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You are in --> ICDG --> News Centre --> 5th October 2003

Sky News announce separate Irish service

Separate editions of Nine O’Clock News and Review of the Week to be produced.

Sky News has announced that it is to produce separate editions of the Sky Nine O’Clock News and Review of the Week programmes for its Irish audiences, beginning next year. A Dublin studio will be set up and two Irish presenters will be recruited for the nightly bulletin, which will go head-to-head with RTE’s newly relaunched RTE News: Nine O’Clock. Sky will also appoint a Dublin Correspondent and up to 7 news staff for Ireland . Part of the programme will be produced in London, and reports from the main Sky News service will also be shown in the bulletin. At the weekend an Irish Review of the Week programme will air. The Irish programming will be also shown on the main Sky News service overnights, though whether this will be on the main feed or as an option on the Sky News Active service on DSat is yet to be announced.

Going head-to-head with RTE is a brave gamble for Sky – TV3 originally launched their main news bulletin going head to head with the flagship RTE News: Six One only to be massively trounced in the ratings. This led to the bulletin being split into a 5:30pm and 7pm (later moved to 6:30pm as a result of the ITV network tie-in) bulletin.

You can discuss this story on our ICDG Broadcasting Forum.

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