ITN TV news unlocked Sky’s takeover of ITV’s media and entertainment business for £1.6bn will make it responsible for commissioning ITV News. The deal sees Sky buying ITV News, ITV’s free-to-air channels in the UK and the ITVX streaming platform, with ITV Studios left out of the acquisition and becoming a standalone business. If the deal is approved (by shareholders, Ofcom and the CMA), Sky will inherit ITV’s Public Service Broadcasting (PBS) obligations that run until 2034, which require the broadcaster to provide impartial national and regional news. Sky has promised that ITV News and Sky News will maintain “distinct editorial identities” until at least 2030. ITV’s current five-year contract with ITN, which produces national news bulletins at 1.30pm, 6.30pm and 10pm on ITV1, Good Morning Britain and London regional news, runs until the end of 2030 and contains no break clause, meaning Sky would inherit the agreement if the acquisition completes as planned in the second half of 2027. Other regional news ITV bulletins are produced by ITV itself. The transaction will see ITV’s …