.svg){kind=logo} Logo used since 2022 | |
 Headquarters at 200Gray's Inn Road | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Genre | Media Production and News Broadcasting |
| Founded | 4 May 1955 (70 years ago) (1955-05-04) |
| Founder | Independent Television Authority |
| Headquarters | 200Gray's Inn Road, London ,United Kingdom |
Key people | Rachel Corp[1] (CEO) |
| Revenue |  £135.9 million (2019) |
| £2.4 million (2019) | |
| £1.7 million (2018) | |
| Total assets | £39 million (2019) |
| Total equity | £105.4 million (2019) |
| Owners |
|
Number of employees | 706 (2019) |
| Website | itn |
| Footnotes / references [3][4][5] | |
Independent Television News (ITN) is a UK-based media production and broadcast journalism company. ITN is based inLondon, with bureaux and offices inBeijing,Brussels,Jerusalem,Johannesburg,New York,Paris,Sydney andWashington, D.C.
ITN produces the daily news programmes forITV,Channel 4 and5 in the UK, and in recent years has diversified to produce a wide range of content including documentaries, sports, advertising and digital material for a range of international clients.
Between 1955 and 1999, ITN was more commonly known as the general brand name of ITV's news programmes. Since 8 March 1999, ITV has usedITV News as the brand name for its news programmes, though ITN continues as the network's news provider.[6] The network's largest franchise owner,ITV plc (through its Channel 3 franchising subsidiary ITV Broadcasting Limited),[2] is the largest shareholder of ITN, owning 40% of the company's shares. Other shareholders areDaily Mail and General Trust,Thomson Reuters andInforma plc, each owning 20% of shares.
After theIndependent Television Authority (ITA) awarded the first sixITV franchises to four companies, it decided that national news should be provided by a separate contractor.[7] ITN was founded in May 1955 by a consortium of the initial four broadcasting companies, with formerLabour MPAidan Crawley as editor-in-chief. The first bulletin was broadcast at 10 pm on 22 September 1955 on ITV's launch night. Its original theme tune was 'Non Stop', byJohn Malcolm, which was used for the next 30 years. The bulletin was presented by former champion athleteChristopher Chataway. From the start, ITN broke new ground by introducing in-vision and named 'newscasters' (rather than the BBC's nameless and sound-only 'newsreaders'), and reporter packages. The unique, probing reporting style ofRobin Day caused shock among politicians, finding themselves questioned continually for information – this had never been the case with theBBC. There was also some early tensions with the ITV companies.ABC Weekend TV, the ITV contractor for the north and Midlands on weekends, immediately called for shorter ITN bulletins. While theITA ruled on a minimum of a 20-minute bulletin, disagreements with the ITV companies over ITN's budget triggered the resignation of Crawley after just one year in 1956. He was replaced byGeoffrey Cox.[8]
Throughout the early years, ITN continued to develop its service to the ITV network with an agenda to firstly, fulfil its public service broadcasting requirements and secondly satisfy the ITV companies by attracting viewers. Under this method, ITN continued to differentiate itself from the BBC by conducting probing interviews, introducing more human interest stories and bringing ordinary people on to screen by using so-called 'vox pops' (interviews, usually held in the street, with members of the general public), all of which were seen as a radical departure at the time in British broadcasting.[8] In 1956 theGeneral Post Office ended its Fourteen Day Rule prohibiting discussion on television of topics for debate in Parliament during the following two weeks.[9] As the ITN reporter and later ITN political editorJulian Haviland, put it: "My view was that at ITN we must be at least as responsible and accurate as the BBC, without being so damned boring".[10] As ITV expanded, each ITV company that made up the network's federal structure had to purchase a stake in ITN and to continue to finance the company.
