History of Sky News in Timeline
Sky News is a British free-to-air television news channel owned by Sky Group, a division of Comcast. It distributes news via television, radio, online channels, and streaming platforms. In 2024, Sky News was named Royal Television Society News Channel of the Year for the 17th time, marking its 7th consecutive win. The channel is accessible through its website, TV platforms, YouTube, Apple TV, and various mobile devices.
June 1988: Rupert Murdoch Announces New Television News Service
On June 8, 1988, Rupert Murdoch announced plans to start a new television news service at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.
February 1989: Sky News' First Broadcast
Sky News first broadcast on February 5, 1989.
February 1989: Sky News Broadcast Start
Sky News started broadcasting on February 5, 1989, at 6 pm.
March 1992: Sky News' Parent Company Turns Profit
By March 1992, Sky News' parent company transitioned from loss to profit.
June 1994: Sky News transmits live pictures of O. J. Simpson's freeway chase
On June 17, 1994, Sky News transmitted live pictures of the freeway chase of O. J. Simpson's white Bronco, bringing US helicopter journalism to the UK.
August 1994: Kelvin MacKenzie resigns as managing director of BSkyB
Kelvin MacKenzie announced his resignation in August 1994, but not before Sky News had transmitted live pictures of the freeway chase of O. J. Simpson's white Bronco on 17 June 1994, bringing US helicopter journalism to the UK.
1997: Sky News broadcasts Louise Woodward's trial
In 1997, Sky News broadcast live coverage of Louise Woodward's trial, leading to criticism that the station had a pro-Louise Woodward stance.
September 1999: European Commission Ruling Against Sky News Complaint
In September 1999, the European Commission ruled against a Sky News complaint, arguing that BBC News 24 was unfair and illegal under EU law, stating the television license fee should be considered state aid, but justified the channel due to the BBC's public service remit.
March 2000: Launch of Sky News Active
In March 2000, Sky News Active, a 24-hour interactive service providing headlines and other services ranging from weather, the top story of the day, and showbiz on demand, was launched.
June 2001: Analogue Broadcasting Ceases
On June 30, 2001, analogue broadcasting of the channel ceased.
September 2001: Sky News wins BAFTA for 9/11 attacks coverage
In September 2001, Sky News won a BAFTA award for its coverage of the 11 September 2001 attacks.
2002: Sky News wins BAFTA for Soham murders coverage
In 2002, Sky News received a BAFTA award for its coverage of the 2002 Soham murders.
October 2003: James Forlong found dead after HMS Splendid report fabrication
In October 2003, James Forlong was found dead by his wife after committing suicide following the exposure of the fabricated report from HMS Splendid.
March 2004: Sky News Wins Channel 5 Contract
In March 2004, Sky News was announced to have won a five-year contract to supply news bulletins to Channel 5, taking over from ITN in January 2005.
January 2005: Sky News Supplies Channel 5 News
In January 2005, Sky News took over from ITN to supply news bulletins to Channel 5, as part of a five-year contract.
July 2005: Sky News covers London bombings
In July 2005, Sky News provided coverage of the 7 July 2005 London bombings. The coverage was later commended as "fast and accurate".
October 2005: Sky News Schedule Relaunch
In October 2005, Sky News relaunched its schedule with "appointment to view" programmes and new presenters such as James Rubin, Julie Etchingham, Eamonn Holmes, and Kay Burley. Sky News Today also had the introduction of a three-presenter format. However the new schedule was unsuccessful and ratings declined, with the BBC News channel overtaking Sky News.
October 2005: Sky News Studio Move and Revamp
On October 24, 2005, Sky News moved to new studios in Isleworth, Greater London, undergoing a major on-screen revamp that included a new studio designed by New York architects Janson Design Group, new music scored by Adelphoi Music, and new on-screen graphics.
2005: Sky News Distinctive Orchestral Theme Music
Since 2005, Sky News' distinctive orchestral theme music was used.
July 2006: Sky News Schedule Changes
In July 2006, Sky News removed its evening programmes and returned to rolling news and a two-presenter format on Sky News Today, accompanied by the interactive programme, Sky News with Martin Stanford.
2006: Sky News wins International Emmy for Breaking News
In 2006, Sky News' coverage of the 7 July 2005 London bombings was awarded the 2006 International Emmy for Breaking News.
