day
International Women's Day
International Women's Day , originally called International Working Women’s Day, is marked on March 8 every year. In different regions the focus of the celebrations ranges from general celebration of respect, appreciation and love towards women to a celebration for women's economic, political and...
.
In preparation for the start of high-definition broadcasting, Sky News moved to its second studio (Studio B) on the morning of the 30 March 2010. Broadcasting from Studio B continued until 9pm on 6 May, when they moved back to the main newsroom and launched Sky News HD in time for the 2010 General Election results. Sky News received a graphics refresh to coincide with the launch of the new HD channel - this was trialed during the soft launch for Sky News HD on 22 April; Sky News' distinctive orchestral theme music, in use since 2005, was also replaced on 6 May 2010. The new logo for both the SD and HD versions of the channel was released before launch - the main change being adopting a new logo to go with the modified Sky logo.
The new title music, composed by David Arnold
David Arnold (conductor)
David Arnold is a British composer, conductor and music producer.Born in 1951, he began to play percussion at the age of 12 and went on to study at the Royal College of Music in London...
, was recorded with a 60-piece Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is a British orchestra based in London. It tours widely, and is sometimes referred to as "Britain's national orchestra"...
in Angel Studios, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and uses more than 132 audio channels for 18 second
Second
The second is a unit of measurement of time, and is the International System of Units base unit of time. It may be measured using a clock....
of audio.
Programmes
The following are current Sky News programmes:- Afternoon Live
- Boulton & CoBoulton & CoBoulton & Co is a British news programme currently airing between 1pm and 2pm on Sky News weekdays. It is presented by the channel's political editor, Adam Boulton who gave up his Sunday morning show to take on the weekday commitment, and Sarah Hewson, Sky's Royal correspondent...
- Jeff Randall LiveJeff Randall LiveJeff Randall Live is a business programme which is broadcast on Sky News in the United Kingdom at 19:00 from Monday to Thursday. It began on 24 September 2007 as a weekly show, and is hosted by the business journalist Jeff Randall...
- Murnaghan
- News, Sport & WeatherNews, Sport & WeatherNews, Sport & Weather, is a regular Sky News programme providing news and sport "in 20 minutes, every 20 minutes". The programme airs daily 8 pm - 9 pm and additionally 2 pm - 5 pm at weekends. Up until early 2011, it was in a 15 minute format....
- 20/2020/2020/20 is an American "television newsmagazine", , broadcast on ABC since June 6, 1978. Created by ABC News executive Roone Arledge, the show was designed similarly to CBS's 60 Minutes but focuses more on human interest stories than international and political subjects...
- Saturday LiveSaturday Live (Sky News)Saturday Live is a Saturday morning show on Sky News, broadcast between 10 a.m. and midday. It is a two-hour magazine programme covering sport, news, showbiz, and politics, and is presented by Chris Roberts. Samantha Simmonds is relief presenter....
- Sky News at ElevenSky News TonightSky News At Nine and Sky News At Eleven are nightly news programmes broadcast on Sky News in the United Kingdom between 9pm and 10pm, and between 11pm and 12am...
- Sky News at FiveLive at Five (Sky TV series)Sky News at Five and Sky News at Six are the titles of Sky News' authoritative hour-long evening news round-ups, beginning at 5pm and 6pm, British time.-Format:...
- Sky News at NineSky News TonightSky News At Nine and Sky News At Eleven are nightly news programmes broadcast on Sky News in the United Kingdom between 9pm and 10pm, and between 11pm and 12am...
- Sky News at SevenSky News at SevenSky News at Seven is a weekend news programme on Sky News and Sky News HD in the United Kingdom. It runs from 7pm to 7.30pm on Saturday and Sunday. It is usually presented by Stephen Dixon...
- Sky News at SixLive at Five (Sky TV series)Sky News at Five and Sky News at Six are the titles of Sky News' authoritative hour-long evening news round-ups, beginning at 5pm and 6pm, British time.-Format:...
