Sky News

Sky News is Britain's first 24-hour television news channel, originally launched as part of the 4-channel Sky Television satellite package in February 1989.

The channel originally operated on a shoestring but quickly gained a reputation for journalistic integrity. Although the channel has reportedly run at a loss for much of its history its award-winning journalism has brought Sky Television and its successor British Sky Broadcasting some much-needed prestige. Today Sky News continues to maintain an impressive standard of journalism in the face of tough competition. It is undoubtedly the inspiration for Fox News, its US sister channel with which it sometimes exchanges material. During 2003, plans to offer Sky News in the US were under consideration, but have since been dropped.

Main competitors in the UK are BBC News 24 and the ITV News Channel, while elsewhere in Europe it competes with BBC World and CNBC. A new service, for the Republic of Ireland, Sky News Ireland, started broadcasting in May 2004. As of 2004 rival news channels CNN International and Euronews, as well as Sky's US sister channel Fox News, are also available on Sky Digital.

Sky News is also available on satellite in Africa, the Middle East and India, while a sister service, Sky News Australia, is available in Australia and New Zealand.

In March 2004 it was announced that Sky News had won a 5-year contract to supply news bulletins to the British terrestrial channel five, taking over from ITN in January 2005.

Sky News has been featured in many blockbuster feature films including 20th Century Fox releases; Independence Day, Mission: Impossible, Behind Enemy Lines, Shaun of the Dead and The Day After Tomorrow. 20th Century Fox is another News Corp. asset.

The station broadcasts from BSkyB's headquarters in West London at Isleworth, Middlesex.

It is currently preparing to undergo a major transformation, with the construction of a major new studio complex and news centre, due to open in early 2005.

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