March 2007: BSkyB and Chrysalis Group announce plans to launch Sky News Radio
In March 2007, BSkyB and Chrysalis Group announced plans to launch a dedicated Sky News Radio station on the proposed bid by Channel 4's 4 Digital Group for the second digital audio broadcasting multiplex in the United Kingdom.
June 2007: Sky News named Best News Channel
In June 2007, Sky News was named Best News Channel at the Broadcast Digital Channel Awards, beating other national and international broadcasters.
October 2007: Global Radio withdraws from Sky News Radio joint venture
In October 2007, following a business review, Global's chief executive announced that it would be withdrawing from the joint venture for Sky News Radio.
October 2007: Sky News New Schedule
On October 1, 2007, Sky introduced another new schedule, extending Kay Burley's Lunchtime Live programme and renaming it Afternoon Live. It also switched to a new format for much of the day, with a solo lead presenter and a summary newsreader.
2007: BSkyB Intention to Cease Freeview Broadcasting
In 2007, BSkyB announced its intention to cease broadcasting Sky News – as well as other BSkyB channels – over Freeview, pending Ofcom approval.
September 2008: Further Changes to Sky News Schedule
On September 8, 2008, Sky News made further changes to its schedule, with Colin Brazier presenting The Live Desk and Martin Stanford's Sky.com News becoming SkyNews.com.
November 2008: BSkyB paid libel damages to Robert Murat
In November 2008, BSkyB paid undisclosed libel damages to Robert Murat after Sky News falsely suggested he acted like child murderer Ian Huntley and misled journalists following Madeleine McCann's disappearance. Sky News also apologized, removed the libelous material, and paid Murat's costs.
November 2008: Sky News reappears on Virgin Media
On 13 November 2008, Sky News and other Sky channels that had been removed, reappeared on Virgin Media.
2008: Sky News begins using HD-capable cameras
In early 2008, Sky News began using HD-capable cameras in the field, with some one-off programs available in HD to Sky+ HD subscribers on Sky On Demand.
January 2009: Sky Arts broadcasts Sky News coverage of Barack Obama's inauguration in HD
On January 20, 2009, before the launch of the Sky News HD channel, Sky Arts broadcast Sky News coverage in HD of the Inauguration of Barack Obama. Jeremy Thompson fronted the coverage from Washington, D.C.
2009: Sky News Layout and Programme Changes
During 2009, Sky News implemented major changes to the newsroom/studio layout, introduced a morning edition of The Live Desk, and extended the financial news programme Jeff Randall Live.
2009: Sky News website changed to align with on-screen look
In 2009, the Sky News website was updated to reflect the on-screen visual style of the TV channel, utilizing Flash video encoding to match the look with pictures and breaking news.
March 2010: Sky News Moves to Studio B
On March 30, 2010, in preparation for high-definition broadcasting, Sky News moved to its second studio (Studio B).
March 2010: Sky News Presented and Produced Exclusively by Women
On March 8, 2010, Sky News was presented and produced exclusively by women from 6 am to midnight to mark International Women's Day, an event that was repeated in 2011 and 2012.
March 2010: Sky News moves operations to chroma-key set
Sky News moved operations to a chroma-key set in Studio B from 30 March 2010, so final preparations for HD could take place in the main newsroom.
April 2010: First live broadcast of Sky News HD
On April 22, 2010, the first live broadcast of Sky News HD occurred on Sky Channel 517. It was the channel's election debate hosted in HD by Kay Burley and Adam Boulton.
May 2010: Ofcom receives complaints about Adam Boulton's interview with Alastair Campbell
In May 2010, Ofcom received 696 complaints relating to Sky News's political editor Adam Boulton's conduct during an interview with Alastair Campbell.
May 2010: Ofcom receives complaints about Kay Burley's interview with David Babbs
In May 2010, Ofcom received 832 complaints about an interview with electoral reformist David Babbs conducted by Sky News presenter Kay Burley, leading to protests against Burley.
May 2010: Sky News HD Launch
On May 6, 2010, Sky News moved back to the main newsroom and launched Sky News HD in time for the 2010 general election results, updating its graphics and theme music.
May 2010: Sky News HD launches with coverage of the 2010 general election results
On the evening of May 6, 2010, Sky News HD was launched, coinciding with the coverage of the 2010 general election results, hosted by Adam Boulton.
August 2010: Sky News International broadcast switches to 16:9
In August 2010, the Sky News international version switched from a 4:3 picture format to a 16:9 format.
