By Steve Bennedik, Editor Sky News Networked Media

We hope you find our newly designed site an improvement.

The aim is to break up the bottom of our home page and each section, not only making it look more attractive but to offer a wider range of content.

We've changed the weather on the home page from text to a more digestible icon format.

By the way, my forecast for Sky News' weather is that some truly great improvements are on the way in the New Year: we are still putting the final touches to what will be a wonderfully comprehensive service.

In today's redesign there are new features such as our Picture and Quote of the Day, and there are links at the bottom of the page to Sky Sports, Sky Showbiz and key sections on our site.

The popular 'Most Read' and 'Must See' features remain, this time in tabulated form. Just click on the tab button and they will appear.

Coming very soon will be an attractive new video player which will include the facility to build playlists and play full-screen.

And from next week, Sky digital subscribers in the UK will be able to watch Sky News live on their PC, via sky.com/news.

There's one other change you may already have noticed. We've removed the heading "Madeleine" from the navigation list on the left-hand side of the page.

It doesn't mean we won't report on any new developments - and if you've added our Madeleine page to your favourites or made it your home page,  you can continue to use it.

Our move is simply a recognition that seven months after she went missing, Madeleine's story is no longer dominating the news in the way it was, and we can no longer justify its prominence.

I know this will be disappointing for many of you, while the search for Madeleine remains unresolved. But I hope you understand why we've made this decision.

We are constantly looking for ways to improve our offering to you, whether through a major re-design coming next Spring, or through the introduction of innovative products, such as our applications for Facebook and the i-Phone.

And next year one of our main aims will be to find ways to make your experience on our news pages richer, and to benefit more widely from your views, knowledge and expertise.

Thanks for continuing to use Sky News online.

Comments

[andrew,norwich 14 Jan 2008 20:51:07]

New site,eh?...any chance of a new tv look as well?

[anthony,kensington 14 Jan 2008 20:48:29]

I echo the comments of Dean,in wondering if tv will get a new look aswell?...perhaps you could pass theese comments on to Paul,the viewers editior.

[dean george,wembley 13 Jan 2008 13:30:24]

May i ask what exactly the "major redesign" will be?Is it also part of a redesign of the TV channels look?

[Siobhan Coventry 16 Dec 2007 00:27:38]

I dont understand why the madeline heading has gone.
The tabloids have been s****ing off the fact that the police in spain have taken down the posters and reduced their search!!

Are sky news not doing exactly the same??

With reference to above comments:

Having the madeline heading there will not necessarily speed up the investigation and yes there are other ways at looking at the madeline news but showing the family some support that people still care and are still thinking of a missing girl!!

And to people who say that she is not the only missing girl is true but slightly harsh. There has been a lot of media attention on Madeline but surely it is a good thing and should not be put down.

At the beginning of this case i thought the same as many other people, why did they leave the kids alone but at the end of the day in whatever circumstances that this happened they have still lost their little girl.

I check every day in the hope that some good news can be found on it.

Please Sky news put the link back on your page.

[jill scotland 15 Dec 2007 16:20:47]

I have just been reading the messages people have been leaving you. Most of us decent caringpeople want Maddie page back on. That is where we get the most up dated acounts on what is happenn in the Maddie case.
Please please put it back on. You have got a lot of very angry people wanting the page to re-appear. I just hope you can sleep at night. It was very very distasteful of you to take the page off at this time of year. Have you no feelings at all, I do wonder what is going on because there certainly is not the media coverage of the wee girls in either the papers or the news websites or infact any thing coming through from listening to the news live.
Please please put MADDIE PAGE BACK. YOU WOULD HAVE VERY VERY HAPPY PEOPLE.
WE JUST WANT MADDIE TO BE FOUND SAFE AND WELL. THINK OF HER FAMILY WHAT WILL THEY BE THINKING AND HOPING FOR THIS CHRISTMAS. GO ON DON'T BE A SCROUGE BE A NICE MAN.
JILL SCOTLAND

[Sian Dawson - Colchester 14 Dec 2007 19:59:01]

I totally agree with Sherie - At the end of the day, out of all the people who have emailed in to sky news, a small percentage agree with the link being removed. If they don't agree with the news being pushed down their throats then there's a simple answer to that, don't click on the link at leave the rest of us, who have compassion for this little girls plight to keep her in the media spotlight. This website covers world wide news, one day someone may view the page & shed some light as to where or what may have happend!

[julian, worthing 14 Dec 2007 09:46:37]

Please put the Madeleine page back on. VERY POOR JUDGEMENT.

[Bernice Lund South Africa 12 Dec 2007 16:51:22]

Peal glasgow

My goodness such a bad attitude to a very sad story, I truely hope you dont have any children, as you seem to lack compassion and tact.

Sandra Spain

Dont you ever give it up, seems to me you want to show your nasty side on every blog related to Maddy

[sandra ryan. spain. 12 Dec 2007 14:50:21]

Reading Pearl Glasgows comment, I would like too add that I live in spain,and I am constantly asked by mothers here especially young ones,If it is a custom to leave your children alone like Kate Mccann did.

One more thing to add to our reputations.

