Behind-the-scenes at Sky News Radio: The IRN launch

This week Sky News Radio became the sole national news supplier to UK commercial radio stations, as part of a deal with Independent News Radio (IRN).

Executive producer Andy Ivy kept a diary for Journalism.co.uk of the build-up to the big launch:

Wednesday February 25
Six days until Sky News Radio broadcasts the first bulletin on IRN stations. We're expanding form a client base of around 80 radio stations to 300. I've been involved in launches before and know it's the detail that will make or break us. We run through a four-page list at an 8.30 project meeting. The headings include Technical, Legal, HR, Marketing and Editorial - each area generates as many emails as the other - dozens each day. I record some links for a welcome video we're posting online. Radio's easier - I don't have to memorise scripts.

Thursday February 26
A post mortem on last night's full technical test. I am learning more than I need to know about how the whole system operates. Lots of talk about 'DFD', 'ports' and 'ICMP'. We'll be providing bespoke news bulletins for Magic and Kiss stations and the lines are in. Brief staff on the changes. My colleague James Sillars is looking after a lot of issues.

I finally get into bed at 23:56. Then I start remembering things which need doing. Light on to write them down.

Friday February 27Up at 05:54. The project list is now five pages long but more items have DONE against them.

A new monitor is installed. We can see stories being filed to stations as we send them. Sky's also providing digital content for websites and the video feeds are up and running.

Manage to get away early tonight - 2100.

Saturday February 28
Wake up at 0530. I go for a 70 mile cycle ride with friends. I can't miss this as I'm training for the toughest amateur cyling challenge there is, the 170km of the Etape du Tour in July. Most of it's uphill.

Sunday March 1
Log on from home. Check through 250 messages on the newsroom system. Phone in to sort out a minor engineering issue. Free from a constant stream of emails I can work on a style guide.

Monday March 2
I'm surprisingly calm. We have a huge number of loose ends to tie up. We've started dry runs with a new shift pattern and extra people so everyone is playing musical desks.
More conference calls and bug-fixing. Sky News TV is going to simulcast tomorrow's first bulletin. The room is full of technical staff on a recce. One of Sky's US correspondents Michelle Clifford rings from Washington to discuss the voice pieces she is going to file for tomorrow morning. We are filing stories, but I spend 40 minutes on the phone as I try to break the system and sort out some bugs.

Tuesday March 3
Five hours to go. The engineers have worked late and are in early finishing off the small jobs.

Eammon Holmes records a message for us after Sunrise. More bug-fixing. A message from another US correspondent Robert Nisbet wishing us luck and saying he enjoyed doing an interview with Nick Ferrari on LBC 97.3.

Discuss with Kay Burley the stories likely to be in the first bulletin so pictures can be shown alongside the 1400 radio bulletin. It's a huge responsibility to be the national and international provider to so many radio stations.
Newsreader Ursula Hansford (who I have volunteered to read the first bulletin) copes brilliantly. It's a relief to be finally up and running after cramming six months work into the last two. Tonight I might even get away before 2100 - before that we're sending out the first football match reports. I must get some lunch.

Andy Ivy is the executive producer for Sky News Radio. For a map of the Sky News Radio network go to: http://news.sky.com/skynews/Sky-News-Radio/Station-Map

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