November 2010: Attorney General given right to launch contempt of court proceedings against Sky News
In November 2010, the Attorney General for England and Wales was granted the right to initiate contempt of court proceedings against Sky News for allegedly breaching a media injunction related to the reporting of Paul and Rachel Chandler's captivity by Somali pirates. The injunction restricted the publication of details about their "health and welfare" before their release. Sky News claimed to have observed the terms of the injunction.
2010: Mehdi Hasan comments on Sky News bias in the New Statesman
In a 2010 article in the New Statesman, journalist Mehdi Hasan argued that Sky News remained free of party political bias.
2010: Ofcom dismisses complaints of Sky News bias ahead of general election
Ofcom received complaints regarding the network's lack of neutrality ahead of the 2010 general election, but these were not upheld.
2011: Sky News Presented and Produced Exclusively by Women
In 2011, Sky News was presented and produced exclusively by women from 6 am to midnight to mark International Women's Day, an event that was also done in 2010 and repeated in 2012.
January 2012: Attorney General drops contempt of court proceedings against Sky News
In January 2012, the Attorney General dropped the contempt of court case against Sky News, stating that continuing the proceedings would no longer be in the public interest.
2012: Sky News website refresh
In 2012, Sky News implemented a further refresh of its website, updating both the page design and the content management system.
2012: Sky News Presented and Produced Exclusively by Women
In 2012, Sky News was presented and produced exclusively by women from 6 am to midnight to mark International Women's Day, an event that was also done in 2010 and 2011.
March 2013: Sky News journalist detained in Tiananmen Square
In March 2013, Sky News journalist Mark Stone and his camera operator were detained in Tiananmen Square live on television. They were filming in the square but police said the team were not displaying their passes correctly and directed them into a police van.
June 2013: Sky News International added to Apple TV
On June 19, 2013, Sky News International was added to Apple TV for users in the UK, Ireland, and the United States, offering clips and live streaming free of charge.
September 2014: Sky News live streaming on YouTube begins
On September 30, 2014, Sky News began live streaming the channel on YouTube.
October 2014: Sky News doorsteps Brenda Leyland, leading to controversy
In October 2014, Sky News crime correspondent Martin Brunt doorstepped Brenda Leyland, who had posted controversial comments concerning the McCann investigation on social media. Leyland was later found dead, leading to calls for Brunt to be sacked and 171 complaints to Ofcom.
November 2014: Sky News sponsored Young Person in Business category of the National Chamber Awards
In November 2014, Sky News sponsored the Young Person in Business category of the National Chamber Awards. Oliver Bryssau of Origin Broadband won the category, and Origin Broadband was named Business of the Year.
2014: Colin Brazier rifles through MH17 victim's possessions on live TV
In 2014, Sky News journalist Colin Brazier rifled through a Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 victim's possessions on live TV, prompting 110 complaints to Ofcom. Sky News apologised for any offence caused.
January 2015: Sky News HD launches on Virgin Media
On January 1, 2015, Sky News HD launched on Virgin Media.
November 2015: Kay Burley's tweet following Paris attacks causes controversy
In November 2015, Kay Burley caused controversy when she tweeted a photograph of a Golden Retriever dog with the caption "Sadness in his eyes #parisattacks".
2015: Sky News Rebrand
Following the 2015 general election, Sky News was rebranded with new graphics and a new top-of-the-hour sequence. The traditional opening voiceover, read by Bruce Hammal, was dropped after two decades in use.
August 2016: Sky News criticised for allegedly paying Romanians for gun trafficking story
In August 2016, Sky News was criticised after allegedly paying €2,000 to a group of Romanians to pretend they were part of an eastern European gang selling guns to terrorists in Syria. The Romanians were arrested and confessed they were paid by Sky News journalist Stuart Ramsay.
October 2016: Sky News Broadcasts from New Studio
On October 24, 2016, Sky News began broadcasting from a new studio (Studio 21) at Sky Central, Sky's new headquarters in West London.
December 2016: 21st Century Fox Offer to Acquire Sky
On December 9, 2016, Sky shareholder 21st Century Fox announced its offer to acquire the remainder of the company for £11.7 billion, raising concerns about Murdoch family's influence.
January 2017: Sky Moves Business Operations
In January 2017, Sky moved its business operations into the News Building in central London.