- Sky News at TenSky News at TenSky News at Ten is a long-running daily news show on Sky News, airing between 10:00pm and 11:00pm . From Monday to Thursday, the show is presented by Anna Botting whilst Friday to Sunday Stephen Dixon fronts the programme.-History:The show was originally launched in 1999 following the move of ITV's...
- Sky News
- Sky News Sunrise
- Sky News TodaySky News TodaySky News Today is a programme on Sky News which currently runs between 10:00am and 1:00pm and is presented by Dermot Murnaghan and Colin Brazier -Overview:...
- Sky News TonightSky News TonightSky News At Nine and Sky News At Eleven are nightly news programmes broadcast on Sky News in the United Kingdom between 9pm and 10pm, and between 11pm and 12am...
(defunct) - Sky News IrelandSky News IrelandSky News Ireland was a television news channel which broadcast in the Republic of Ireland. Sky News International is now available throughout Ireland...
(defunct) - Sky News with Martin StanfordSky News with Martin StanfordSky News with Martin Stanford was a news programme on Sky News which ran between 8:00pm and 10:00pm Monday to Friday between July 2006, and February 2007...
(defunct) - Sky World NewsSky World NewsSky World News is a weekday programme which airs between 3am - 6 am GMT on Sky News and is generally presented by Lukwesa Burak broadcasting around the world. The programme is produced by a specific team of foreign news specialists...
- SportslineSportsline (Sky News)Sportsline is a daily sports news magazine broadcast on the United Kingdom rolling news channel Sky News. The programme is broadcast on weekday evenings at 2245 under the Sky News at Ten brand, and weekends at 1930 following Sky News at Seven and Sky News at Ten. The programme may be pre-empted...
- The Live Desk
- Weekend LunchtimeWeekend LunchtimeWeekend Lunchtime airs every Saturday and Sunday between 12 noon and 2 p.m. on British News Channel Sky News. It features a mix of news and sport. The slot is branded on air as Sky News with Lorna Dunkley & Nick Powell....
Reception
Astra 28.2°E
Astra 28.2°E is the name for the group of Astra communications satellites co-located at the 28.2° East position in the Clarke Belt that are owned and operated by SES based in Betzdorf, Luxembourg...
satellites carrying Sky. It is also available on Freeview and analogue and digital cable. In 2007 BSKyB announced its intention to cease broadcasting Sky News as well as other BSkyB channels over Freeview pending Ofcom
Ofcom
Ofcom is the government-approved regulatory authority for the broadcasting and telecommunications industries in the United Kingdom. Ofcom was initially established by the Office of Communications Act 2002. It received its full authority from the Communications Act 2003...
approval.
Sky News International
Sky News is also shown internationally, sometimes under the name Sky News International, and can often be seen in hotels as well as being offered by some cable and satellite providers as part of their English-language line-up. While the UK feed is broadcast in 16:9, the international version was until Mid-August 2010, still in 4:3 with portions of the picture being cut out.The international version is shown as free-to-air on Astra 1L at 19.2° east. It is also carried encrypted on a number of satellites for international reception–including but not limited to Hot Bird
Hot Bird
Hot Bird is the name of a popular family of satellites operated by Eutelsat, located at 13°E over the Equator and with a transmitting footprint over Europe, North Africa and the Middle East....
, Nilesat
Nilesat
Nilesat is an Egyptian company, and the name of a series of Egyptian communications satellites. It was established in 1996 with the purpose of operating Egyptian satellites and their associated ground control station and uplinking facilities...
, Amos 1 and Intelsat
Intelsat
Intelsat, Ltd. is a communications satellite services provider.Originally formed as International Telecommunications Satellite Organization , it was—from 1964 to 2001—an intergovernmental consortium owning and managing a constellation of communications satellites providing international broadcast...
10-02. It is also usually carried on cable systems in Europe, particularly (but not only) in Northern Europe especially in the Scandinavian countries.
Most of Europe, the Middle East and Asia receive the same version of Sky News as the Astra 28.2°E transmission, though with localised advertising. These feeds are sometimes known collectively as "Sky News International" and carry a break filler, the same as that of BBC World News, which is used on the UK and Ireland feed of its sister channel Fox News Channel.
