Category: News
Date: 09.03.2006
Printable version
Huw Edwards has signed a new five-year deal with BBC News. Under the new deal, Huw will continue to anchor the BBC's flagship news bulletin the Ten 0'Clock News and, from 10 April 2006, he will also present a 5.00 to 6.00pm slot on BBC News 24.
BBC news also announced today that - from 10 April - the One O'Clock News and Six O'Clock News bulletins will join the Ten O'Clock in being simulcast on BBC News 24 and BBC ONE.
All three of the BBC's flagship news bulletins will then be incorporated into the BBC's rolling news channel.
BBC Director of News, Helen Boaden, said: "Huw is an excellent and experienced journalist who brings enormous authority to BBC News.
"He has been a much loved part of BBC ONE's family of presenters for several years and I am delighted that he is now including News 24 in his portfolio.
"This is great news for our viewers."
BBC News 24 recently won the Royal Television Society's News Channel of the Year award.
The addition of Huw to the presenter line-up follows recent announcements that Emily Maitlis and Ben Brown are also joining the channel.
5.00 to 6.00pm is a key audience slot on News 24 in which the channel already performs well and commands a strong lead over Sky News. 86,250 BBC News 24 viewers tune in on average over the hour compared with 64,000 watching Sky News.
While the slot will focus mainly on breaking news, Huw will also be working with a small dedicated team to bring viewers high-profile interviews and additional discussion of the day's events.
Huw Edwards said: "This is a dream combination for me. I get to rejoin News 24 which I helped launch back in 1997, and to keep on presenting the Ten which is an enormous privilege."
Huw will continue to present many of the BBC's big outside broadcasts including the State Opening of Parliament, Trooping the Colour and the Festival of Remembrance.
Notes to Editors
Huw Edwards has been presenting the Ten O'Clock News since January 2003.
Prior to this he presented the BBC's Six O'Clock News and was formerly Chief Political Correspondent for BBC News 24.
Huw has presented a wide range of BBC programmes, including Newsnight, Panorama and Breakfast News.
Huw joined the BBC in 1984 as a news trainee. In 1985 he joined the television newsroom in BBC Wales, and in 1986 became BBC Wales' Parliamentary Correspondent.
He was appointed TV News Political Correspondent in 1988, and went on to cover the downfall of Margaret Thatcher in 1990.
He anchored the BBC Radio 4 Election Night coverage in 1992, with Brian Redhead, and in 1997 with James Naughtie.
He started presenting the One O'Clock News, the Six O'Clock News and BBC Breakfast News in 1994, and anchored the One O'Clock News' innovative coverage of the 1997 election.
Born in August 1961, Huw was raised in Llangennech, near Llanelli, and attended Llanelli Boys Grammar School.
The Ten O'Clock News has an average viewing figure of 4.6 million, with a share year-to-date of 21.6%.
BBC News 24 has a weekly reach of 5.7 million viewers against 4.2 million viewers watching Sky News and a monthly reach of 11 million viewers (against Sky News' 9.2 million). Reach is calculated as the number of viewers watching the channel for 3+ minutes per week.
BBC News 24 is the leading UK rolling news channel with a share of 0.55% (against 0.49% for Sky News).
BBC News 24's new regular line-up of presenters and timeslots from the 10 April:
8.30-11.00am Presented by Kate Silverton and Simon McCoy
11.00am-1.00pm Presented by Jane Hill and Matthew Amriowalla
1.00 - 1.00pm One O'Clock News (simulcast on BBC ONE) presented by Anna Ford, with Sophie Raworth taking over later this year
1.30-2.00pm Presented by Jane Hill and Matthew Amriowalla
2.00-5.00pm Presented by Jon Sopel and Louise Minchin
5.00-6.00pm Presented by Huw Edwards
6.00-6.30pm Six O'Clock News (simulcast on BBC ONE) presented by George Alagiah and currently Natasha Kaplinsky
7.00-10.00pm Presented by Emily Maitlis and Ben Brown
10.00-10.30pm Ten O'Clock News (simulcast on BBC ONE) presented by Huw Edwards
10.30pm-12.30am Presented by Chris Eakin.
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