Sky News welcomes five news contract decision

Five announced today that it has awarded its news contract to Sky News, making it the first independent terrestrial broadcaster to break from ITN.
The move follows Sky News winning the RTS News Channel of the Year Award for the third successive year last week. From January 2005, Sky News will provide five'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 takes over from five's current news supplier, ITN, and will provide lunchtime and early evening news between noon and 12.30pm, 5.30pm and 6pm and 7pm to 7.30pm each weekday, and between 8.55pm-9pm on Saturday, 1.05pm and 1.15pm and 5.35pm and 5.45pm on Sunday.
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.
(GB)