ABC treads on Sky toes with 'News 24'

SYDNEY - Sky News Australia has threatened legal action against the ABC because its managing director, Mark Scott, referred to the upcoming continuous news channel as News 24, which the pay TV channel has registered as a logo.

In an email to staff on Tuesday, Scott announced the channel would launch next Thursday at 7.30pm.

"We are keen to get on air and provide what I am sure will be outstanding coverage of the 2010 federal election campaign on News 24," Scott said.

His message was immediately reported on ABC Online and in the Australian and caught the eye of Sky News executives, who have been monitoring the new free-to-air digital channel as it poses commercial competition.

The ABC, with more than 1000 journalists in 60 metropolitan and regional newsrooms across the country as well as 12 international bureaus, has more journalistic resources to draw on than Sky to run ABC News 24 and has been promoting the new channel.

Sky sources said Sky's overnight coverage was branded "News 24" on the Foxtel programme guide. A mobile phone service providing Sky News is also called "Sky News 24".

When the ABC announced this year the name would be ABC News 24, Sky sought assurances the national broadcaster would not undermine Sky's established brand by using the words "News 24". Sources say these assurances were given by the corporation's lawyers.

Sources at Sky and the ABC yesterday confirmed the legal letter was received and Scott has once again given an undertaking to call the channel by its full "ABC News 24" name in future.

Staff have also been instructed to refer to the channel by its entire name.

But on Thursday the message clearly had not filtered through as one ABC News 24 staffer answered the phone with the words "News 24".

Scott may have been a little casual in his message, but the official press release on Tuesday was careful to spell out the name in every reference.

"ABC news director Kate Torney said: 'ABC News 24 will showcase the very best of the ABC's journalism from Australia and around the world.'

"These resources will be on display during 'ABC News 24 Launch - ABC News Special' - a national programme airing on ABC1 at 7.30pm, and simulcast on ABC News 24 at 7.30pm AEST, on Thursday 22nd July."

An ABC spokeswoman told the Australian: "The ABC can confirm it has received a complaint by Sky News regarding the use of the words 'News 24'. The name of the ABC's channel is ABC News 24 and that is the name we will be using."

Sky News chief executive Angelos Frangopoulos said: "It is odd that the ABC wants to use the brand News 24 in Australia given that we have been using it for many years. That said my core complaint is that without the 'ABC' in front the words 'News 24' it has the real potential to confuse their new service with our established service."

- The Australian