ITV News to drop Big Ben

ITV’s News at Ten bulletin will drop the famous Big Ben Clock Face from its title sequence as part of a wider revamp of the news bulletin.

The Houses of Parliment and the clock tower are being ditched from the opening to the news show as telly executives fear the imagery is too London-centric. This, not being a problem with viewers across the sixties, seventies, eighties and nineties, is now a concern for modern audiences so ITV believes.

ITV’s News at Ten bulletins are to undergo a major revamp next year as production company ITN attempts to boost the news programmes flagging ratings. As part of the major new look, the opening titles of the bulletin are to lose the ‘Big Ben’ Clock Face. According to reports, however, the Big Ben bell “bongs” will remain. The tower of course is actually called St Phillips but is best known by the name of the bell inside.

The re-branding of the ITN news bulletins will be right across ITV with new sets also part of the changes planned. The new look will be widely published with a multi-million-pound campaign by the broadcaster which will include promotions during advertisement breaks on ITV1. Presenters Mark Austin and Julie Etchingham will remain as the anchors for the 10 pm bulletin.

Since ITV moved its late-night news bulletin back to 10 pm, in a widely published move, it has failed to beat the BBC’s news bulletin which airs at the same time. ITV’s 10 pm bulletin has failed to attract big audiences and was widely written off by the press at the time as a failure. However, ITV has stuck by the 10 pm bulletin and has not moved it despite speculation within the media, on several occasions, that it was planning to do so.