10/03/2004

Sky News wins Channel 5 news contract

Sky News has won the contract to supply news to Channel 5, making it the first independent terrestrial broadcaster to break from ITN.

The deal will see Sky News provide the channel's lunchtime and evening bulletins for five years.

Sky News Sunrise has already been simulcast each weekday on Five at 6am to 6.30am, and at 7am to 7.55am on Saturday since the start of 2002: the first time Sky News had been seen on British terrestrial television.

Sky News will take over from five's current news supplier, ITN from January 2005.

Head of Sky News, Nick Pollard said: "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. 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."

Sky News has built its reputation on its live coverage of breaking news, and the deal follows Sky News winning the RTS News Channel of the Year Award for the third successive year last week.

(GB)

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