In 1967, ITN was given the go-ahead by the ITA to provide a full 30-minute daily news programme at 10 pm on ITV. There was further tension with the ITV executives as they were sceptical of the idea that viewers would want a full 30 minutes of news every Monday to Friday and they were also losing valuable peak time slots which could be used for the sale of commercial advertising.News at Ten began broadcasting on 3 July 1967 with a newscaster team consisting ofAlastair Burnet,Andrew Gardner,George Ffitch andReginald Bosanquet. It was initially given a 13-week trial run; however, the programme proved to be extremely popular with viewers and continued for a further 32 years.News at Ten was to become one of the most prestigious news programmes of its time in British history with a reputation for high-quality journalism and innovation.[8] ITN'sNews at Ten also prompted the BBC to gradually expand its 20:50 news bulletin from ten minutes to fifteen, twenty and then twenty-five minutes.The Nine O'Clock News began broadcasting in 1970 asNews at Ten's rival. ITN also established other programmes in the ITV schedule.First Report, a lunchtime bulletin began in 1972 and by 1976,News at 5.45 commenced. This was a period when ITN enjoyed its greatest plaudits, followingLord Annan's 1977 report on the future of broadcasting, which declared: "We subscribe to the generally held view that ITN has the edge over BBC news."[11]
ITN obtained the contract to produceChannel 4 News when the channel started broadcasting in 1982. The programme was launched byPeter Sissons,Trevor McDonald andSarah Hogg. The hour-long programme has been broadcast at 7 pm since it started and has a reputation for high-quality journalism and thorough analysis. Further expansion came with the launch ofovernight television on ITV in 1988, with ITN providing hourly news bulletins, as well as the half-hourITN Morning News to conclude the overnight schedules.
Until the 1990s, the individual ITV companies had an obligation to provide a national news programme, which required them to take a share in the ITN operation. Following theBroadcasting Act 1990, ITN had to apply and bid for a licence to provide such services on these ITV networks, and would have to fight competition in order to preserve its services, as had become the case with other ITV franchisees. The Broadcasting Act also allowed the Independent Television Commission to introduce ownership rules for news providers. The move was to transform the company from a 'cost centre' to a 'profit-making business'. The move saw 400 staff made redundant, and the closure of a number of international bureaux to claw back a £10 million deficit in order to provide a competitive product to obtain the ITV news contract. Within three years the company turned to profit in 1993 with suggestions at the time that the company should be listed on the stock exchange.[8]
The company launched5 News in 1997 following the foundation ofChannel 5.
The 1990s saw major changes to the television landscape in Britain. The growth of multichannel television saw ITV's share of audience fall. Against this backdrop ITV itself became increasingly commercially aggressive. This was to be a major turning point in ITN's history which saw a reduction in the ITV news contract. By this period the main ITV companiesGranada andCarlton had also viewed unfavourably the scheduling ofNews at Ten which became a subject of dispute between ITN and the ITV companies. ITN favoured keeping the bulletin; however, the ITV companies claimed audiences were lost at 10 pm as the news interrupted films and drama programming.News at Ten eventually ended in March 1999 with ITN's flagship bulletin moved to 6.30 pm with a shorter late night bulletin at 11 pm. Consolidation of the ITV network under a unified ITV brand also saw the removal of the on-screen ITN brand which was replaced withITV News.[8] From this point, the ITN brand was gradually phased out and it is now only referenced to in the end production caption.
In 1997, ITN started producing theRoyal Christmas Message every other year.[12]
The early years of the 21st century was to prove to be a challenging period. The axing ofNews at Ten caused public outcry and ITN's viewership figures fell by 13.9%[13] Political pressure and pressure from the media resulted in ITV bringing back a shorter 20-minute bulletin at 10 pm three nights a week. The programme eventually lost share to theBBC News at Ten (which launched in 2000 to capitalise on ITV's move) and ITV eventually axed the programme again in 2004 and moved the bulletin to 10:30 pm before bringing it back to 10 pm again in 2008. The biggest challenge came in 2001 whenBritish Sky Broadcasting bid to supply network news to ITV as part of a consortium. ITN eventually succeeded and was awarded a contract extension to 2008. In January 2005 Sky News took over supplying bulletins to Channel 5; ITN had produced5 News since its launch in 1997 and the contract was returned in February 2012, following a change of ownership at Channel 5.
