ITN has launched three new genre-led channels built around its 70-year-old archive, alongside the introduction of its first YouTube Membership offering.
As part of the move, the existing ITN Archive channel will be rebranded as Frontline by ITN, sitting alongside two newly created channels: Flashback by ITN and Re‑Told by ITN.
Frontline by ITN will focus on conflict and global affairs, offering curated, contextualised archive footage from some of the most significant moments in modern history. It will also be the first channel produced by ITN to introduce YouTube Memberships, “giving users the opportunity to directly support the digitisation and preservation of ITN’s archive, while helping to shape future releases of content.”
Flashback by ITN will celebrate defining moments from popular culture, while Re‑Told by ITN will present a snapshot in time of our collective social history. Using these new genre ‘buckets’, the digital team will “experiment with formats that utilise the best of the archive for a digital-first audience.”
The initiative is the first direct‑to‑consumer channel launch from ITN Productions’ new digital team, led by George Cudmore, “and signals a clear ambition to build fandom and long‑term audience engagement around archive content.”
Alongside the archive channels, the team has also refreshed the existing YouTube channels – The Royal Family Channel, Onlooker (formerly ODN) and Pop Drop (formerly ODE).
George Cudmore, Director of Digital at ITN, says: “These new channels will help to unlock the full potential of the archive in a way that reflects how audiences discover and engage with content today. By creating distinct channel identities and introducing Memberships, we’re building a sustainable model that supports ongoing digitisation and growth.”
Rubina Pabani, Head of Digital Content at ITN, says: “We’re moving beyond simply hosting archive footage – we’re producing editorially curated destinations for audiences to explore, connect with and contribute to. This is an important step in building participatory communities around some of the most important historical footage ever captured.”
Mairi Brewis, Head of Media Partnerships, YouTube UK, said: “We are delighted to see ITN’s channels Frontline, Flashback and Re‑Told launching on YouTube, making ITN’s incredibly rich archive available to a new generation of audiences. This exciting development brings together ITN’s fantastic heritage of high‑quality news coverage with an innovative, creative approach to reaching audiences in new ways and driving new forms of monetisation.”
Tim Forrest, Head of Content Distribution and Commercial Innovation at ITN, says: “ITN holds one of the most important moving image archives in the world. With these new channels, we are re‑imagining how that archive is brought to life for digital audiences – making it more accessible, more engaging and more relevant than ever. The introduction of YouTube Memberships creates a direct relationship with audiences, allowing them to play an active role in preserving and shaping the future of this content.”
All three archive channels are available on YouTube, with Memberships initially available on Frontline by ITN:
Jon Creamer
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