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Sky News
Launched	5 February 1989
Owned by	BSkyB
Audience share	0.4% (February 2007, [2])
Slogan	First for breaking news[1]
Website	www.sky.com/news
Availability
Terrestrial
DTT/Freeview	Channel 82
Satellite
Sky Digital	Channel 501
Sky Italia (Italy)	Channel 512
Cyfra+	Channel 677
Astra 1KR	11597 V / 22000 / 5/6
Astra 2B	12207 V / 27500 / 2/3
DStv	52
Thor 3 (Canal Digital)	12456 V / 28000 / 3/4
DirecTV	9997 (Unavailable to general public at present)
Cable
now TV Hong-Kong (IPTV)	Channel 323
Starhub Cable Vision (Singapore)	Channel 92
Com Hem (Sweden)	Channel 126
Freebox (France)	Channel 74
UPC Telemach, others (Slovenia)	Channel 25
Online Watching
sky.com/news	Audio Only

Sky News is a British television News channel which started as part of the four channel Sky Television network in February 1989.^[3] It was modelled on the US CNN channel.^[4] For the last year it has been second in ratings to in the UK to BBC News 24, and it's audience is very small compared with more established TV News programmes such as the BBC1 News and ITV News. Elsewhere in Europe, it competes mainly with BBC World, Euronews, Al-Jazeera English and CNN International. Sky News is owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Murdoch said of it in March 1992:

“

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

”

The station broadcasts from Osterley, West London, employing around 50 on-screen staff (anchors, weather forecasters, correspondents and reporters) and over 500 behind-the-scenes. The station has eight bureaux outside the United Kingdom, however, shares many more with other News Corporation stations.

Contents 1 History 2 Perception 3 Reception 4 Programming 4.1 Former Programmes 5 Reporters & Presenters 5.1 Present 5.2 Report 6 Bureaux 6.1 United Kingdom 6.2 Worldwide 7 Identification and Strings 8 Logos 9 Local variation 10 Sky News Radio 11 In popular culture 12 Virgin Media Dispute 13 References 14 External links

Sky News started broadcasting at 6pm on 5 February 1989.^[5] The channel operated on a shoestring but quickly gained a reputation for journalistic integrity^{[citation needed]}. Although the channel was reportedly run at a loss until 2002,^[6] its award-winning journalism brought British Sky Broadcasting some much needed prestige^{[citation needed]}. Many of the original presenting team from the 1980s launch remain at the channel today.

Sky News remained the only UK's 24 hour news service until the launch of BBC News 24 in November 1997, and the ITN News Channel (later the ITV News Channel) in August 2000 (however this closed down in December 2005.) 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 but that such aid was justified due to the public service remit of the BBC and that it did not exceed actual costs of the channel.^{[citation needed]}

In March 2000 Sky News Active was launched, a then unique 24-hour interactive service providing headlines (and other services which ranged from weather, the top story of the day and showbiz) on demand. It proved popular^{[citation needed]}, and in late 2001/early 2002 it launched an 8-screen video news service, rather than just 4-screen.

Sky News Poll had also proved popular with a new question each day^{[citation needed]}. It is now common for the question to change throughout the day according to news or developments. In March 2004 it was announced that Five News was to be produced by Sky News, as Sky had won a 5-year contract to supply news bulletins to the British terrestrial channel Five, taking over from ITN in January 2005 ^[7].

On 24 October 2005, Sky News was relaunched from a brand-new studio across the road at their Osterley site in West London. This replaced the old building which had been in use for almost 17 years since the channel's launch.^{[citation needed]} Music and on screen graphics were heavily revised and for the first time in the channel's history it began broadcasting in Widescreen (16:9) EDTV format (except for Sky News International which remained 4:3). The new schedule included more programmes based around flagship news presenters such as Jeremy Thompson and Julie Etchingham, whilst still breaking news around the clock. In this respect, Sky News followed the examples of CNN and Fox News.^{[citation needed]} Former US State Department Spokesperson James Rubin joined the channel at the relaunch to present an hour-long evening news show, World News Tonight, whilst popular British TV personality, Eamonn Holmes joined to present Sunrise. The relaunch was also a major technical move from traditional tape based studio operation to a Quantel server based system.

