Sky News has released a behind the scenes documentary on their “Election Night Live” show. It first premiered on their sister network Sky Documentaries (only available through Sky’s pay TV offering) last night and was set to re-air on the channel today, but breaking news of the Crowdstrike fiasco (plus their own gremlins in relation to it) took precedence. Nevertheless, it has been published on full length at Sky News’ YouTube channel, and will be eventually broadcast on the linear channel during the weekend.
Sky News presenter Belle Donati has left the Comcast-owned network after comparing Israel’s war in Gaza to the Holocaust in an interview with UN ambassador Danny Danon.
Deadline understands that Sky News declined to renew Donati’s contract following the exchange in January, which prompted an on-air apology from the network. Donati did not apologize.
Such a ridiculous overreaction. What news presenter hasn’t misspoke on air at some point? I guarantee you that had Kay Burley said the same, she wouldn’t have been sacked.
Interesting that they’ve used the Sky News branding for this. Comcast seem to be starting to really push Sky News in the US. I’ve said this before but I wouldn’t be at all surprised if, over the coming years, Sky starts to morph into more of a world news channel a la BBC World or CNN International. Both are (IMO) pretty lacklustre these days so Sky could have a real opportunity here.
It’s very weird, with conflicting reports on whether she’s just moving slots or leaving Sky altogether. FWIW even Kay herself seems to be in the dark:
But Kay Burley told MailOnline last night that rumours were not true.
She said: ‘I don’t know where that comes from, but neither of them are true. I am off on the 19th [as] planned and then I am back on January 16.’
When asked about reports in the trade press, that she was leaving her breakfast show, she added: ‘Not that I’m aware of, unless you are telling me something new.’
She said: ‘I am getting up at half past three in the morning….I’m back after I have been away to the Seychelles.’
(Apologies for the Daily Mail link, but it’s the only outlet she’s spoken to)
[David] Rhodes warned that this [the ‘fundamental rethinking’ of Sky News] would mean spending less time and fewer resources on making “breaking and live” TV news in a reorganisation of the newsroom, and cuts to duplicative processes by using technology such as artificial intelligence.
They want to sort out their website before anything else. It’s light on content and heavy on clickbait. I don’t much like reading it for free, never mind paying for it! I wonder if this is them laying the groundwork for ultimately closing the TV channel and just having online content?
If Sky News UK is an afterthought - imagine how much time Comcast spends thinking about Sky News AU
Still, Sky News has remained much of an afterthought at Comcast, with the Philadelphia-based company struggling to figure out how to nurture its London-based newsroom while focusing much of its efforts on NBC News.
The lossmaking broadcaster’s budget is guaranteed by parent Comcast as part of its $39bn takeover of Sky, but these funding commitment ends in 2028
Sky News is also facing a threat from the growth of rival linear broadcasters such as GB News, whose average audience in November exceeded that of Sky News for the first time.
Shifting to a model where by paid content is prioritised is what the NY Times has done and what CNN is now doing too. This is good. This is needed for the news organisation’s survival.
AI is going to be essential to be able to do more with ever decreasing budgets.
We’re all hooked on linear channels. In 20 years cnn sky and fox may not be linear channels. Everything will
Be accessible on demand. AI and Alexa will create our own linear channel customised for us when we “tune in”
ABC needs to start moving to this model too. Not paid - but digital newsrooms. Not TV newsrooms
I don’t mean like a CNN style but a more NBC News Now style streaming network using the existing resources of Sky and NBC News but with the same branding and they can opt out/share programming. Especially during overnight hours or big news events in either market. Sky News is very dull and boring, what NBC News Now does is far more interesting and better for digital.
Not to mention Sky has so few branded shows anymore and is practically just a headline new service these days.