In August 2000, ITN launched its own 24-hour news channel in the UK, broadcast on satellite, cable and digital terrestrial. It was 50% owned by ITN and 50% owned byNTL.Carlton andGranada gradually bought out the two stakes and renamed the channel theITV News Channel. It closed down on 23 December 2005. Poor ratings in comparison toBBC News 24 and Sky News, and ITV's desire to re-use the channel's allocation onFreeview, were cited as the reasons.[14]
In March 2004 following its acquisition of theLondon News Network, a company previously owned by the now mergedCarlton andGranada, ITN began producing local news bulletins for theITV London region. ITN producedMore4 News between 2005 and 2009. In 2007 it began producingSetanta Sports News; however it closed in 2009.[15]
Between 1996 and 2002, it also owned a share ofLondon News Radio, which was based at ITN's Gray's Inn Road headquarters and operated theLBC andNews Direct London radio stations. Since 5 October 1992, ITN used to operate a radio news service on behalf ofIndependent Radio News (IRN) but on 15 October 2008, IRN announced thatSky News Radio was to replace ITN as its main supplier from March 2009.
While news production remains the cornerstone of ITN's business model, the company has diversified from its original remit. ITN Source (originally ITN Archive) is one of the world's largest sources of historical film.[16] ITN Productions creates multi-platform content for major global brands, covering genres such as factual, entertainment, news and corporate production. Clients that commission programmes from ITN Productions include major UK and international broadcasters such as ITV, the BBC, Channel 4, Channel 5, History and Discovery, with television commissions includingClimbing Great Buildings on BBC2 andMud Men on the History Channel.[17]
 | This sectionrelies largely or entirely on asingle source. Relevant discussion may be found on thetalk page. Please helpimprove this article byintroducing citations to additional sources. Find sources: "ITN" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(February 2024) |
ITN has produced all national news bulletins on ITV since the network was launched on 22 September 1955. Originally, the ITN logo and brand featured prominently on all news bulletins on ITV; however, since March 1999, bulletins have been branded asITV News. Trademarks ofITV News include the use of the clock-face of theElizabeth Tower ofWestminster Palace, the chimes ofBig Ben punctuating the day's headlines and the signature theme tune;The Awakening byJohnny Pearson.
Throughout the early years, ITN established programmes in the ITV schedule includingFirst Report at lunchtime,News at 5.45 in the evening and the flagshipNews at Ten. Today,ITV News on weekdays broadcasts theITV Lunchtime News at 1.30pm, theITV Evening News at 6.30pm andITV News at Ten withbulletins broadcast at various times on weekends. ITN has at times interrupted the ITV schedule to provide updates on major breaking stories of national and international importance, including theSeptember 11 attacks,London bombings, 2005 or events involving theBritish royal family. ITN has covered every general election since 1959 for ITV, providing comprehensive coverage of the counts throughout election night and has also broadcast special programmes covering theUK budget speech given by theChancellor of the Exchequer.
ITN's history is inextricably linked to that of ITV as prior to theBroadcasting Act 1990 each of the ITV companies owned a share. In the 1990s, under new ownership, it was accused of abandoning its previous news style, which was broadsheet in style to mid-market tabloid with news stories that focused on personalities in the news, leading to accusations ofdumbing down.
ITN's most famous news programme,News at Ten was also controversially replaced by an 11 pm news bulletin in 1999, said to be in order to allow ITV to broadcast films without the interruption of a 10 o'clock news bulletin.News at Ten was subsequently re-instated in 2001 after heavy public criticism over the change. The restored programme was 10 minutes shorter than its predecessor and carried less in-depth news coverage. It was also broadcast at a later time at least one day a week, which meant it was often jokingly referred to asNews at When? There was increasing speculation that theNews at Ten would again be moved, after under-performing against theBBC'sTen O'Clock News onBBC One which broadcasts every night at 10:00 pm. In October 2003, theIndependent Television Commission gave ITV approval to move News at Ten.
TheITV News at 10.30 launched on ITV on 2 February 2004 (the day that ITV in England, Wales and Southern Scotland came under the ownership of a singlecompany) and was presented by SirTrevor McDonald. The programme was longer than its predecessor and carried an integrated regional bulletin, as well as more business stories, a nightly sports update and a preview of the following day's newspapers.Mark Austin took over main presenting duties on 3 January 2006.