The relaunch was disastrous for the channel, and since October 2005 BBC News 24 has overtaken Sky News in the ratings. The relaunch was almost fully reversed in July 2006, with schedule re-shuffle. Sky News dropped the James Rubin's unpopular 'World News Tonight' and The Sky Report but 'Lunchtime Live with Kay Burley' remained in the schedule.^{[citation needed]} The re-shuffle also saw 17 Sky staff, including presenters, leave the station^{[citation needed]}.

On 25 February 2007, the channel changed its graphics scheme again, with breaking news in yellow. The new channel graphics also publicise the fact that Sky News is RTS News Channel of the Year for 2007. However, the Sky News blog has overwhelming negative feedback about the latest revamp, with many citing similarities to Fox News and wanting a return to the previous layout.

Sky News operates under the requirements of United Kingdom broadcasting regulations that require neutrality. Therefore the channel has a rolling schedule of news, and limits (and balances) the amount of commentary.

The station has not been without controversy. 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 downmarket and concentrate on stories that would be more familiar to tabloid newspapers than its rivals at the BBC and ITN.^{[citation needed]}

The main problems arose when it became clear that Frykberg, then head of News and Sport at BSkyB, wanted to take Sky News to a wider international audience. Frykberg outlined his intention to open 15 new Sky News bureaux around the world and make the channel a serious alternative to CNN. At the time, he was backed by Rupert Murdoch *.^[8] There was also talk of the US CBS network acquiring a stake in Sky News, and the two launching a joint international news channel. Mackenzie, in contrast, wanted the channel to focus on more domestic and 'tabloid' stories. The most ferocious battle occurred when Mackenzie wanted Sky News to run an interview with Lady Bienvenida Buck, exposed by the News of the World as being the mistress of Chief of Defence staff Sir Peter Harding. Frykberg refused to air the interview and resigned shortly afterwards. The interview did not air on Sky News, and was instead shifted to Sky One.^[9]

MacKenzie announced his resignation in August 1994.^[9]

A 1993 report on public trust in news outlets ranked Sky News far below the more established TV networks and newspapers.^{[citation needed]} However the station has undoubtedly got past this in its news coverage, to the point of being nominated for International Emmy Awards and a 2004 report listed Sky as second only to the BBC in terms of public trust in British news outlets.^{[citation needed]}

Its coverage of the Louise Woodward trial in Boston, US, garnered the channel international attention. Capitalising on the live broadcasts from the courtroom, Sky News covered the trial as-it-happened, with constant live coverage, recalling CNN's rolling coverage of the O.J. Simpson murder case.^{[citation needed]} After days of live courtroom television, Sky attempted to return to a more regular schedule, only to be inundated with complaints by viewers demanding that the trial return to the screens; Sky obliged.^{[citation needed]} They also took the opportunity to rig up a huge television screen in a pub in Woodward's home village of Elton in Cheshire, with 24/7 coverage of the trial in progress. Villagers rallied round the screen, and Sky recorded their reactions to every detail of the trial. The channel came in for further criticism, with many accusing it of maintaining a pro-Louise Woodward stance, even after she was found guilty.^{[citation needed]}

At the turn of the millennium, Sky began a process of expanding its international coverage, opening more overseas bureaux in Africa, Europe, and the far East. It won awards from the Royal Television Society, a BAFTA, and a nomination for an International Emmy Award for being the only major UK television network to feature live reports during the war in Kosovo.^{[citation needed]}

Its coverage of the September 11, 2001 attacks brought more honours, and more recognition from BAFTA and the RTS.^{[citation needed]} During the first week or so of the invasion of Afghanistan, Fox News substituted its late-night repeats of its own programming with a simulcast of Sky News. In 2002/3, its coverage of the Soham Murders in Cambridgeshire gave the channel yet more awards, and the British Academy award for news coverage.^{[citation needed]} Later that year, its (also award-winning) coverage of the Iraq conflict saw it yet again steal a march on its rivals, with US networks CBS and Fox News carrying much of its coverage.^{[citation needed]}

Coverage of the 7 July 2005 London bombings won the 2006 International Emmy award in the Breaking News category. The judges commended the channel's "fast and accurate" reporting.^[10]

Sky News is facing increasing competition from BBC News 24, however the BBC Head of News, Peter Horrocks, admitted in November 2005 in a leaked email that it was Sky News that was the first port of call for 'key opinion formers', not the BBC.^[11]

Sky News is free-to-air on the Astra 2 satellites carrying Sky Digital. It is also available on Freeview and analogue and digital cable.