From mid-August 2010 Sky News International is broadcast in 16:9.
Regional variations
Sky News AustraliaSky News Australia
Sky News Australia is an Australian 24 hour cable and satellite news channel available in 2.5 million homes on Foxtel, Austar, Optus Television and Neighbourhood Cable subscription platforms....
and Sky News New Zealand
Sky News New Zealand
Sky News New Zealand is a simulcast of Sky News Australia however carries the NZ branding, and appears on SKY Television. The programming is nearly identical to Sky News Australia, except for a nightly bulletin, plus a twice weekly afternoon one, being produced in New Zealand.- History :In the late...
are different channels that carry variable amounts Sky News UK programming, and share some of its style, but also have local programming and advertising. In Australia, a Sky News UK feed is also available at all times, on Sky News Active. From 2004 to 2006 Sky News Ireland
Sky News Ireland
Sky News Ireland was a television news channel which broadcast in the Republic of Ireland. Sky News International is now available throughout Ireland...
similarly carried local programming. This was then discontinued, the Irish feed reverting to a local advertising only service. Sky News weather also give forecasts for The Republic of Ireland as well as the UK.
Sky News HD
Sky released the high definitionHigh-definition television
High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
version of Sky News on 6 May 2010 to coincide with the 2010 election results. In the build-up to this launch, they have been upgrading their studios and several bureax both in the UK and around the world to be able to broadcast in HD.
Since early 2008, Sky News has been using cameras in the field which can shoot in HD. Some one-off programmes have been made available in high definition to Sky+ HD viewers through the Sky Anytime
Sky Anytime
Sky Anytime is the brand-name of a range of services from BSkyB designed to compete with video on demand services currently offered by rival companies such as Virgin Media or Tiscali TV as well as Internet Television services such as ITV Player and Sky Go....
feature, under the branding Sky News HD. These programmes have included Technofile, Diana: The Final Word, Canoe Man: Rise and Fall of John Darwin and Pathfinders: Into The Heart Of Afghanistan.
At 5pm (GMT) on 20 January 2009, Sky News' live coverage of the Inauguration of Barack Obama
Inauguration of Barack Obama
The inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States took place on Tuesday, January 20, 2009. The inauguration, which set a record attendance for any event held in Washington, D.C., marked the commencement of the four-year term of Barack Obama as President and Joe...
was carried in high definition on Sky Arts HD. This was the first ever live broadcast of Sky News in HD. Jeremy Thompson
Jeremy Thompson
Jeremy Gordon Thompson is a presenter on Sky News, regularly presenting Live at Five weeknights at 5pm.-Broadcasting career:Thompson was educated at King's School Worcester and was a contemporary of Chris Tarrant. Thompson is frequently Sky News' leading anchor on major stories, often presenting...
fronted the coverage from Washington DC
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
. Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
's memorial service was also presented in HD, with Kay Burley presenting.
Sky News moved operations to a chroma-key "green screen" set in Studio B from 30 March 2010 so that final preparations could take place in the main newsroom.
Sky News HD launched on Sky Channel 517 for the channel's election debate which was held on 22 April 2010. For the 10 days leading up to the debate, channel 517 displayed a countdown clock to launch. The Debate coverage was hosted in HD by Kay Burley
Kay Burley
Kay Burley is an English television newsreader, presenter and journalist. She currently anchors the Afternoon Live programme on the Sky News station.-Early life:...
and Adam Boulton
Adam Boulton
Adam Boulton is political editor of the British television channel Sky News, a post he has held since being asked to establish the politics team for the launch of the channel in 1989.-Biography:...
. Following the end of the coverage for the evening, channel 517 moved to show a looping preview tape. This tape included the shows that were mentioned above as being available on Sky Anytime. This continued until Sky News HD was launched in full on the evening of 6 May 2010, to coincide with the coverage of the results for the 2010 General Election hosted by Adam Boulton.
On 26 July 2010, Sky News HD launched on the Orbit Showtime Network, broadcasting to the Middle East and Africa.
Sky News Radio
Sky News Radio is a provider of news bulletins for radio stationRadio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
s in the United Kingdom.
