3 weeks ago
EXCLUSIVE: ITN‘s caller CEO Ian Rumsey has said that his elevation was a surprise.
In an email to unit (below successful full), Rumsey acknowledged that he was arsenic shocked arsenic anyone to beryllium replacing Rachel Corp, who stepped down from moving nan UK news shaper pinch contiguous effect connected Tuesday.
Rumsey’s promotion was each nan much different because he had only precocious accepted different occupation astatine Zinc Media Group, a rival actual producer.
“Someone erstwhile told maine that nan meaning of news is thing that surprises you. In which case, today’s announcement was very large news for everyone astatine ITN, I’m sure,” Rumsey told staff.
“Certainly a move of events that I didn’t spot coming erstwhile I resigned to return up different job, conscionable past month. I’d ne'er expected aliases moreover wanted to time off ITN. But past an connection came on from a bully institution which astatine nan clip I didn’t consciousness capable to refuse. But this is CEO of ITN. My home. I had to accept. Without hesitation.”
The abrupt activity alteration sent shockwaves done ITN, which produces ITV and Channel 4’s news output, arsenic good as Good Morning Britain and Paramount’s 5 News.
Insiders described it arsenic “ruthless” and “brutal,” contempt Corp saying it was her determination to activity caller challenges. Rumsey told unit that Corp will “always beryllium a friend of ITN,” though location were nary words for nan ex-CEO successful a connection issued by Kyla Mullins, ITN’s chair.
There is speculation that Corp has been courting liking from nan BBC, which is connected nan hunt for a caller news leader aft nan departure of Deborah Turness past year.
ITN insiders person besides pointed retired that Corp’s exit follows nan institution settling a suit from 5 News presenter Claudia-Liza Vanderpuije, who claimed unfair dismissal, favoritism and harassment connected grounds of title and sex, and breach of contract.
In a LinkedIn post, Corp reflected connected her tenure arsenic CEO complete astir 4 years, including nan institution generating a cardinal integer views a month, BAFTA awards, and nan woody to make Good Morning Britain.
“I americium really looking guardant to what comes adjacent for maine and nan various things I americium moving connected – watch this space! And I will watch ITN’s continued maturation pinch pride,” she added.
Rumsey said ITN was facing “a batch of uncertainties” successful nan industry, but urged nan institution to return large swings. “We won’t ever get them right. But we should ever make bold, brave decisions,” he said. “We should ever enactment pinch confidence. We don’t punch supra our weight. Because we ARE a heavyweight.”
Rumsey has tally ITN’s accumulation limb since 2021, producing actual output, including Netflix’s The Investigation of Lucy Letby and the Manhunt series.
Ian Rumsey email to staff:
Hello,
Someone erstwhile told maine that nan meaning of news is thing that surprises you.
In which case, today’s announcement was very large news for everyone astatine ITN, I’m sure.
Certainly a move of events that I didn’t spot coming erstwhile I resigned to return up different job, conscionable past month.
I’d ne'er expected aliases moreover wanted to time off ITN. But past an connection came on from a bully institution which astatine nan clip I didn’t consciousness capable to refuse.
But this is CEO of ITN. My home. I had to accept. Without hesitation.
I want to statesman by erstwhile again thanking Rachel and wishing her awesome happiness and success. Rachel has ITN successful her blood. Every domiciled she’s undertaken complete nan past 3 decades, she’s ever done pinch complete dedication and pinch nan company’s champion interests astatine heart. She has achieved a immense amount. Just arsenic importantly, she’s a thoroughly decent person. She has galore friends here, and will ever beryllium a friend of ITN.
This is simply a comparatively little statement to show you really privileged and grateful I americium to beryllium fixed this role, and this opportunity.
Very soon, I will talk to nan full institution successful personification – to stock my thoughts, priorities and group retired a clear guidance for ITN. A day will beryllium going into your diaries successful nan adjacent fewer days.
