ITV to close news channel

British broadcaster ITV is to close its News Channel, it announced today.

Around 70 mostly editorial jobs are expected to go as a result, according to sources.

The National Union of Journalists condemned the move as an “absolute outrage”.

Director of Television for ITV Simon Shaps said: "The question we have asked ourselves is what does news look like in five or 10 years' time?

“The answer is that it looks very different from the traditional 24-hour rolling news format that we are used to now.

“Increasingly, viewers will want news on demand via a variety of different platforms and we are investing in the technology and expertise to deliver that.”