Goodbye Nine O'clock News

Not the Nine O'clock News: Michael Buerk fronts the later bulletin

The BBC's Nine O'Clock News is broadcast for the last time on Friday night, ending 30 years of television history.

The main evening news bulletin will be replaced by a later programme at 10 o'clock.

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The shift will see a head-to-head clash, though only three days a week, with ITV's News At Ten, which will return to the schedules in the New Year.

Sir Trevor McDonald, in an interview with Michael Parkinson to be screened on the BBC on Friday night, has hinted that there is a "great, great possibility" he will resume his anchorman duties on the ITV bulletin.

The BBC's Ten O'clock News begins on BBC One on 16 October, prompting changes to the schedule.

For the first time there will be a fixed news bulletin on Sundays.

BBC Chairman Sir Christopher Bland said it was "in the best interests of viewers. It's a better time for news".

He continued: "It contrasts quite sharply with ITV's proposals, we offer absolute clarity in the scheduling of our news, six days a week."

Plan brought forward

ITV will air News At Ten after a long campaign to bring back the bulletin following its departure in March last year.

The decision to push back the BBC bulletin was made by director general Greg Dyke and announced at the Edinburgh Television Festival in August this year.

But plans to launch the new bulletin next year were brought forward this month with many commentators remarking that the BBC had stolen a march on its rivals.

There is a great, great possibility that I will be there from night one

Sir Trevor McDonald

Culture Secretary Chris Smith has called on the BBC to rethink its plans but the unexpected move to bring the change forward seems to suggest that is unlikely.

The clash in the 10 o'clock slot will be given added spice if Sir Trevor McDonald does present the ITV bulletin.

On the Parkinson show, on BBC One at 2130BST, Sir Trevor admitted: "There is a great, great possibility that I will be there from night one."

The BBC's bulletin will be fronted by Peter Sissons and Michel Buerk, the two men who have fronted the Nine O'Clock News for some years.