UTV Live is a Northern Irish television news service broadcast and produced by UTV.
Overview
The main edition of UTV Live airs from 18:00 to 18:30 every weeknight, covering the day's news, current affairs and sport from across Northern Ireland.
The 18:00 programme (known on air as UTV Live at Six) is broadcast from UTV's headquarters in City Quays 2, Belfast. UTV also has studio facilities at Parliament Buildings, StormontUTV Annual Programme Statement 2008 and Programme Review 2007 UTV Media and news bureaux in Derry and Dublin with an intention to open a further bureau in Omagh.UTV Annual Programme Statement 2009 and Programme Review 2008 UTV Media The station also makes use of video journalists based in Coleraine, Enniskillen and Newry.UTV Annual Programme Statement 2006 and Programme Review 2005 UTV Media
History UTV Live was introduced in January 1993 as a new name for Ulster Television's existing news programmes; Six Tonight, the station's half-hour evening news magazine,UTV Six Tonight opening titles 1988 YouTube, 25 February 2007; accessed 22 June 2008 and Ulster Newstime for shorter bulletins.Ulster Newstime opening titles YouTube, 19 May 2007; accessed 22 June 2008
Following the introduction of the ITV Evening News in March 1999, the programme was brought forward by half an hour to start at 17:30. The first half-hour saw feature reports, light-hearted stories and the weather forecast branded as part of a separate programme, UTV Life, which ran before the main evening news, started at 18:00 and kept the UTV Live name."UTV unveils shake-up for news" Belfast Telegraph, 26 February 1999 UTV Live and UTV Life were merged into one hour-long programme, running from 17:30, in 2002 and were split into separate programmes again on 3 September 2007, with the original titles in use from 1999 to 2001.
Mid-morning weekday and lunchtime weekend UTV Live bulletins were axed in February 2009 when the station was permitted to reduce their weekly news output from five hours and twenty minutes to four hours by regulator Ofcom following a lengthy review of the viability of PSB content across the whole UK."UTV Life may face axe" Belfast Telegraph, 8 October 2008; accessed 18 January 2009 A separate sports bulletin, Sport on Sunday, was broadcast following the Sunday evening bulletin from September 1999 to early 2007. This bulletin was separate from the Sunday evening news as it was sponsored by the Daily Mirror.
Between February 2007 and April 2009, only the main weekday evening programme was branded as UTV Live, while all other bulletins were branded as UTV News.
UTV Live broadcast its final edition from Havelock House on 29 June 2018 and began broadcasting from UTV's new headquarters at City Quays on 2 July 2018.UTV to relocate from Belfast's Havelock House, bbc.co.uk, 14 October 2016
UTV Live Tonight On 27 April 2009, UTV launched a 30-minute late evening news and current affairs programme, UTV Live Tonight, which aired after News at Ten on Monday – Thursday nights and incorporated the station's late news bulletin alongside extended political and business coverage.
On 10 August 2016, it was announced that UTV were axing the programme at the end of September 2016 and replacing it with a ten-minute late news bulletin, airing each weekday after News at Ten.ITV axes UTV Live Tonight in network revamp, Belfast Telegraph, 10 August 2016No job losses resulting from scrapping of UTV Live Tonight, The Irish News, 10 August 2016
The final edition of UTV Live Tonight aired on 29 September 2016. The station introduced a weekly hour-long Monday night current affairs programme called View from Stormont in October 2016.
UTV Life UTV Life, a separate live magazine programme concentrating on features and light-hearted stories, was broadcast at 17:30 on weekdays. This programme had its own editor"Fan power wins back live show" Belfast Telegraph, 22 February 2004; accessed 17 June 2007 and presenting/reporting team.
UTV Life originally began on 8 March 1999 as a stand-alone programme with features reports, light-hearted stories and an extended weather forecast. The programme ran from 17:30, preceding UTV Live at Six until the two programmes were integrated into an hour-long UTV Live programme in April 2002.