Sky News is also shown internationally, and can often be seen in hotels as well as being offered by some cable providers as part of their English-language line-up. The main difference between the UK version and the international version is that the international feed does not include advertisements^{[citation needed]}, instead, written summaries of news, business & sports headlines, accompanied by different mixes of the normal Sky News theme music are shown. Also missing internationally are the clock and the scrolling headlines banner, whilst the picture is cropped to 4:3.

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

In late July, 2006, US-based satellite broadcaster DirecTV added several channels to their online guide that are apparently not available to viewers, including Sky News. Sky News cannot be made available for general American viewing as Sky does not hold the international rights to much of Sky News's output, in particular of sporting events.

• Sunrise (with Eamonn Holmes)
• Sky News Today
• Lunchtime Live
• Live at Five
• News, Sport, Weather
• Sky News at Ten
• Sportsline
• Sky News Tonight
• Sky News On The Hour
• Sky World News
• Saturday Live
• Sunday Live with Adam Boulton

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

• Littlejohn
• Now Sir Robin
• Sky News with Martin Stanford
• The Sky Report
• World News Tonight
• 3D

Lucy Alexander Faye Barker Jacquie Beltrao (Sport) Adam Boulton (Sunday Live) Anna Botting (9pm-10pm News, Sport, Weather, Sky News at Ten and Sky News Tonight) Colin Brazier (Sky News Today 2pm-5pm) Lukwesa Burak (Overnight News) Lisa Burke (Weather) Kay Burley (Lunchtime Live) Rob Curling (Sport) Angela Corpe Emma Crosby (Friday Sunrise) Steve Dixon (Weekends & Saturday Live on alternate weeks) Jon Desborough (Sportline on Weekdays) Lorna Dunkley (Weekends) Ursula Errington Julie Etchingham (Sky News Today 2pm-5pm Weekdays) Helen Fospero (Saturday Sunrise) Steve Gaisford

Charlotte Hawkins (Weekday Sunrise) Eamonn Holmes (Sunrise with Eamonn Holmes) Allan King Isobel Lang (Weather) Mark Longhurst (Friday and Weekend Sunrise) Paula Middlehurst Anna Jones (Sky News Today 9am-12noon) Gillian Joseph (Sky News between 6pm and 8pm & 8pm-9pm News, Sport, Weather) Martin Popplewell Nick Powell (Weekend Sportsline) Sasha Qadri (Overnight News) Chris Roberts (Weekends & Saturday Live on alternate weeks) James Rubin (Regular special shows) Denise Nurse (Weather) Chris Skudder (Weekend Sportsline) Samantha Simmonds (Sunday Sunrise) Martin Stanford (Sky News Today 9am-12noon) Charlie Thomas (Weekend Sunrise Sport) Jeremy Thompson (Live at 5 on Weekdays and Sky News from 6pm to 8pm) Lucy Verasamy (Weather) Alec Wilkinson (Sport) Francis Wilson (Weather)

Rachel Amatt (Home Affairs Correspondent) Adam Boulton (Political Editor) David Bowden (London Correspondent) Martin Brunt (Crime Correspondent) Michelle Clifford (US Correspondent) David Crabtree (Chief Midlands Correspondent) Jon Craig (Chief Political Correspondent) Brian Daly (Ireland Correspondent) Rona Dougall (Scotland Correspondent) Ian Dovaston (Sports Correspondent) Lisa Dowd (Midlands Correspondent) Lisa Holland (Foreign Affairs Correspondent) Emma Hurd (Africa Correspondent) Ray Kennedy (Ireland Correspondent) Darren Little (Midlands Correspondent) Tim Marshall (Foreign Affairs Editor) James Matthews (Scotland Correspondent) Michelle May (North of England Correspondent) Mike McCarthy (North of England Correspondent) Geoff Meade (Defence Correspondent)

