In the past 15 years, Sky News – Europe’s first 24-hour news broadcaster – has changed the face of UK news broadcasting by creating an expectation among viewers of seeing breaking news live.

Sky News first
Valued for its fairness, balance and journalistic objectivity by both viewers and regulators, the award-winning channel has earned a reputation for the speed and flexibility of its coverage.

Throughout the year, Sky News performed strongly and, for the third year running, was named RTS News Channel of the Year. At a time which saw all the 24-hour TV news channels striving to raise their game, the RTS judges felt, “none yet matched the winner who had continued to innovate in their coverage of the war and elsewhere and, as a news channel, remains – simply the best!”

Sky News also won the RTS Innovation Award for both its Hutton Inquiry coverage, which

used actors to provide daily reconstructions of the proceedings, and its near instantly-aired transcripts of the Soham trial – a television first. The RTS judges said Sky News’ solutions to the problem of covering judicial proceedings, where cameras are banned, were both “radical and imaginative.”

The awards underline Sky News’ reputation for both breaking news and innovation. Other innovations introduced this year include the SkyCopter, a helicopter which allows the Sky News team to cover major stories where scale is important. It was used to great effect at last year’s Notting Hill Carnival, to cover the England Rugby Team’s homecoming parade, and by presenter Kay Burley to report, in a single day, from various UK cities as part of Sky News’ Budget coverage. Sky News’ fleet of satellite trucks has been adapted to receive pictures from the SkyCopter.

In addition, Sky News opened a new bureau in India in January, underlining its commitment to international coverage. The bureau, headed up by Sky News’ Richard Bestic, covers breaking news across the Indian sub-continent, from Pakistan, to India, to Bangladesh. Earlier this year, presenter Lisa Aziz and award-winning correspondent, David Chater, broadcast live from Mecca and Jeddah on the Hajj, bringing viewers the most comprehensive coverage ever shown by a non-Muslim broadcaster of the largest religious ceremony in the world.

On 10 May, Sky News launched a new service for Ireland. Sky News Ireland, anchored by Gráinne Seoige, provides two nightly bulletins of news for Ireland. The output is also carried on a loop on Sky News Active, allowing viewers in both the UK and Ireland to catch up on Irish news.

Last autumn, Sky News’ Westminster studio and gallery at Millbank were revamped into state-of-the-art facilities from which set piece events, news coverage and 'Sunday with Adam Boulton', are broadcast.

In March, Sky News was awarded the contract to supply five with its news service beginning on 1 January 2005, the first time that Sky News will supply a full news service to an analogue terrestrial broadcaster.

As well as a dedicated team of 60 reporters, producers and technicians, the service will include access to Sky News’ existing 24-hour operation, including five regional bureaux and the seven international bureaux in Washington, Moscow, Jerusalem, Beijing, Johannesburg, Brussels and Delhi. News anchor Kirsty Young will continue to present five’s flagship bulletins at 17.30 and 19.00 but from a purpose-built, state-of-the-art studio at Sky News’ base in West London.

The five contract, combined with both Sky News’ continuing innovations and its unrivalled expertise in breaking news, will ensure that Sky News remains at the forefront of news provision in the 21st century.