The rebranded programme again saw new titles, this time featuring people walking over the face of Big Ben and has lately followed a more "sensationalist" approach to its main headlines. When ITV executive chairmanMichael Grade joined ITV, he made it clear that he saw news as the key to defining any channel. On 14 January 2008, theNews at Ten returned, presented byJulie Etchingham and McDonald returned to his duties again.Mark Austin joined Etchingham as co-presenter in 2009. As of October 2015,Tom Bradby has been the main presenter on the programme.
TheITV Evening News has, since it was launched in 1999, been the network's most popular bulletin. Its main presenter isMary Nightingale.
In March 2004, ITN took over production ofITV London's regional news programmes, which relocated fromThe London Television Centre on theSouth Bank to ITN'sGray's Inn Road base.
On 24 January 2022, ITV announced that the 6:30pmITV Evening News will be extended to an hour from March 2022, making it the third hour long news programme ITN will be producing for the national PSB channels in 2022, along withChannel 4 News and5 News at 5.[18]
ITN is home toChannel 4 News, having produced the programme since the channel's inception in 1982.
The Channel 4 News flagship programme is 55 minutes of in-depth news and current affairs broadcast at 7 pm each weekday and at 6:30 pm on Saturdays and Sundays. The weekday evening programme was anchored by journalistJon Snow[19][20] for 32 years until 23 December 2021, with the programme now being presented by a range of newscasters, includingUnreported World presenterKrishnan Guru-Murthy.[21]
A five-minute-long news summary goes out Monday to Friday at midday. The bulletin replaced Channel 4's 30-minuteNews at Noon programme in late 2009, six years after its launch during the Iraq War of 2003.
ITN createdMore4 News when the digital channelMore4 was launched in October 2005. It ran at 8 pm, immediately after Channel 4 News. It was originally presented bySarah Smith;Kylie Morris took over presenting duties in June 2007 and Smith was posted to the US as Channel 4 News' Washington correspondent. In December 2009 Channel 4 cancelledMore4 News.[22]
From the launch ofChannel 5 in 1997, ITN provided the news bulletins for5 News. However, in January 2005, ITN lost the contract, which was awarded toSky News. In 2011 ITN regained the contract in a three-year deal to provide news for Channel 5 from early 2012, but on a much-reduced budget. The deal followed an agreement by Sky andNorthern & Shell, the then-owner of Channel 5, to terminate the 5 News contract early.[23]
In addition to a number of short bulletins, ITN provided two main half-hour evening news programmes for Channel 5 until 2021. In September 2021, Ofcom approved the removal of the 6.30pm news slot by Channel 5 in order for the ViacomCBS channel to scheduleNeighbours at 6pm andEggheads at 6.30pm with a new hour long5 News programme going out on the channel at 5pm.[24][25][26] Ofcom's approval of the channel's new conditions recognised that there will be still three-hours of news between 5–8pm over all the main public service broadcasters’ channels, and that Channel 5 was still committed to delivering more than 280 hours of news each year. The relaunched hour long5 News at 5 was first broadcast by the channel on 8 November 2021, with the programme presented by Sian Williams and Claudia-Liza Vanderpuije.[27] In addition to the channel's news, ITN was given an extra hour slot by Channel 5 in January 2022 to extend their daily current affairs phone-in and discussion showJeremy Vine each weekday morning.[28][29]
In 2018, ITN secured the contract for Channel 5's topical morning debate and chat showThe Wright Stuff, just before the host of 18 years,Matthew Wright, announced he was going to leave the programme. Wright was replaced by BBC Radio 2 presenterJeremy Vine, who had been hosting a lunchtime phone-in debate show on the radio since 2003, with the programme becomingeponymously named when Vine took over in September 2018. In 2022, the programme was extended by Channel 5, with the extra hour being known asJeremy Vine Extra as it is presented by Storm Huntley rather than Vine, who starts his radio show at noon.[28][30][31][32][33][34]
ITN's royal documentaries have been a ratings winner for 5 on Saturday nights, with programmes released about the current monarchy under names such asHarry and Meghan: Two Troubled Years,Charles and Camilla: King and Queen in Waiting andFergie & Andrew The Duke & Duchess of Disaster. Documentaries about the past members of the British Royal Family are also getting good viewing figures, with a programme aboutKing George V (whose reign was from 6 May 1910 until 20 January 1936) achieving a rating of 1.4 million viewers when it was first broadcast.[35] Most of these documentaries[36] feature archive clips with contributions from historians and royal watchers like former BBC royal correspondentJennie Bond orLady Colin Campbell.[37] As well as the British Royal Family, the slot had also been used to schedule an ITN documentary calledThe Grace of Monaco: Hollywood Princess aboutGrace Kelly, the American actor who married Prince Rainier III of Monaco in April 1956, one of the few ITN royal titles featuring foreign-born royalty.
