[all new phil]

What exactly makes Beth Rigby "Burley and Boulton's replacement"?

Yes, Beth occupies the post *once held* by Boulton, but Kay Burley is still there.

This to me seems to be a version of the very derangement syndrome you're decrying.

Also, speaking as someone who's benefited from John Ryley's professional generosity - counting myself among hundreds of journalists over 30+ years who can say the same (and you only need look at the tributes on social media yesterday from people inside and outside Sky to back me up) - THAT will be his lasting legacy, not as the subject of petty carping about personalities individual viewers may or may not like.

To be fair I think they were referring to Rigby as Boulton’s replacement as Political Editor. Not correct though obvs as she replaced Faisal Islam. 

Totally agree on everything else you say though. A great legacy.

[matthieu1221]

Maybe 2005 was a bit much.  But they used to know how to present breaking news like it was important. Even if we just concentrate solely on how Breaking News was presented in the 90s, early 00s and then today. The tone is completely different. Today the presenters are almost apologetic for interrupting the news wheel with breaking news. Even presenters that were around back there presenter now speak in hushed quiet tones with seemingly no sense of urgency. Which was their trademark. First for Breaking News. It was built into the DNA of the channel.

Id even take their current look if they just turned it up more. Pumped some life into the presentation. Maybe do something more dramatic with how they present breaking news. Like they used to, maybe bring back a signature audio sting that made you look at the telly. Also a full screen graphic Breaking News graphic behind the presenter. W So it got your attention. Get the presenters to liven up their presentation style. Stop show down those boring corridors or maybe do something to dress them up to look more interesting.

As a newish Sky viewer it's particularly striking. There's no sting like on CNN, the backdrop doesn't change, only the newsbar and its color changes. Nothing which would catch your attention if you were watching TV in the background.

[thomalex]

Personally I'm a big fan of the bombast of the 2005 era, it's what you expect Sky News to be and it really set itself apart from the more pedestrian BBC News. It was the place you always went to for breaking news as they'd have it first with reporters on the scene, the Skycopter etc. It was loud, fast paced and exciting.

Now when you turn on Sky News it's like it's broadcast from a GP's waiting room with very little to separate it from BBC at all other than adverts. That may of course change when BBC News becomes an international channel but it really could do with a bit of life injected into it again somehow.

[Rdd]

To be fair at one point the breaking news graphic was used so frequently it became a subject of parody. The 2001-05 era was the worst offender but I’m not sure the appointment to view era, or what succeeded it was much better, but the graphics were less OTT after that.

It’s hard to express how awful the 2001-05 look really was - particularly after Sky News spent a chunk of 2001 in a temporary set with titles and graphics that were obviously only ever meant to be used for the general election campaign which ended up on air the guts of five months. The new set (which actually debuted a week earlier than the graphics changes due to the aftermath of 9/11) was impressive at first but the newswall soon became totally dominating. 2005 was a total breath of fresh after that, even if the appointment to view schedule just didn’t work out.

[blue_dust]

Maybe 2005 was a bit much.  But they used to know how to present breaking news like it was important. Even if we just concentrate solely on how Breaking News was presented in the 90s, early 00s and then today. The tone is completely different. Today the presenters are almost apologetic for interrupting the news wheel with breaking news. Even presenters that were around back there presenter now speak in hushed quiet tones with seemingly no sense of urgency. Which was their trademark. First for Breaking News. It was built into the DNA of the channel.

Id even take their current look if they just turned it up more. Pumped some life into the presentation. Maybe do something more dramatic with how they present breaking news. Like they used to, maybe bring back a signature audio sting that made you look at the telly. Also a full screen graphic Breaking News graphic behind the presenter. W So it got your attention. Get the presenters to liven up their presentation style. Stop show down those boring corridors or maybe do something to dress them up to look more interesting.

As a newish Sky viewer it's particularly striking. There's no sting like on CNN, the backdrop doesn't change, only the newsbar and its color changes. Nothing which would catch your attention if you were watching TV in the background.

And the spartanic glass box background featuring the long horizontal blue light box attached to the wall of the corridor is in desperate need of being changed as more and more LEDs have gone out leading to annoying gaps in the light pattern.

[mouseboy33]

They could change up the look very easily by installing some video ribbons along the hallways, Which can be changed to go along with the programme being presented. a subtle slowly changing colour gradient that matches the programme graphic title card. And then when breaking news happens it swipes to the signature BREAKING NEWS yellow and bring back a modern version of the breaking new swoosh noise. Then use that expensive suspended camera system and switch to a view of the huge view wall with the breaking news text showing up in the background. Do something to liven it up. Its so dead now.

[blue_dust]

They could change up the look very easily by installing some video ribbons along the hallways, Which can be changed to go along with the programme being presented. a subtle slowly changing colour gradient that matches the programme graphic title card. And then when breaking news happens it swipes to the signature BREAKING NEWS yellow and bring back a modern version of the breaking new swoosh noise. Then use that expensive suspended camera system and switch to a view of the huge view wall with the breaking news text showing up in the background. Do something to liven it up. Its so dead now.

That is exactly what I was going to propose. Also the background above the cafeteria to the left of the presenters view, there are these glowing pillars, not seen since 2020 as nobody sat down with SJM since then. Just a few screens (already available as computers are there) and a few LED spot lights that switch on after 6pm and it would make the best background for evening shifts.

[Spencer]

When Ryley took over Kay Burley was hated by the left, the Guardian picked up on everything they could to undermine her journalism. "Sack Kay Burley" was chanted and on placards.  Same with Adam Boulton.

Ryley leaves with Burley and Boulton's replacement, Rigby, loved by the left, in tune with the Guardian.

That's some legacy!!

Unfortunately there seems to be a lot of people on both sides of the political divide who aren’t bright enough to understand that a journalist holding those in power to account, and asking difficult questions, isn’t evidence of political bias — it’s their job.

Consequently you end up with Burley in the 00s being accused of right-wing bias for challenging the then Labour government, and now Rigby being accused of being a lefty for questioning the current Conservative government’s policy.

Curiously though, it always seems to be female journalists who suffer these accusations more.

[mouseboy33]

Not suggesting they go in this direction graphic-wise, but there is so much flexibility with video displays and it makes me wonder if WSVN is only using their displays at 10% brightness and it looks great, why does the SkyNews big display look washed out? I wonder what specs they are operating at. Another interesting thing is the video ribbons, that SkyNews ALREADY uses, strangely out of view. It seems to me that the same ribbons or some video panels show be added to the corridors.
www.youtube.com 

[Connews]

What happened to that 2005 massive newsroom studio, whats there now, was it demolished?

The building still stands — but the inside has been gutted and it’s used for other purposes now.