December 2017: The Walt Disney Company Announces Intent to Acquire 21st Century Fox
On December 14, 2017, The Walt Disney Company announced its intent to acquire 21st Century Fox, following the divestiture of certain assets.
January 2018: Competition and Markets Authority Recommends Sky News Divestment
In January 2018, the Competition and Markets Authority issued a preliminary report recommending that Sky News be insulated from Murdoch's assets or divested to preserve its editorial independence.
January 2018: Sky Moves News Operations
On January 16, 2018, Sky moved all its news operations over to Studio 21 and a new studio in Sky Studios.
April 2018: Fox States Disney's Interest in Acquiring Sky News
On April 3, 2018, Fox stated that Disney had expressed interest in acquiring Sky News in a separate transaction, not dependent on the outcome of the Disney/Fox purchase.
May 2018: Sky News wins BAFTA for "The Rohingya Crisis"
On 13 May 2018, Sky News won a BAFTA Award in the News Category for "The Rohingya Crisis" coverage by Alex Crawford, Martin Smith, and Neville Lazarus.
June 2018: Culture Secretary Clears Fox's Proposed Deal Contingent on Divestiture of Sky News
On June 5, 2018, Culture Secretary Matt Hancock cleared Fox's proposed deal, contingent on the divestiture of Sky News. It also cleared counteroffers for Sky that were being made in a bidding war by U.S. telecoms and media conglomerate Comcast.
October 2018: Fox no longer has stake in Sky News
As of October 2018, Fox no longer has any stake in the broadcaster Sky News.
October 2018: Sky News wins International Emmy for "The Rohingya Crisis"
In October 2018, the Sky News programme covering "The Rohingya Crisis" also won an International Emmy Award for News.
2018: Sky News annual budget and staff
As of 2018, Sky News had an estimated £90 million annual budget and employed about 500 staff, but it makes a loss of between £15 million and £20 million a year.
2018: Sky News named Royal Television Society News Channel of the Year
In 2018, Sky News was named Royal Television Society News Channel of the Year, marking the eleventh time the channel had won the award.
February 2019: Sky News launches pop-up channel Sky News Raw
On February 5, 2019, Sky News launched a pop-up channel called Sky News Raw to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Sky News.
April 2019: Sky News Broadcasts from New Studio
In April 2019, Sky News began broadcasting from a new studio (Studio 21) at Sky Central, Sky's new headquarters in West London.
June 2021: Sky News Updated Graphics Package
On June 3, 2021, Sky News updated its top-of-the-hour sequence, soundtrack, and on-screen graphics package.
November 2021: Sky's top performing shows average around 160,000 viewers
In November 2021, The Daily Telegraph reported that Sky's top performing shows, including Trevor Phillips on Sunday, average around 160,000 viewers.
2021: Sky News website updated with new branding
In 2021, minor tweaks, such as font updates and updated breaking news graphics, were made to the Sky News website to align with the new Sky News branding on-screen.
November 2022: Sky News averaged 52,230 each day for its prime-time audience
In November 2022, Sky News averaged 52,230 viewers each day for its prime-time audience (between 7pm and 11pm).
December 2022: Sky News all-day average was 53,350
In December 2022, Sky News all-day average was 53,350 viewers.
February 2023: Sky News faces criticism over reporting of Nicola Bulley case
In February 2023, Sky News faced criticism over its handling and reporting of the missing person Nicola Bulley case.
February 2023: David Rhodes Appointed Executive Chairman of the Sky News Group
On February 9, 2023, David Rhodes was appointed Executive Chairman of the Sky News Group in charge of all Sky's news operations. Jonathan Levy was appointed Managing Director and Executive Editor, Sky News UK.
July 2024: Sky News Offline Due to CrowdStrike Incident
On July 19, 2024, Sky News was taken offline by the 2024 CrowdStrike incident, briefly making it unable to broadcast live.
November 2024: Sky News criticised over coverage of Israeli soccer fans incident
In November 2024, Sky News received criticism for its reporting on an incident involving Israeli soccer fans from Maccabi Tel Aviv and anti-Israel protesters in Amsterdam. Initially, the footage suggested the Israeli fans were the instigators, but later edits implied they were victims of unprovoked attacks, leading to accusations of bias.
2024: Royal Television Society News Channel of the Year
In 2024, Sky News was named Royal Television Society News Channel of the Year, marking the 17th time it has received the award and its 7th consecutive win.
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