Sky News chief to be replaced

The head of Sky News is to step down after a multimillion-pound relaunch featuring star presenter Eamonn Holmes failed to attract viewers.

Nick Pollard, who has led the 24-hour news channel for 10 years, will be replaced by executive editor John Ryley.

Sky News was revamped last October and promised “appointment to view” television.

Holmes joined the breakfast show and former Clinton aide James Rubin was also hired to host an international news programme.

But viewers were unimpressed and today Pollard announced he is to step down.

Sky’s chief executive James Murdoch said: “Sky News has been privileged to have such an outstanding leader for the last 10 years.

“Few people could claim to have done more than Nick Pollard to transform television news in this country. I have the deepest respect for Nick and the contribution that he has made not only to Sky but to broadcast journalism as a whole.”

Pollard described his successor as “the best television news executive of his generation”.

Ryley joined Sky News in 1995 as executive producer and was responsible for Sky’s award-winning coverage of the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales.

His credits also include live coverage of the Louise Woodward case in 1997, which secured the channel’s biggest audience yet.

As executive editor he took a leading role in coverage of the 9/11 attacks, which earned the channel its first Bafta.