Nick Powell promoted in Sky News sporting shakeup

Sky News has appointed Nick Powell to the newly created role of sports editor, as part of a wider reorganisation of staff to coincide with the launch of Sky Sports News HD. Powell will officially take up the new role on Monday 23 August, when the new HD channel goes live. Sky Sports News, which owner BSkyB plans to remove from Freeview and put behind its paywall in a bid to drive subscription revenues, will now provide Sky News sports bulletins between midday and 2pm and on the weekday evening news shows. Charlie Thomas and Chris Skudder are to become sports reporters and presenters as part of the changes and will cover live news events. Powell joined Sky News in 1996 and has presented sports news on the channel since 2000. From Monday, he will present the weekday sports bulletins, evening football match analysis and the Saturday Sport programme, as well as the day-to-day management of the Sky News sports department. Sky Sports News HD will be available on subscription services Sky, Virgin Media and Talk Talk TV upon launch. • To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email [email protected] or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. • If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication".