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Sky News Business to move into News Corp HQ as broadcaster announces 2018 plans, including the return of Outsiders

Sky News has revealed its plans for 2018, including integrating the Sky News Business channel into News Corp’s HQ in Holt Street in Sydney and the return of the controversial Outsiders program, sans former Leader of the Opposition Mark Latham.

The announcements come 11 months after News Corp acquired the parent company of Sky News Australia, Australian News Channel. 

 

Keneally will run To the Point from Canberra

Angelos Frangopoulos, Australian News Channel CEO said bringing Sky News Business into News Corp “brings new levels of vibrancy” to the Sky News and News Corp Australia businesses.

“When News Corp Australia acquired the Sky News company last year, we began to closely integrate our businesses, our talent and our teams. Bringing Sky News Business into News Corp HQ not only reinforces our continued commitment to quality journalism, it brings new levels of vibrancy to our businesses and many collaborative opportunities in the future,” Frangopoulos said.

Michael Miller, executive chairman of News Corp Australia said the new studio will create a “dynamic business hub” with “high-value business news video content”.

“The move of Sky News Business to Holt Street is an exciting step for our company, with the channel now based at the centre of Australian business journalism,” Miller said.

The programming announcement solidified the return of the controversial Outsiders program, from which Latham was sacked earlier this year.

The sacking came after the outspoken commentator picked several on-air fights, including attacking fellow Sky News contributor Kristina Keneally  and broadcaster Wendy Harmer. The issue reached boiling point when footage emerged from a show in which Latham labelled a schoolboy speaking up for feminism as “gay”.

The show subsequently disappeared from Sky’s schedule before returning without Latham in April. In 2018, Outsiders will continue to be hosted by former politician Ross Cameron and Spectator editor and former adman Rowan Dean.

Next year, Sky News will also launch a bureau in Townsville with news reporter Olivia Grace-Curran, while changes to Sky News Weather and Sky News digital platforms are yet to come.

Sky News Business’ lineup includes financial experts Ticky Fullerton, Carson Scott, Ingrid Willinge, James Daggar-Nickson, Helen Dalley, Leanne Jones, Natalie MacDonald and Leo Shanahan.

The channel will kick off the day with Business Breakfast, followed by Trading Day Live, which will run from 9am to 5pm weekdays.

On weekdays at 5pm, Fullerton will run Ticky, her program featuring interviews with corporate executives, economists and thought leaders. The end of the day will see programs around topics such as small business and personal finance.

Meanwhile on Sky News Live, two new political programs will launch and several shifts have been made to anchors across the day.

Sky News Live will also launch political news program Speers, led by political journalist David Speers.

Speers to run his own political show, Speers

The show will be broadcast live from Canberra from Monday to Thursday at 4pm and will also include a Sunday edition.

Another new addition to the line up is Peta Credlin’s show Credlin. The political analysis show will run weeknights at 6pm.

An extension has been made to Paul Murray Live, which will run five days a week in 2018, from 9pm. Murray will continue to deliver his debate show as well as PML Overtime from 10pm.

Anchor changes include Ashleigh Gillon, who will run Live Now on Monday to Wednesday; Samantha Maiden, anchor of Live Now Thursday to Friday; and Laura Jayes leading NewsDay on Monday to Thursday.

Expansion of Sky News Live’s Canberra programming will see Kristina Keneally lead the lunchtime political program ‘To the point’ from Parliament house.

Janine Perrett will anchor Heads Up, while Brooke Corte and chief political reporter Kieran Gilbert will run First Edition from Monday to Friday next year.

Peter van Onselen will also return as host of the political show Contrarians.

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