ITN also made the documentaryCharles: Our New King for Beyond Rights, with the programme scheduled for a transmission slot on Channel 4, TheSmithsonian Channel (in North America), SBS and M6.[38] Similar to ITN's programmes for Channel 5, the programme was a trawl through its Royal archive with experts likeAyesha Hazarika, Bonnie Greer, Polly Toynbee and Ian Skelly analysing various points in King Charles' life.[39]
 | This section needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(April 2020) |
ITN Productions was formed in February 2010 and incorporates the non-news operations of ITN, including the formerITN On,ITN Factual and ITN Corporate divisions.[40]
Showbiz bulletins from ITN are broadcast daily on a number of television channels, includingFYI Daily onITV2,ITV3 andITV4, andEntertainment News on 5[41][42][43] (formally calledAccess) for Channel 5's range of channels. A daily showbiz breakfast show,The Breakfast Fix was broadcast on 4Music along with showbiz updates under the name ofThe Fix.
From August 2013, ITN Productions was awarded the contract to produce the Premier League online and mobile highlights service forNews UK. Content appears onThe Sun andThe Times subscription websites and mobile apps.
ITN Productions also creates factual programming for ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 as well as international broadcasters, includingDiscovery Channel,History,PBS andNational Geographic.
ITN has produced shows for Sky, with one of its later programmes beingHarrow: A Very British School.
ITN also supplied programming to the now-closedTeachers TV service.
ITN began its ownWorld News bulletins in the late 1980s, which were shown around the world on local television channels, particularly on PBS stations in theUS, where presenterDaljit Dhaliwal (now withAl-Jazeera English) enjoyed cult status. These were discontinued in 2001, in the face of competition from dedicated news channels such as BBC World (now known asBBC World News), although it still provides footage toCNN International and reports often appear onPBS NewsHour. ItsITV Evening News bulletin was shown on theNewsworld International cable channel in the US.
From December 1997 to April 2003, ITN held a 49% stake in European news channelEuronews.[44][45]
ITN launched a 24-hour news channel on 1 August 2000, which in 2002 was sold to the main ITV companiesCarlton andGranada, and rebranded as theITV News Channel. It was closed down on 23 December 2005.
On the same day, ITN launched a 24-hour radio station called ITN News Radio. It broadcast nationally on theDigital One multiplex until 2003.
In 2005, ITN became a shareholder in Espresso Group, a provider of digital content to more than 60% of primary schools in the UK and also internationally. Espresso services feature an extensive library of broadband teaching resources and student activities to motivate pupils and support teachers, including content from ITN Source. In May 2008, the Education Clip Library, a unique, video licensing service for educational publishers and broadcasters around the world, was launched. It is aimed at educational publishers and broadcasters seeking to add video to their instructional products and services. Espresso was acquired by Discovery Education (part of Discovery Communications) on 7 November 2013.[46]
Setanta Sports News was a 24-hour sports news television channel produced by ITN and jointly owned byVirgin Media Television andSetanta Sports, launched on 29 November 2007. The channel ceased broadcasting on 23 June 2009, when Setanta's UK operation were placed into administration following financial difficulties.
