Sky News record for breaking news just a 'marketing trick'

The report, which was based on an analysis of the three main rolling news channels during 14 days in July last year, found that 79.4% of its "breaking news" was in fact applied to "routine, predictable events" and did not deserve the title of breaking news.

The research also said that only 12.5% of BBC News 24's breaking news was classified as predictable, with ITV News, the third channel involved, at 32.1%.

The report has been slammed by Sky News officials, who say that the research was funded by the BBC and based on nine stories during two weeks in July 2004, in contrast to the 15,000 stories covered by Sky News in a year.

Horrocks, who was appointed as head of BBC television news in September, recently announced changes designed to reflect the increasing importance of News 24 in the BBC's overall strategy.

The BBC recently claimed that since Sky News' relaunch, Sky has lost 300,000 viewers and BBC News 24 has gained 200,000 viewers.

The BBC said that News 24's gains have been most marked at 5pm and 7pm, against two of Sky's biggest new shows with Jeremy Thompson and Julie Etchingham. News 24's reach is up by 1m viewers year on year, a rise of 21%, to 5.5m.

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