In March 2007, BSkyB and Chrysalis Group
Chrysalis Group
Chrysalis Group is a UK media company. It was founded by Chris Wright, who remains chairman and was listed the 1,000th richest person in the UK in The Times Rich List 2009...
announced a joint partnership to launch a dedicated Sky News Radio station on the proposed bid by Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
's 4 Digital Group
4 Digital Group
4 Digital Group was a media consortium in the United Kingdom. The group won the licence to operate the second national DAB radio multiplex, as advertised by Ofcom in December 2006. The consortium, led by Channel 4 Radio, is a combination of the existing commercial radio operators and brands new to...
for the second DAB
Digital audio broadcasting
Digital Audio Broadcasting is a digital radio technology for broadcasting radio stations, used in several countries, particularly in Europe. As of 2006, approximately 1,000 stations worldwide broadcast in the DAB format....
multiplex
DAB ensemble
DAB ensembles are groups of Digital audio broadcasting broadcasters transmitting multiple digital radio channels on a single radio transmission....
in the United Kingdom. However, two months later Chrysalis sold its radio stations to Global Radio
Global Radio
Global Radio UK Ltd. is a British commercial radio company, the largest in the country following acquisitions of Chrysalis Radio and GCap Media.The company's Chief Executive Officer is Stephen Miron, while the Group Chairman is Charles Allen...
, and in October 2007 following a business review Global's chief executive announced that they would be withdrawing from the joint venture. Sky have announced plans to find a partner elsewhere.
The Sky News Radio feed is available FTA on the Astra 2A satellite at 28.2 East by manually tuning it in: 12207.00 V, 27500, 2/3 (Label: SNR).
Regular presenters
Sky News reporters and presenters
-Monday - Thursday:-Friday:-Saturday:-Sunday:-Relief news presenters:-Business:*Dharshini David *Joel Hills*Tadhg Enright*Alistair Bunkall *Samantha Washington-Sport:*Jacquie Beltrao...
When elections, either national or international, take place, Sky edits its schedule to focus on them. Recent examples have been the 2010 United Kingdom general election, the 2006 Israeli legislative election, the 2008 United States Presidential Election
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
and the 2008 United Kingdom local elections
United Kingdom local elections, 2008
The 2008 United Kingdom local elections were held on 1 May 2008. These elections took place in 137 English Local Authorities and all Welsh Councils....
. Sky also often shows long interviews; for example, Anna Botting
Anna Botting
Anna Elizabeth Botting is a British news anchor with Sky News, a broadcasting network based in the United Kingdom. She currently presents Sky News at Ten, Sky News at Eleven and Sky Midnight News from Monday to Thursday...
's exclusive half-hour interview with Carla Bruni
Carla Bruni
Carla Bruni-Sarkozy is an Italian-French songwriter, singer, actress, and former model...
in early 2010. 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.
In-depth Series
The channel regularly focusses on specific areas of society and current affairs, which allows for further indepth analysis and debate. In the past examples of these series have included Inside Iraq, Green Britain and Crime Uncovered.Pakistan: On Terrors Frontline was shown throughout the week beginning Monday 23 March 2009. The Sky News press release stated;
The series of reports has since won the 2009 RTS Award for Foreign News Coverage.
Identification and stings
Bruce Hammal has long been the voice of Sky News' identification announcements. Since October 2005 he has been heard at the top of each hour introducing programmes by announcing, "Live from the Sky News Centre, this is Programme name with presenters" or "This is programme name with presenter/s".Several years earlier, after the merger between Sky Television plc
Sky Television plc
Sky Television plc was a public limited company which operated its four-channel satellite television service, launched by Rupert Murdoch's News International on 5 February 1989...
& British Satellite Broadcasting
British Satellite Broadcasting
British Satellite Broadcasting was a British television company which provided direct broadcast satellite television services to the United Kingdom...
, Hammel's introduction was "This is Sky News a part of the British Sky Broadcasting
British Sky Broadcasting
British Sky Broadcasting Group plc is a satellite broadcasting, broadband and telephony services company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, with operations in the United Kingdom and the Ireland....
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".
