Normally, MediaGuardian.co.uk takes a break for the weekend. But we've just found out that Sky will make a statement later today confirming a story we've been working on - namely that the head of Sky News, Nick Pollard is leaving.
There has been pressure on Mr Pollard since Sky News, which pioneered 24-hour news in Britain when it was launched in 1989, was revamped in October. The multi-million pound relaunch did not go down well with viewers or TV critics, and it did not make a big difference to viewing figures.
In January, Mr Pollard admitted that recent months had been "the toughest time in Sky News's history". But he defended the decision to relaunch the channel with shows built around high-profile presenters such as Eamonn Holmes and the former aide to Bill Clinton's administration, James Rubin. "It is fair to say the new programmes are not perfect," Mr Pollard told a debate organised by the Media Society in London.
Sources at Sky News have told us that James Murdoch, the chief executive of BSkyB, wants to make cuts. That's not surprising: Sky will have to pay £1.31bn for rights to four out of an available six packages of live Premiership matches, it's about to launch a high-definition TV service, and it will launch a broadband service following its purchase of Easynet. Apparently Mr Pollard was resistant to the cuts. The sources said, when considering the reasons for Mr Pollard's departure, this should be given more weight than the shaky relaunch.
Full story in the Guardian tomorrow, with reaction on MediaGuardian.co.uk