The UTV Life branding for the features section of UTV Live returned to on-air use in September 2007.UTV Life: Info UTV Today, accessed 18 January 2009 The features element became a separate programme to accommodate a sponsorship deal. The relaunch of UTV Life saw the programme gain a different theme tune, opening title sequence and graphic design, with a similar presenting, reporting and editorial team as the former features segment of UTV Live.
As part of cost-cutting measures and a reduction in regional programming at the station, UTV Life was axed shortly after the broadcasting regulator OFCOM gave UTV the go ahead to reduce its non-news output, with the final programme airing on 6 February 2009."UTV stars fear for jobs as bosses swing axe" Belfast Telegraph, 17 October 2008; accessed 18 October 2008"A poignant finale for popular UTV show" News Letter, 7 February 2009; accessed 7 February 2009
The series returned in January 2016 in a weekly 30-minute timeslot on Friday nights, following the late UTV Live bulletin and presented by Pamela Ballantine. The programme returned to a weekly primetime slot at 20:00 in September 2016. Following a new schedule on ITV1/UTV from 2022, UTV Live now airs on Fridays at 19:00 - following the ITV Evening News.
Notable current on air team
News
+NewsPersonPositionPaul ClarkMain news anchorsRose NeillPaul ReillySarah ClarkeJordan MoatesRelief news anchorsKatie AndrewsEden WilsonSara O'Kane
Reporters
+ReportersPersonPositionTracey MageePolitical EditorVicki Hawthorne Political CorrespondentJordan Moates Economics CorrespondentDeborah McAleese Health Reporter Gareth Wilkinson North West Correspondent Sharon O'Neill CorrespondentStewart Robson News ReportersSarah Mc CarronMarc MallettEden Wilson Nathan HannaBarbara McCannJordan MoatesTori WatsonJordan MooreSara O'Kane
Sport +SportPersonPositionRuth Gorman Main Presenter & Sports CorrespondentDaniel Duffy Relief Sport PresentersEmma Patterson
Weather +WeatherPersonPositionLouise Small Main Weather PresenterAisling Creevey Relief Weather PresenterRita Fitzgerald
Former notable on air team Lynda Bryans – presenter (1996–2010)"Lynda Bryans makes dignified farewell to UTV", Belfast Telegraph, 1 July 2010; accessed 23 July 2010 Jamie Delargy (Business Editor) Jane Loughrey (Correspondent) Frank Mitchell (Weather presenter) Mike Nesbitt – presenter (1993–2006); former Leader of the Ulster Unionist Party Gillian Porter (Newsreader) Ken Reid (Political Editor) Kate Smith – presenter (1993–2006); now a member of the Northern Ireland Screen board
In October 2008, UTV announced its intention to cut 13 jobs in the news department due to corporate restructuring."Stars under threat as UTV cuts jobs" News Letter, 15 October 2008; accessed 27 February 2009 The station declared it was offering staff a voluntary redundancy package."UTV stars fear for jobs as bosses swing axe" Belfast Telegraph, 17 October 2008; accessed 27 February 2009 Staff who were reported to have accepted the redundancy package were: Ivan Little – reporter (1980–2009); now freelancer"Ivan itch for change" Sunday Life, 18 January 2009; accessed 27 February 2009 Claire McCollum – presenter/reporter (2000–09)"Claire calls time out" Sunday Life, 22 February 2009; accessed 27 February 2009 Jeanie Johnston – Features Editor (2000–09); Reporter (1978–2009)"Another news veteran to leave UTV screens" News Letter, 24 January 2009; accessed 27 February 2009 Fearghal McKinney – presenter/reporter (1994–2009)"Two popular faces leaving UTV news" News Letter, 20 January 2009, accessed 27 February 2009 Adrian Logan – sports editor; sports presenter/reporter (1985–2009)"Angry Logie quits UTV" Belfast Telegraph, 24 April 2009, accessed 24 April 2009
References
External links