Greg Milam (Europe Correspondent) Andrew Moore (West of England Correspondent) Thomas Moore (Health Correspondent) Robert Nisbet (Environment Correspondent) Glen O'Glaza (Political Correspondent) Tom Parmenter (North of England Correspondent) Stuart Ramsay (Chief Correspondent) Alex Rossi (Russia Correspondent) Miranda Schunke (North of England Correspondent) Peter Sharp (East Asia (China) Correspondent) Matt Smith (Entertainment Correspondent) Peter Spencer (Political Correspondent) Gerard Tubb (North of England Correspondent) Dominic Waghorn (Middle East Correspondent) Andrew Wilson (US Correspondent) Michael Wilson (Business Editor) Katherine Witty (Royal Correspondent) Ian Woods (News Correspondent)

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

• Belfast, Northern Ireland
• Birmingham, England
• Edinburgh, Scotland
• Osterley, London (Headquarters), England
• Westminster, London, England
• Manchester, England

• Beijing, China
• Brussels, Belgium
• Dublin, Ireland
• Jerusalem, Israel
• Johannesburg, South Africa
• Moscow, Russia
• New Delhi, India
• Washington, D.C., USA

Sky News has a very recognizable introduction line which, like American television news, is said at the start of every hour of news by Bruce Hammal.^{[citation needed]} In the past, the line was "Sky News, with presenter/s." After the October 2005 revamp of the channel, however either "Live from the Sky News Centre, this is , with ." or "This is , with "^{[citation needed]} was said at the start of each hour.

Logo from 1998 - 2001.

Logo from Oct 2005 - Feb 2007 (Still used on the Sky News website.)

Current Logo from Feb 2007.

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

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

Sky News Radio is a provider of news bulletins for radio stations in the United Kingdom.^[12]

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

• Sky News has been featured in many feature films;
  • Behind Enemy Lines
  • The Day After Tomorrow*
  • Independence Day*
  • Mission: Impossible
  • Shaun of the Dead
  • Stealth
  • Why We Fight
  • Johnny English

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

• Television Shows
  • Spooks

This article documents a current event. Information may change rapidly as the event progresses.

On 1 March 2007, Virgin Media removed Sky's basic channels including Sky One, Sky Two, Sky News, Sky Sports News, Sky Travel and Sky Travel Extra, from their Television Services after a dispute between Virgin Media and BSkyB caused by the expiry of their carriage agreement and their inability to reach a new deal [1], but attempts are being reach an agreement. At Midnight, Sky News was removed, and the name of the station in the electronic programming guide was changed to "SKY SNOOZE TRY BBC".

1. ^ Sky News: UK News, World News and Business News. The First for breaking global News! (3 April 2007).
2. ^ BARB (3 April 2007).
3. ^ Chippindale, Peter and Franks, Suzanne (1991). Dished! The Rise and Fall of British Satellite Broadcasting. ISBN 067171077X. 
4. ^ Clarke, Neville and Riddell, Edwin (1992). The Sky Barons: The Men Who Control the Global Media. ISBN 0413636801. 
5. ^ Horsman, Mathew (1997). Sky High: The Inside Storuy of BSkyB. ISBN 0752811967. 
6. ^ "Touch down for Sky", BBC News, 2002-01-07. Retrieved on January 29, 2007.
7. ^ BBC NEWS - Entertainment - TV and Radio - Five to take Sky News bulletins (3 April 2007).
8. ^ Ipsen, Erik. "TV News Services Scramble to Compete With CNN : Racing to Inform the Global Village", International Herald Tribune, 1994-03-12. Retrieved on January 29, 2007.
9. ^ ^{a b} Horrie, Chris (1999). L?ve TV: Telebrats and Topless Darts. ISBN 0671015745. 
10. ^ "Sky News Wins 7/7 Award", Sky News, 2006-09-26. Retrieved on January 29, 2007.
11. ^ Robinson, James. "BBC news admits 'opinion-formers' prefer Sky", The Observer, 2005-11-20. Retrieved on January 29, 2007.
12. ^ Sky News Radio. British Sky Broadcasting. Sky News.
13. ^ Oatts, Joanne (2007-28-03). BSkyB and Chrysalis to launch Sky News Radio. Digital Spy. Retrieved on March 4, 2007.
14. ^ LBC News to become Sky News Radio. Radio Today (2007-04-03). Retrieved on April 3, 2007.

• Sky News at sky.com
• Sky Press Office for Sky News
• News at five.tv
• Sky News revamp set for October 24 (Digital Spy)
• Five to take Sky News bulletins at BBC News Online
• TV Newsroom
• Sky News - UK TV Listings and Schedules