Sky News Sunrise

Sunrise
Created by Sky News
Starring Eamonn Holmes
Mark Longhurst
Charlotte Hawkins
Gillian Joseph
Country of origin UK - Broadcast Internationally
Production
Running time 3 hours (Monday - Friday)
4 hours (Saturday & Sunday)
Broadcast
Original channel Sky News
Picture format 16:9 (UK)
4:3 (International)
1080p(UK)
Original airing February 1989 - present

Sunrise is the breakfast time programme on Sky News between 6:00am and 9:00am on weekdays and 6:00am to 10:00am on weekends. It was first aired in February 1989. Since February 2007, the weekday episodes of the show have been called Sunrise with Eamonn Holmes, as Holmes now presents the show largely on his own aided with news updates with Charlotte Hawkins. The editions broadcast from Friday to Sunday are branded Sunrise with Mark Longhurst.

Contents

History

At its start in February 1989 the programme ran from 5am-9:30am. In 1991 it became one of only two shows across Sky's 20 year history to have its own individual graphics, the other being flagship bulletin Live at Five. These graphics were swiftly withdrawn after viewers and staff alike deemed them too gawdy and "American". The show has used the channel's graphics ever since. It is common however for Sunrise to use a slight variation of some elements, such as in 1997 when Sunrise had its own variation on the then title sequence, and in 2005 when Sunrise used an individual variation of the Sky News globe. During 1995 and 1996, reporters such as Tim Marshall and weather presenter Jo Wheeler became regular stand-ins.

At the channel's relaunch on 24 October 2005, Eamonn Holmes and Lorna Dunkley became the regular presenters of the weekday editions of the show, with Steve Gaisford and Emma Crosby fronting the weekend edition of the programme. Jacquie Beltrao provided sports updates during the week.

In January 2007, Sky News moved to single-headed presentation, with Eamonn Holmes made sole presenter of Sunrise and Lorna Dunkley moved to the channel's weekend coverage. Charlotte Hawkins joined Sunrise to present news summaries, rather than co-anchoring the show. Previously, the Friday editions were co-presented by Mark Longhurst and Emma Crosby, the Saturday editions by Longhurst and Helen Fospero and the Sunday editions by Longhurst and Samantha Simmonds; however, in 2007 Mark Longhurst became the sole presenter. From October 2007 Gillian Joseph provides news summaries in Fridays, with Charlie Thomas continuing to present the channel's sports updates.

Ratings

It has been noted that since Eamonn Holmes started to present the show solo, ratings have increased, as Sky would have hoped when they took him from rivals, GMTV. Ironically, what is now GMTV, was originally going to be called Sunrise. However, Sky objected due to their programme of the same name already existing, and the name of the new ITV Breakfast Channel was changed just before its launch in 1993.

Studio

On Wednesday 5 February 2009 at 6am, Sunrise began presenting from a new "multi-purpose" area of the Sky News Centre, formally known as the "shoebox". This coincides with the 20th anniversary of Sky News and a revamp for the main studio.

Broadcasts

For a short while at the start of 2007, Sunrise was simulcast on Sky1 Monday – Friday.

Presenter History

Weekday Presenters

Dates Presenter One Presenter Two Summary Presenter
1989–1993 Selina Scott Michael Wilson
1993–1995 Simon McCoy Kay Burley
1995 Martin Stanford Kay Burley or Anna Botting
1995–1997 Simon McCoy Emily Maitlis
1998–2001 Mark Longhurst Kay Burley
2001–2002 Simon McCoy Lorna Dunkley
2002–2005 Greg Milam Lorna Dunkley
October 2005 - January 2007,January 2007–present Eamonn only Eamonn Holmes(January 2007–present) Lorna Dunkley Charlotte Hawkins January 2007–present

Weekend Presenters

Dates Day Presenter One Presenter Two Summary Presenter
October 2005 - Summer 2006 Saturday - Sunday Steve Gaisford Emma Crosby
Summer 2006 - Late 2006 Saturday - Sunday Various Presenters
February 2007 - April 2007 Friday Mark Longhurst Emma Crosby
Late 2006 - April 2007 Saturday Mark Longhurst Helen Fospero
February 2007 - April 2007 Sunday Mark Longhurst Samantha Simmonds
April 2007 - October 2007 Friday - Sunday Mark Longhurst
October 2007 – December 2011 Friday - Sunday Mark Longhurst Gillian Joseph
December 2011 – Present Friday - Sunday Stephan Dixon Gillian Joseph

External Links