MediaGuardian: ITN dumped by Channel Five
So Five News will be leaving ITN and are heading off to the sunny 'delights' of Osterly, West London. And Sky have got their foothold into analogue news bulletin prevision.
The deal is important in two ways. For Sky News, it's the result of 15 years of trying to leaver ITN out of the way. Bar a brief stint providing news bulletins for TVam and Five simulcasting a segment of Sunrise, Sky hasn't exactly had much joy at getting in on the analogue act.
But with ITV plc making hints that it wants to take full control of ITN, Sky's chances have been more favourable of late. After all, would you want your biggest TV rival providing your news service?
It's important news for ITN too. It's the first time it's lost one of its biggest name customers and whilst its picked up the contract to provide regional news in London, it's not much of a consolation. The fear must be too that the contract for Channel 4 News will also be soon heading Osterly way.
