ITV News

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ITV News is the national and international news brand for the ITV television channel in the United Kingdom. It is produced by ITN and the ITV News Group, with regional news from ITV plc. Based in London, it serves audiences across the UK and has won many major awards, including BAFTAs, Emmys and Royal Television Society prizes. ITV News is the second-largest TV news audience in the UK, behind BBC News.

History in brief
ITN was created in 1955 to provide news for ITV. It was known for in-vision presenters and reporter packages, and it introduced Britain’s first female newsreader, Barbara Mandell, in 1956. In 1967, ITV launched News at Ten after a successful trial, famous for its Big Ben chimes between headlines. This became the channel’s flagship news programme.

Over the years ITV News expanded with additional bulletins and new looks, changing presenters, studios and music. In 1992 Trevor McDonald became the main presenter for News at Ten, and in 1995 ITN adopted a unified blue look across most bulletins. In 1999 the ITV News brand replaced the ITN name at the start of bulletins, though ITN continued to produce the programmes. In 2003, during the Iraq War, ITV ran special war coverage including a primetime News at Nine. The 24-hour ITV News Channel was closed in 2005.

A major revamp in 2004 introduced the “Theatre of News,” a virtual studio, and in 2007 ITV awarded ITN a six-year contract to produce ITV News. News at Ten returned in 2008 after a brief period without the original format. In 2009 ITV moved to a more cohesive look, replacing some branding while keeping a clockface motif in the studio. In 2013 ITV extended the ITV News brand to regional programmes, with regional news largely produced by ITV plc and the London region by ITN.

Recent developments
In 2013 ITV News adopted a unified look for regional and national bulletins. The clockface and Big Ben imagery have been used in various forms over the years, though branding aims to balance London focus with nationwide appeal. ITV News has continually updated its studios and graphics, including a 2009 refresh that brought a London-view VR backdrop and a refreshed theme.

With the launch of ITVX in 2022, ITV announced plans for a 24/7 streaming news service focused on video-on-demand content, rather than a traditional rolling channel. In 2026, cost-cutting measures led to changes in production arrangements, with Good Morning Britain and other daytime programmes moving under the ITV News banner and hundreds of jobs being cut.

People and coverage
ITN’s team includes international, political, home affairs and specialist reporters, with the political desk led by editors and reporters such as Tom Bradby in recent years. ITV News has a long history of thorough national and international reporting, including major events like wars, natural disasters and elections.

Election and special coverage
ITN/ITV has a strong tradition of live election night coverage in the UK and abroad. It has also produced extensive coverage of US presidential elections in cooperation with NBC News, and major UK general elections with extended overnight programming and regions contributing regional content.

Awards and recognition
ITN/ITV News has won numerous awards, including BAFTAs for News at Ten’s coverage, RTS awards for Early Evening and other bulletins, and Emmy awards for international reporting. Its teams have covered pivotal global events from the Apollo moon landing to conflicts, disasters and political upheavals, earning widespread recognition for journalistic excellence.