Criticism and perception
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
broadcasting regulations that require neutrality although there are occasional claims that Sky News may be inherently biased due to the fact that it is a News Corporation company; most of News Corporation's news outlets have an openly conservative or right-wing outlook. Ofcom received complaints regarding the network's lack of neutrality ahead of the 2010 General Election.
In early 1994 Kelvin MacKenzie
Kelvin MacKenzie
Kelvin Calder MacKenzie is an English media executive and former newspaper editor. He is best known for being editor of The Sun newspaper between 1981 and 1994, an era in which the paper was established as Britain's best selling newspaper.- Biography :MacKenzie was educated at Alleyn's School...
, former editor of The Sun
The Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
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
Philip Antony Fyson Buck
Sir Philip Antony Fyson Buck, QC was a British Conservative politician.A strong supporter of the modernising Conservatism championed by Edward Heath, Buck was appointed Under-Secretary for Defence in 1972...
. Frykberg refused to air the interview and resigned shortly afterwards - the interview was put on Sky One. MacKenzie announced his resignation in August 1994, 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.
Sky News covered the trial in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
US trial of Louise Woodward
Louise Woodward
The Louise Woodward case concerned a young English au pair convicted, at age 19, of the 1997 involuntary manslaughter of eight-month-old Matthew Eappen while he was in her care in his home in Newton, Massachusetts, in the United States...
with live coverage. When Sky returned to a regular schedule, viewers demanded the trial coverage. From Woodward's home in Elton, Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
Sky broadcast locals reactions, but this brought criticism of maintaining a pro-Louise Woodward stance, as she was found guilty but sentenced to time served.
In November 2005 the then head of BBC News, Peter Horrocks
Peter Horrocks
Peter John Gibson Horrocks is Director of BBC World Service. He was educated at the independent King's College School in Wimbledon and at Christ's College, Cambridge....
acknowledged that Sky News remained the first choice for "key opinion formers".
Ofcom
Ofcom
Ofcom is the government-approved regulatory authority for the broadcasting and telecommunications industries in the United Kingdom. Ofcom was initially established by the Office of Communications Act 2002. It received its full authority from the Communications Act 2003...
received 652 complaints regarding the network's neutrality after it hosted the second Leaders' debate in the 2010 General Election.
On Saturday, 8 May 2010, Sky News presenter Kay Burley
Kay Burley
Kay Burley is an English television newsreader, presenter and journalist. She currently anchors the Afternoon Live programme on the Sky News station.-Early life:...
was heckled by a few protestors during an interview on College Green
College Green (London)
College Green in London is a small grass-covered public area diagonally opposite the Palace of Westminster at the corner of Millbank and Abingdon Street, and is a common place for TV reporters to interview Members of Parliament.-Location:...
, one of whom demanded Burley be sacked. The channel cut the interview to go to a commercial break. Ofcom
Ofcom
Ofcom is the government-approved regulatory authority for the broadcasting and telecommunications industries in the United Kingdom. Ofcom was initially established by the Office of Communications Act 2002. It received its full authority from the Communications Act 2003...
received 832 complaints about the incident.
Ofcom received 696 complaints over Sky News journalist Adam Boulton
Adam Boulton
Adam Boulton is political editor of the British television channel Sky News, a post he has held since being asked to establish the politics team for the launch of the channel in 1989.-Biography:...
's conduct during an interview with Alistair Campbell.
Libel case
In November 2008 BSkyB paid substantial undisclosed libel damages to Robert Murat in relation to their reporting of the abduction of Madeleine McCann. Sky news had falsely suggested that Murat, who was assisting in the search of McCann, had acted liked child murder Ian Huntley following McCann's disappearance. Sky News also falsely accused Murat of misleading journalists into thinking he was working for the police. An apology was also placed on the Sky News website, the libellous material removed, and Murat's costs were paid.Awards
From 2000 onwards, Sky News expanded its international coverage, opening bureaux in Africa, Europe, and the far East. It won awards from the Royal Television SocietyRoyal Television Society
The Royal Television Society is a British-based educational charity for the discussion, and analysis of television in all its forms, past, present and future. It is the oldest television society in the world...
