Sky News is developing more appointment to view shows against rivals GB News and the soon to launch TalkTV.
The 9pm hour is emerging as a key battleground with Political Editor Beth Rigby recently announced as the host of a new prime time interview show Beth Rigby Interviews… from March 10th and the return of The Great Debate with Trevor Phillips from Monday 7th February. Phillips will also present Common Ground as he attempts to bring together two protagonists with entrenched opinions on a topic in the news.
Sophy Ridge is set to return to Sky News from maternity leave mid-March and will once again welcome viewers at her regular slot of 8:30am every Sunday for her weekly political talk show Sophy Ridge on Sunday. And later in the spring she will also host a new show The Take with Sophy Ridge at 9pm on Wednesdays. The Take is designed to take a mid-week political pulse, using PMQs as a starting point to gauge how well the political parties are landing their points.
John Ryley, Head of Sky News said: “Sky News prides itself on its impartial journalism. We see it as our responsibility to present our viewers with dynamic, engaging and balanced programming, offering clarity in an uncertain world.”
The new feature shows position Sky against TalkTV and its big name signing Piers Morgan and GB News with its brand of presenter-led option. On BBC News Context with Christian Fraser discusses leading international stories with a regular panel, a show shared with BBC World News.
It’s not just the news channels that are looking at their evening schedule. ITV has announced it will be extending its early evening news to a full hour between 6.30 and 7.30, preceding by its regional news programmes, and followed by soaps Emmerdale and Coronation Street, the latter also extended to an hour. The move was interpreted by the Telegraph as fighting the Piers Morgan threat and by the Daily Mail as the means to see off the BBC’s ailing soap EastEnders.
