George Fenton, composer of Newsnight theme, dies aged 76
Newsnight has announced that George Fenton, the composer of its theme tune, has died at 76, and aired a 2019 clip of him discussing an update.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
George Fenton, the composer of the Newsnight theme tune, has died at the age of 76. The announcement came at the end of Newsnight, which described him as a renowned composer and the writer of its legendary theme.
The programme aired a clip of Fenton from 2019, when he was asked to update the theme. In the clip, he explained how the revision was put together. A musical producer on the programme suggested a change to the opening. Instead of the familiar drum and guitar figure, the producer wanted the guitar phrase first. The arrangement then built underneath the first statement of the tune before returning to the drum-heavy section. Fenton said the Newsnight theme had outlived every other theme tune he had written and called it an old friend.
The tribute closed the programme before the weather forecast. No cause of death was given in the broadcast, and no further details about his life or career were reported in the item.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |
|---|---|
| Only on one channel | |
| George Fenton composed the Newsnight theme tune. | |
| George Fenton died aged 76. | |
| George Fenton was asked to update the Newsnight theme in 2019. | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
BBC TWO closed Newsnight with a short tribute to George Fenton, placing the death announcement at the very end of the programme after a political discussion. It focused on his connection to the show, calling the theme legendary and airing a 2019 clip in which he explained how he updated it. It offered no cause of death or wider career detail, then went straight to the weather.
- “Before we go, we have learned today that George Fenton, the renowned composer of the legendary Newsnight theme tune, has died at the age of 76.”
- “Newsnight has outlived every other theme tune I've ever written, and, yeah, it's an old friend to me now.”
- “Instead of Newsnight going, rum with the drum and then ta-ta-ta with the guitar, he suggested it should start ta-ta-ta with the guitar.”
Broadcast Timeline
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