., the latest being 'News Channel of the Year' in 2011.
Sky News has won BAFTA awards for coverage of the 11 September 2001 attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
and the 2003 Soham Murders
Soham murders
The Soham murders was an English murder case in 2002 of two 10-year-old girls in the village of Soham, Cambridgeshire.The victims were Holly Marie Wells and Jessica Aimee Chapman...
.
Coverage of the 7 July 2005 London bombings
7 July 2005 London bombings
The 7 July 2005 London bombings were a series of co-ordinated suicide attacks in the United Kingdom, targeting civilians using London's public transport system during the morning rush hour....
won the 2006 International Emmy Breaking News award commending the "fast and accurate" reporting.
In June 2007 Sky News was named the "Best News Channel" at the Broadcast Digital Channel Awards. It beat several other national and international broadcasters including Al Jazeera English and the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
but failed to beat them every other year.
Bureaux
Sky News bureau locations: some are independent, others are shared with News CorporationNews Corporation
News Corporation or News Corp. is an American multinational media conglomerate. It is the world's second-largest media conglomerate as of 2011 in terms of revenue, and the world's third largest in entertainment as of 2009, although the BBC remains the world's largest broadcaster...
networks or other international affiliates.
United Kingdom
- Belfast, Northern IrelandBelfastBelfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
- Birmingham, EnglandBirminghamBirmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
- Bristol, EnglandBristolBristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
- Glasgow, ScotlandGlasgowGlasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
- Manchester, EnglandManchesterManchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
- Osterley, London (Headquarters), EnglandOsterleyOsterley is a district in the London Borough of Hounslow in west London. It is situated approximately west south-west of Charing Cross.Osterley lies north of the A4 and extends further northwards beyond the M4 Motorway...
- 30 St Mary Axe, City of London (Business news), England30 St Mary Axe30 St Mary Axe, the Swiss Re Building , is a skyscraper in London's main financial district, the City of London, completed in December 2003 and opened at the end of May 2004...
- Westminster, London, EnglandWestminsterWestminster is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster, England. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, southwest of the City of London and southwest of Charing Cross...
Worldwide
- Beijing, People's Republic of ChinaBeijingBeijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
- Brussels, BelgiumBrusselsBrussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
- Dubai, United Arab EmiratesDubaiDubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
- Jerusalem, Israel
- Johannesburg, South Africa
- Moscow, RussiaMoscowMoscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
(with NTV RussiaNTV RussiaNTV is a Russian television channel. As a subsidiary of Vladimir Gusinsky's company Media-Most, it was a pioneer in the post-Soviet independent television media, but was later taken over by state-owned Gazprom.- History :...
) - New Delhi, IndiaNew DelhiNew Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
- New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
(with Fox News ChannelFox News ChannelFox News Channel , often called Fox News, is a cable and satellite television news channel owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a subsidiary of News Corporation...
and Fox Business NetworkFox Business NetworkFox Business Network is an American cable news and satellite news television channel that began broadcasting on October 15, 2007. It is owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation...
) - Sydney, AustraliaSydneySydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
(with Sky News AustraliaSky News AustraliaSky News Australia is an Australian 24 hour cable and satellite news channel available in 2.5 million homes on Foxtel, Austar, Optus Television and Neighbourhood Cable subscription platforms....
) - Washington DC, USAWashington, D.C.Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
(with Fox News ChannelFox News ChannelFox News Channel , often called Fox News, is a cable and satellite television news channel owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a subsidiary of News Corporation...
)
Additional Live Studios
- Auckland, New ZealandAucklandThe Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
(with Sky News New ZealandSky News New ZealandSky News New Zealand is a simulcast of Sky News Australia however carries the NZ branding, and appears on SKY Television. The programming is nearly identical to Sky News Australia, except for a nightly bulletin, plus a twice weekly afternoon one, being produced in New Zealand.- History :In the late...
) - Brisbane, AustraliaBrisbaneBrisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
(with Sky News AustraliaSky News AustraliaSky News Australia is an Australian 24 hour cable and satellite news channel available in 2.5 million homes on Foxtel, Austar, Optus Television and Neighbourhood Cable subscription platforms....