In October 2008, ITN founded digital production companyDiagonal View as a joint venture together with digital entrepreneur Matt Heiman.[47] The company packages footage from the ITN archive and syndicates it to a range of commercial partners includingMyspace,YouTube andMSN. In March 2017, the company was sold to Sky, who paid £2.6m for ITN's stake.[48][49]
ITN Consulting was the management consultancy arm of ITN, combining the resources of ITN with the consulting team's experience to advise global media companies on issues spanning all areas of strategy and operations, including financial planning, marketing, scheduling and content, recruitment, and interim management. With partner Venture Consulting, it had offices in London, Milan, Dubai, Singapore and Sydney. It operated as a network with its consultants working on engagements globally and focused "on how strategy can be implemented to deliver to real change". ITN Consulting stated that "an understanding of how global, regional and local media markets conflict and come together enables them to identify the opportunities this creates". They took an external, outsider perspective as well as having the viewpoint of senior "insider" media executives. ITN Consulting was extensively involved in the development of business plans for local TV in the UK.[50] It also consulted a range of national broadcasters on improving performance. The unit closed in 2012.
ITN Source (formerly ITN Archive) licensed video footage from ITN's one million hours of archive content including news, drama, celebrity, comedy, music, wildlife, natural history and film. It also syndicated on-the-day news footage generated by ITN to other broadcasters and producers worldwide. The service represented the moving image libraries ofReuters, ITV (includingITV Studios),ANI, UTV Media,Fox News, Fox Movietone,Gaumont-British,Nine Network and other specialist collections. The division was closed at the end of 2016, when ITN outsourced its archive sales toGetty Images.[51]
ITN has been based at 200Gray's Inn Road since 1991. The purpose-built headquarters were designed by architectSir Norman Foster, and officially opened byQueen Elizabeth II on 8 May 1991.[52][53] The building also houses the ITV Network Centre andWarner Bros. offices.[54][55] Prior to the redevelopment, the site was the location ofThe Times andThe Sunday Times offices from 1974 to 1986,[56][57] andThe Guardian offices from 1961 to 1976.[58]
ITN's first base was Ingersoll House onKingsway, before moving across the road toAssociated-Rediffusion's newly convertedTelevision House shortly before the first broadcast.[59]
In August 1969, the company moved to ITN House at 48Wells Street, close to the BBC'sBroadcasting House.[60]
As of December 2020, there are three operational television studios based at ITN. Studios 1 and 2 are located in the basement of the building, with both studios measuring 2,438 sq ft in size each. Studio 1 is currently used byITV News bulletins and theITV News London bulletins, and comprises a full green screen backdrop in the studio, with two desk areas facing each other. Studio 2 is used by5 News and also produces Jeremy Vine's morning show on 5. Studio 6 is located adjacent to the atrium of ITN and has been home toChannel 4 News since 1999.[61]
The Chief Executive of ITN is Rachel Corp.[62] A former ITV News Editor, Rachel succeededDeborah Turness in September 2022, when Turness left to join the BBC. Prior to Turness, ITN was led by Anna Mallett, who left to join Netflix.[1] Mallett had been in post for around two years, having joined the company in April 2019.[63]
The Times reported in 2022, that one former ITN staff member signed a secrecy clause or NDA after accepting a financial settlement and agreeing to drop allegations of victimisation and sex discrimination inside the company. The woman said she raised her grievance in 2020 after ITN’s then chief executive, Anna Mallett, told staff she wanted to create "a culture where people feel confident to speak up".[64]
In 2023, ITN appointed Ian Rumsey as Managing Director of Content and Tami Hoffman as Director of News Distribution and Commercial Innovation.[65]
The current shareholders of ITN are:[66]
Upon its inception, ITN was jointly owned by all the ITV operating companies, with shareholdings split roughly in proportion to each company's advertising income. However, theBroadcasting Act 1990 allowed the ITC to set ownership rules. It was decided to limit the ITV companies to a maximum joint 49% stake, with no single company allowed more than a 20% holding. The powers were abolished by theCommunications Act 2003.[citation needed]
| This sectiondoes notcite anysources. Please helpimprove this section byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged andremoved.(June 2009) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
ITN has been spoofed several times on ITV'sThe Benny Hill Show, namely in one 1971 show with the logo reading "NIT" instead of "ITN" and with Hill asReginald "Boozenquet" andAndrew Gardner.
ITN was also spoofed in a sketch in 1978 with Benny Hill as Angela O'Rippon, a parody ofAngela Rippon, and as Ann Afford, a parody ofAnna Ford. It was also spoofed in a black and white 1971 show and a 1973 episode.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
