Sky News chief stands by revamp

Sky News head Nick Pollard has denied rumours that he is planning to axe several of the channel's new signings.

The station had maintained a lead over rival BBC News 24 up until its recent revamp, since which it has actually been overtaken in the ratings. Sky now has an average share of 0.54% versus News 24's 0.58%.

The revamp, introduced last October, introduced a new format of "appointment-to-view" programmes to the schedule. Some, such as Lunchtime Live with Kay Burley, have flourished, while others - most notably James Rubin's World News Tonight - have floundered. Sunrise anchor Eamonn Holmes has also been criticised for his light-hearted approach in tackling serious stories.

"We're damned if we do and damned if we don't," said Pollard of the changes in an interview with The Observer. "If we don't, people are going to say 'It's fine but it's very superficial'. If we do, they'll say 'They're trying to be all things to all men'. I don't see why any news organisation shouldn't investigate things and try to break stories. You can do that without compromising your ability to produce rolling news."

He also confirmed that both Rubin and Holmes were safe but admitted that the schedule was being looked at. "We always look at what we do. To do anything else would be crazy."