ITN Nostalgia

[JK1985]

Here is a view of the ITN HQ at Wells Street - not a great picture, but there seems to be very few of the outside of the former ITN HQ

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YvuPUi0Na-c/Tr...2B1979.jpg

[Markymark]

I visited ITN at both Well’s Street and GIR and both were unbranded. In fact you’d be hard pressed to know what was inside the Wells Street building.

You sure ?

https://www.flickr.com/photos/ralphsteph...5102307783

[Newsroom]

I visited ITN at both Well’s Street and GIR and both were unbranded. In fact you’d be hard pressed to know what was inside the Wells Street building.

You sure ?

https://www.flickr.com/photos/ralphsteph...5102307783

Great find. I would have been 12 when that was taken and don’t believe I visited until I was 16. I certainly don’t recall any signage. I visited GIR a couple of times while doing a degree and so that would have been when I was 19/20.

[James2001]

That would have been not long before they moved out, maybe they took the signage down the last year or two they were there.

[Markymark]

That would have been not long before they moved out, maybe they took the signage down the last year or two they were there.

I walked past the building December 1986. Signage was up then, and a bonus sighting of Jon Snow at a first floor window on the phone. In fact he looked just like [mention]bilky asko[/mention]'s Avatar

[Newsroom]

Invasions, terrorism or other such threats are perhaps why ITN moved its ITV output away from the atrium where it was incredibly visible from anyone wandering in back then. I’m saying that, London Tonight took up residence in the vacated ITN studio with an atrium view until that too was moved.

C4 News is not visible from the reception area to my knowledge.

The building recently opened or are due to open their reception area to the public with a cafe etc. I wonder if today’s incident might make them rethink things.

[itsrobert]

Invasions, terrorism or other such threats are perhaps why ITN moved its ITV output away from the atrium where it was incredibly visible from anyone wandering in back then. I’m saying that, London Tonight took up residence in the vacated ITN studio with an atrium view until that too was moved.

C4 News is not visible from the reception area to my knowledge.

The building recently opened or are due to open their reception area to the public with a cafe etc. I wonder if today’s incident might make them rethink things.

You're right, Studio 6 isn't visible from the reception as it's on the lower ground floor.

To be honest, I couldn't fathom why they bothered with putting that café and public area in recently. The reception used to be quite small with a reception desk and the security barriers. The cafe now sits where Studio 5 once was which housed both 5 News and Setanta Sports News in its day. Latterly, before the café, I think it had been turned back into office space. It does seem a bit more of a security risk now. I'm not entirely sure who owns the café. I wonder if ITN 'gave back' (presumably with a rent reduction) the former Studio 5 area to the building owners and they decided to put the café in? It's a bit strange really - granted I haven't seen it since 2019 but from what I remember, although the café is open to members of the public, it didn't seem exactly high profile. I think most passers by would think it was a restricted area.

[AaronLancs]

Invasions, terrorism or other such threats are perhaps why ITN moved its ITV output away from the atrium where it was incredibly visible from anyone wandering in back then. I’m saying that, London Tonight took up residence in the vacated ITN studio with an atrium view until that too was moved.

C4 News is not visible from the reception area to my knowledge.

The building recently opened or are due to open their reception area to the public with a cafe etc. I wonder if today’s incident might make them rethink things.

You're right, Studio 6 isn't visible from the reception as it's on the lower ground floor.

To be honest, I couldn't fathom why they bothered with putting that café and public area in recently. The reception used to be quite small with a reception desk and the security barriers. The cafe now sits where Studio 5 once was which housed both 5 News and Setanta Sports News in its day. Latterly, before the café, I think it had been turned back into office space. It does seem a bit more of a security risk now. I'm not entirely sure who owns the café. I wonder if ITN 'gave back' (presumably with a rent reduction) the former Studio 5 area to the building owners and they decided to put the café in? It's a bit strange really - granted I haven't seen it since 2019 but from what I remember, although the café is open to members of the public, it didn't seem exactly high profile. I think most passers by would think it was a restricted area.

Oh, I forgot about Setanta Sports News being made by ITN. Thanks for reminding me.

[itsrobert]

Invasions, terrorism or other such threats are perhaps why ITN moved its ITV output away from the atrium where it was incredibly visible from anyone wandering in back then. I’m saying that, London Tonight took up residence in the vacated ITN studio with an atrium view until that too was moved.

C4 News is not visible from the reception area to my knowledge.

The building recently opened or are due to open their reception area to the public with a cafe etc. I wonder if today’s incident might make them rethink things.

You're right, Studio 6 isn't visible from the reception as it's on the lower ground floor.

To be honest, I couldn't fathom why they bothered with putting that café and public area in recently. The reception used to be quite small with a reception desk and the security barriers. The cafe now sits where Studio 5 once was which housed both 5 News and Setanta Sports News in its day. Latterly, before the café, I think it had been turned back into office space. It does seem a bit more of a security risk now. I'm not entirely sure who owns the café. I wonder if ITN 'gave back' (presumably with a rent reduction) the former Studio 5 area to the building owners and they decided to put the café in? It's a bit strange really - granted I haven't seen it since 2019 but from what I remember, although the café is open to members of the public, it didn't seem exactly high profile. I think most passers by would think it was a restricted area.

Oh, I forgot about Setanta Sports News being made by ITN. Thanks for reminding me.

You're welcome. If memory serves me correctly, I think that Studio 5 also hosted Big Game TV for a short spell in about 2005/06. That would have been in between Five News leaving at the end of 2004 and Setanta Sports News starting in 2007.

[chris]

I’m not convinced a coffee shop has made it any more of a security risk. Protestors have got into ITN before the cafe was there.

[itsrobert]

I’m not convinced a coffee shop has made it any more of a security risk. Protestors have got into ITN before the cafe was there.

I think the point is that the coffee shop is a legitimate reason for anyone to wander into the building off the street. Prior to the coffee shop, there really was no reason to enter the reception area without good reason.

[Roger Darthwell]

Everybody completely forgot about this, but a few days ago on the 29th of August, marked the 30th anniversary of Alastair Burnet's last ever News at Ten, and here it is in all it's glory
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQ4ff1snVUw

[Solari]

I was wondering earlier about the changes made to News at Ten back in '92. As we all know, Sir Trev got the gig in the end, but I do recall reading that it was a three-way race between Julia Somerville, Alastair Stewart and the News Knight himself. The story went (according to, I think, TV Ark) that while Trevor won out, Alastair and Julia each got consolation prizes in 'special correspondent' roles of sorts - Al from around the world, and Julia from the UK. Now, of course, Al left for LNN towards the end of '92, and Julia subsequently went back to newscasting, (co)-hosting the Lunchtime News. What I'd like to know, is how true any (or all) of this is? I know Alastair chose to leave because, in his words:

"[Trevor] got [News at Ten] and I didn't and I was 40 and I thought if I hang around here ... I might be an expensive asset they decide they could do without."

I know there are a couple of people here who have connections within ITN - would anyone be able to shed some light on this? Cheers.

[itsrobert]

Speaking of News at Ten, this must be one of the earliest examples of the new-look programme from Thursday 12th November 1992. I think the programme had only relaunched on Monday 9th November, so this example is potentially from the first week. Alastair Stewart features quite prominently live in Downing Street.

https://youtu.be/fRArhU68fOc

[Brekkie]

I wonder why Thames opted for twenty past eight on the clock. That would have annoyed me no end - surely they could have had a 10pm version at least for the flagship bulletin.