[Andrew]

That MHP summary of events is totally wrong about ITN.

A very young Tim Wilcox broke the news of the accident at around 1.30am

youtu.be 

Dermot Murnaghan and Nicholas Owen were on way before 5.35am because I was channel hopping. I can recall at least 2 hours of ITN coverage before they handed over to Fiona Phillips and GMTV.

Yes that summary falls into the trap that you often get of feeling they have to be dismissive/critical of ITV at all times. Channel 5 showing not just a game show but a 'cheap game show' also doesn't come off unscathed.

There was also another report that is less known in between the Tim Wilcox fronted one, and when ITN famously broke into The Chart Show

youtu.be 

It had clearly just replaced a regular news bulletin and therefore had normal Night Time continuity around it

Great find! As recalled by someone in the comments to that video you’ve just shared, ITN broke the story shortly after 12.30am or around then. The same person who made the first comment also posted some listings from that very day.

What is also interesting is that was that as that second news update from Dermot actually just took the usual news bulletin slot, was it pre-recorded and aired at a different time in other areas, as at that time there were still multiple overnight services

Looking on Wikipedia, as well as the LNN driven service, in 1997 you had the United Media service for Meridian etc, plus Yorkshire Tyne Tees apparently had their own continuity, although I’m not sure if they took the same LNN schedule, and of course Scotland would have been different