Sky wins new Five news contract

Sky has succeeded in securing the contract to become Five's main news provider, it was announced today (Tuesday).

Sky News will replace ITN on January 1st, 2005, providing lunchtime and early evening news between noon and 12.30pm, 5.30pm and 6pm and 7pm to 7.30pm each weekday, and between 8.55pm-9pm on Saturday, 1.05pm and 1.15pm and 5.35pm and 5.45pm on Sunday.

The move follows a deal in 2001 which saw Sky News Sunrise simulcast on the channel each morning, and marks the achievement of a long-standing aim by Sky to secure the news contract for a terrestrial broadcaster.

Despite the new provider, Kirsty Young is expected to remain as the main face of Five news, anchoring bulletins from a new purpose-built studio in West London.

Five's senior programme controller Chris Shaw said that Sky would provide a "better" service for viewers as a result of the five-year deal, which is rumoured to be priced at £35 million.

"Sky News is an award-winning proven news service," said Shaw. "It was a difficult decision to move from ITN, which has done a fantastic job over the past seven years, but this will mean a bigger, better news for our viewers."

Naturally, Sky News head Nick Pollard was "delighted" with the agreement. "We are delighted that Sky News has been awarded the Five news contract and thank the channel for the confidence it has in our service," he said. "Our work for Five will draw on new and existing resources and reflect all the authority and dynamism displayed by Sky over the past fifteen years."