) - Chicago, ILChicagoChicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
(with CBS NewsCBS NewsCBS News is the news division of American television and radio network CBS. The current chairman is Jeff Fager who is also the executive producer of 60 Minutes, while the current president of CBS News is David Rhodes. CBS News' flagship program is the CBS Evening News, hosted by the network's main...
) - Los Angeles, CALos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
(with Fox News ChannelFox News ChannelFox News Channel , often called Fox News, is a cable and satellite television news channel owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a subsidiary of News Corporation...
and Fox Business NetworkFox Business NetworkFox Business Network is an American cable news and satellite news television channel that began broadcasting on October 15, 2007. It is owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation...
) - Melbourne, AustraliaMelbourneMelbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
(with Nine NetworkNine NetworkThe Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
) - Milan, ItalyMilanMilan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
(with Italian Sky TG24SKY TG24Sky TG24 is an Italian all-news channel, owned by Sky Italia, part of News Corporation.Launched on July 31, 2003, and provides round-the-clock of the news, with updates on every hour and half-hour...
) - Rome, ItalyRomeRome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
(with Italian Sky TG24SKY TG24Sky TG24 is an Italian all-news channel, owned by Sky Italia, part of News Corporation.Launched on July 31, 2003, and provides round-the-clock of the news, with updates on every hour and half-hour...
)
Online
Skynews.com is the channel's main website. It provides news, sport, weather, showbiz, and business stories with help from other divisions such as Sky SportsSky Sports
Sky Sports is the brand name for a group of sports-oriented television channels operated by the UK and Ireland's main satellite pay-TV company, British Sky Broadcasting. Sky Sports is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland...
.
In 2009 the website underwent a largely cosmetic change to bring it in line with the on-screen look of Sky News TV. The site makes use of flash video encoding to match the visual style of the TV channel with pictures and breaking news
Breaking news
Breaking news, also known as a special report or news bulletin, is a current event that broadcasters feel warrants the interruption of scheduled programming and/or current news in order to report its details. Many times, breaking news is used after the news network has already reported on this story...
.
Interactivity: Blogs and Forums
Since 2005, with the relaunch of the TV channel, a greater emphasis has been placed upon interactivityInteractivity
In the fields of information science, communication, and industrial design, there is debate over the meaning of interactivity. In the "contingency view" of interactivity, there are three levels:...
. With a growing selection of news blogs written by staff and guests, Sky News now has a tailored selection targeted towards each demographic of its audience. A recent addition to Sky News Online has been messageboards or forums
Internet forum
An Internet forum, or message board, is an online discussion site where people can hold conversations in the form of posted messages. They differ from chat rooms in that messages are at least temporarily archived...
.
Virgin Media dispute
On 1 March 2007, the contract for Virgin MediaVirgin Media
Virgin Media Inc. is a company which provides fixed and mobile telephone, television and broadband internet services to businesses and consumers in the United Kingdom...
to provide Sky's basic channels (including Sky News) on their cable TV service expired after a dispute between Virgin Media and BSkyB. At Midnight, Sky News was removed, the electronic programming guide changed to "Sky Snooze Try BBC" until Sir Richard Branson demanded the message be removed 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 returned to Virgin Media Network along with all the other "Sky Basics" channels that were removed in March 2007. This deal between BSkyB and Virgin Media was confirmed on 4 November 2008. Sky News reappeared on Virgin Media on 13 November.
In popular culture
- Sky News has been featured in many feature films;
- Behind Enemy Lines*
- Independence DayIndependence Day (film)Independence Day is a 1996 science fiction film about an alien invasion of Earth, focusing on a disparate group of individuals and families as they converge in the Nevada desert and, along with the rest of the human population, participate in a last-chance counterattack on July 4 – the same...
* - In the LoopIn the Loop (film)In the Loop is a 2009 British satirical black comedy film directed by Armando Iannucci. It is based on the BBC Television series The Thick of It satirising Anglo-American politics in the 21st century and the Invasion of Iraq...
