Category: 91Èȱ¬ THREE; News
Date: 21.10.2005
Printable version
91Èȱ¬ THREE is to put more resource into factual and knowledge building programmes after being given approval to discontinue the nightly 7 o'Clock News bulletin from 2 December 2005.
Ìý
The change has been approved by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport to help the channel increase impact and value for money.
Ìý
The decision follows publication of the Barwise Report last autumn and the 91Èȱ¬'s own qualitative audience research which was undertaken earlier this year.
Ìý
The channel's hourly 60 Seconds news bulletin - which has successfully drawn increasingly wide audiences - will continue.
Ìý
In his review of the 91Èȱ¬'s digital television channels last year, Professor Barwise recommended that 91Èȱ¬ THREE discontinue its 7 o'Clock News bulletin in order to increase the channel's impact and its value for money, whilst noting that the news needs of the channel's target audience of 25 to 34-year-olds were met elsewhere.
Ìý
91Èȱ¬ management subsequently conducted its own review and presented its findings to the Governors at their June Board meeting.
Ìý
Informed by qualitative audience research and a value for money assessment, the Governors concluded that - whilst the 7 o'Clock news bulletin has been innovative - it has not succeeded in attracting and maintaining the loyalty of its target audience and therefore does not represent value for money.
Ìý
In light of this, the Board submitted a request to the Secretary of State to reconsider the conditions of her original consent to allow the 91Èȱ¬ to make changes to 91Èȱ¬ THREE's schedule.
Ìý
At the same time, the Board requested an update from management in the autumn on the overall strategic performance of 91Èȱ¬ THREE and plans for improving its value-for-money to licence-payers.
Ìý
The Secretary of State has now given her approval for a change to the channel's commitments.
Ìý
Jana Bennett, Director of 91Èȱ¬ Television, said: "We have taken this difficult decision because we know that the audience's news needs are being met in other ways.
Ìý
"We will now work to maximise the channel's value for money for licence payers without diminishing the channel's existing public service programming obligations or distinctiveness.
Ìý
"We plan to fill the slot vacated by the News with innovative, high quality programming from factual and other genres - we plan to reinvest the money released by the change in knowledge-building programming for 91Èȱ¬ THREE across the channel.
Ìý
"As part of this plan, we will increase our commitment to new knowledge building programmes from a minimum of 45 to 50 hours a year."
Ìý
Stuart Murphy, Controller of 91Èȱ¬ THREE, said: "91Èȱ¬ THREE's 7 o'Clock News was created in an era of intense competition from seven rolling news channels and 24/7 news on the internet.
Ìý
"It has fought its corner with innovation and style and I genuinely regret that the programme's audience impact was not significant enough to justify its existence.
Ìý
"It is testament to the creativity of the bulletin's production team that many of the techniques it pioneered were subsequently adopted by mainstream news media."
Ìý