Before then, complete nan adjacent mates of weeks, I’ll beryllium dropping successful connected each nan newsrooms and visiting departments crossed nan institution to talk, and to listen, and to besides meet immoderate of you who whitethorn not cognize me.
I first came to ITN successful 2005 and worked successful ITV News, spent a comparatively short clip away, came backmost to tally ITN Productions and… contempt announcing my departure recently… I’m now staying.
I understand nan unsocial quality of news arsenic good arsenic nan commercialized contented broadside of nan business. But nan truth is, I’m fundamentally a producer. The astir nosy I’ll ever person is not successful a boardroom, but successful a gallery… aliases an edit.. winning a committee aliases connected a shoot.
The CEO doesn’t request to beryllium nan champion astatine everything – which is very fortunate for maine – but they should beryllium solely focused connected trying to thief everyone beryllium nan champion THEY tin be. And fortunately, here, we person a superb group of Editors and leaders arsenic good arsenic hundreds of amazing, talented people.
So what benignant of CEO will I be?
Well, I’ve only been doing it for a mates of hours truthful ultimately, that will beryllium for you to judge… but here’s really I purpose to tackle this domiciled from time one:
As personification who shares their imagination WITH you and is besides visible TO you. I will walk plentifulness of clip connected nan shop floors.
Who listens arsenic good arsenic speaks. I want to cognize what you think. We whitethorn not ever agree, but we’ll ever beryllium capable to person an unfastened conversation.
Who leads but is besides present to serve: personification who has sewage your back. Because let’s beryllium clear, we inquire an atrocious batch of you – and you should request an atrocious batch back. I activity for nan company… but I besides activity for you.
Someone who is, I hope, authentic and straightforward. I’ll show you really it is, bully aliases bad.
And personification who ever intends to enactment swiftly and decisively.
Sometimes I’ll get those decisions wrong. Making mistakes is fine, we each do it. Better to person tried and sometimes grounded than ne'er tried astatine all. And a batch of nan time, a incorrect determination – which you tin retrieve from quickly – is amended than not making 1 astatine all.
ITN needs to return large swings. We won’t ever get them right. But we should ever make bold, brave decisions.
We should ever enactment pinch confidence. We don’t punch supra our weight. Because we ARE a heavyweight.
We should beryllium proud of our past… but focussed connected our future.
The world successful which we beryllium is changing very fast.
We request to deliberation of ourselves – moreover much than we do now – arsenic a contented company: a wholly platform-agnostic contented company.
That improvement doesn’t diminish nan value of our halfway business. News is our instauration and will proceed to beryllium utterly basal successful nan years ahead. And our newsrooms are already starring nan complaint pinch tremendous occurrence connected integer platforms, alongside our caller integer division.
But we must beryllium moreover much ambitious. Constantly looking and uncovering moreover much caller ways to turn and diversify beyond TV. The activity has already begun successful ITN Productions – we request to beryllium faster and braver than we’ve ever been.
And we simply must person a building and a workplace that is some fresh for purpose, and worthy of a awesome modern company. As soon arsenic practicably possible.
There is simply a large in-tray connected my desk. There are a batch of issues to woody pinch and a batch of uncertainties successful this industry. It won’t beryllium easy.
But erstwhile person we ever not faced problems? And erstwhile person we ever not risen to meet them?
So… nan challenges are real. But truthful are nan opportunities. And we should beryllium fresh and optimistic.
Because we’re ITN: and because this spot and nan group successful it are unique. Whether you’re successful this state aliases astir nan world, connected surface aliases off, a storyteller aliases a personnel of our emormously hard-working support teams.
Nowhere has nan attitude, characteristic and mentality that’s recovered here. We don’t inquire “why?” We opportunity “why not?”
I’m privileged to beryllium a portion of that team.
Thanks,
Ian (does anyone cognize really you alteration your email signature?)
Ian Rumsey
Chief Content Officer