- Johnny EnglishJohnny EnglishJohnny English is a 2003 British action comedy film parodying the James Bond secret agent genre. The film stars Rowan Atkinson as the incompetent titular English spy, with John Malkovich, Natalie Imbruglia, Tim Pigott-Smith and Ben Miller in supporting roles...
- Mission: ImpossibleMission: Impossible (film)Mission: Impossible is a 1996 action thriller directed by Brian De Palma and starring Tom Cruise. Following on from the television series of the same name, the plot follows a new agent, Ethan Hunt and his mission to uncover the mole within the CIA who has framed him for the murders of his entire...
- Shaun of the DeadShaun of the DeadShaun of the Dead is a 2004 British zombie comedy directed by Edgar Wright, starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, and written by Pegg and Wright. Pegg plays Shaun, a man attempting to get some kind of focus in his life as he deals with his girlfriend, his mother and stepfather...
- StealthStealth (film)Stealth is a 2005 American science fiction action film starring Jessica Biel, Josh Lucas, Jamie Foxx, and Sam Shepard. The film was directed by Rob Cohen, director of The Fast and the Furious and xXx....
- St TriniansSt Trinian's (2007 film)St Trinian's is the sixth in a long-running series of films based on the works of cartoonist Ronald Searle. The first five films form a series, starting with The Belles of St Trinian's in 1954, with sequels in 1957, 1960, 1966 and 1980....
- The Bourne UltimatumThe Bourne Ultimatum (film)The Bourne Ultimatum is a 2007 American spy film directed by Paul Greengrass and loosely based on the Robert Ludlum novel of the same title. This film is the third in the Bourne film series, being preceded by The Bourne Identity and The Bourne Supremacy...
- The Day After TomorrowThe Day After TomorrowThe Day After Tomorrow is a 2004 American science-fiction disaster film that depicts the catastrophic effects of global warming in a series of extreme weather events that usher in global cooling which leads to a new ice age. The film did well at the box office, grossing $542,771,772 internationally...
* - The Ghost Writer
- Volcano*
- Why We FightWhy We Fight (2005 film)Why We Fight, directed by Eugene Jarecki, is a 2006 documentary film about the military–industrial complex. The title refers to the World War II-era eponymous propaganda movies commissioned by the U.S...
- Television Shows
- Crisis CommandCrisis CommandCrisis Command — Could You Run the Country? was a 2004 BBC2 role-playing interactive drama documentary which was based on realistic scenarios and dramatised situations that Britain could face one day....
- SpooksSpooksSpooks is a British television drama series that originally aired on BBC One from 13 May 2002 – 23 October 2011, consisting of 10 series. The title is a popular colloquialism for spies, as the series follows the work of a group of MI5 officers based at the service's Thames House headquarters, in a...
- The Thick of ItThe Thick of ItThe Thick of It is a British comedy television series that satirises the inner workings of modern British government. It was first broadcast on BBC Four in 2005, and has so far completed fourteen half-hour episodes and two special hour-long episodes to coincide with Christmas and Gordon Brown's...
- Dead SetDead Set (TV series)Dead Set is a critically acclaimed BAFTA-nominated horror drama created by English writer Charlie Brooker.The series takes place primarily on the set of a fictional season of the real television show Big Brother...
- The Day Britain StoppedThe Day Britain StoppedThe Day Britain Stopped is a drama documentary produced by Wall to Wall for the BBC. It is based around a fictional disaster on December 19, 2003, in which a train strike is the first in a chain of events that lead to a meltdown of the country's transport system...
- Chris Ryan's Strike BackStrike Back (TV series)Chris Ryan's Strike Back is a six-part British television series based on the novel of the same name written by best-selling author and former soldier of the Special Air Service, Chris Ryan. It was produced by Left Bank Pictures for Sky1...
- Crisis Command
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
, a News Corporation
News Corporation
News Corporation or News Corp. is an American multinational media conglomerate. It is the world's second-largest media conglomerate as of 2011 in terms of revenue, and the world's third largest in entertainment as of 2009, although the BBC remains the world's largest broadcaster...
asset.