[Mark, London 12 Dec 2007 11:59:12]

At last! The link has gone...Sky News seems to have been given some common sense as an early Xmas present.

The idea that ONE victim of crime should be singled out for special attention was always ridiculous. If you have a Madeline link why not have a link for every missing child this year....or every unsolved murder...or every (the list goes on)

This is a news site....and that case is not news until something new happens.

[Pearl Glasgow 11 Dec 2007 23:53:16]

Why don't all you people moaning about the removal of the Madeleine link check out and bookmark Gerry's blog instead.
As for the ridiculous comments re But I check every day to see if she has been found. What planet are you living on..don't you think if she did turn up it would be top item on the news.

Even the people of Praia de Luz have removed all her posters. I was in Spain on holiday in September and lost count of the amount of Spaniards who asked me why Brits go out to dinner on holiday and leave young children in an unlocked apartment.

[Pearl Glasgow 11 Dec 2007 23:52:11]

Why don't all you people moaning about the removal of the Madeleine link check out and bookmark Gerry's blog instead.
As for the ridiculous comments re But I check every day to see if she has been found. What planet are you living on..don't you think if she did turn up it would be top item on the news.

Even the people of Praia de Luz have removed all her posters. I was in Spain on holiday in September and lost count of the amount of Spaniards who asked me why Brits go out to dinner on holiday and leave young children in an unlocked apartment.

[Alison - Oxford 11 Dec 2007 16:03:40]

Although I have no particular feelings on way or the other to the removal of the Maddie link I do not like Skys new layout.
I wrote to you when you changed the showbiz lay out saying I thought it was to difficult to read (pictures + captions together) I heard nothing back from you.
I certainly won't be using this site again, it's to difficult to navigate.

[Heather, Edinburgh 11 Dec 2007 09:11:39]

I find the reactions to the removal of one little link pretty hysterical and reminds me of Daily Express readers getting upset about Princess Di not being on the front page. There is no, and hasn't been for months, any real 'news' on this sorry case, just speculation and accusations with little proof. I think removing the link from the homepgae is the right move and perhaps should have been done a long time ago.

People need to remember she isn't the only missing child in the world.

[Elaine, London 11 Dec 2007 09:04:58]

I see you have neither listened nor responded to your viewers request to restore the Madeleine link on your front page. I will be finding an alternate source of my news and I am pretty sure many more will join me.

[Lisa - UK 10 Dec 2007 14:31:53]

I feel really sad that Madeleine's link has been removed. Of course it feels like a step back. I'm glad the information is still accessible and fully understand that there are no developments at the moment. But maybe the link could have remained there as a reminder that this little girl still needs to be found. I know at some point this link would have to go - hopefully after she is found but it still seems too soon to reduce the focus.

As for 'Jugalug's' comment about who would be sad if Madeleine were no longer alive ? Well, I for one would feel very sad if it turns out this little girl had been harmed. Only the heartless wouldn't care about her plight. Its everyone's responsibility to have concern for missing children and to be willing to help if they can.

The fact this case has had so much publiicty and drive is a credit to our media and people who have supported the search. I feel very proud to know that there are people who care and have compassion for others. Why criticise a massive campaign to find a child ? It can only be a good thing. If its got a few more people logging onto the missing child website then its also raised an extra awareness. The case is a tragedy but the media campaign in England supporting Madeleine has been a positive.

[Georgia 10 Dec 2007 10:03:18]

If your goal was to loose readers of your site -maybe there were too many-congratulations you've succeded.I, along with others, am not going to use Sky News anymore.There is no point.
Thank you.

[Elaine, London 10 Dec 2007 09:56:30]

Please put the Madeleine link back on your front page. You may have given up hope but we haven't. Please stay in touch with your readers/viewers feelings.

[Sarah, Dublin 10 Dec 2007 03:52:47]

All the people complaining about the page being removed are unrealistic. Madeleine is not the only missing child in the world - there are other important things happening in the world, we can't dwell on the story forever if there are no significant developments.

[david and sue edinburgh 9 Dec 2007 23:50:26]

we think you decision to remove the maddy web page represents very poor judgement. I plays into the hands of those who want to belive or divert attenton to her parents as being culpabale. We will no longer sue your web site as a consequence.

[david and sue edinburgh 9 Dec 2007 23:45:22]

your decision to kill the maddy coverage is very poorly justified and will give support to those cynics who believe her parents are culpable. We will no longer use your web site as a consequnce.

[Beth-London 9 Dec 2007 16:46:57]

Understand the reasoning for pulling Madeleine's page but couldn't you have at least waited until after Christmas? HEARTLESS

[Catherine Laurie - Glasgow 9 Dec 2007 01:43:17]

Please please put the link to Madeleine's page back on the home page. Don't forget about her. At least have the decency to give it a year (which hopefully it won't need!).

You must see from the hits on the page how many people visit the page every day. Surely that alone can justify having it on the home page?

Many thanks

[Bernice Lund South Africa 8 Dec 2007 17:29:08]

Totally horrified you removed the Maddy link, please Sky reconsider and put it back. Dont ever forget about Maddy as she is still out there and needs to be found.

[jill scotland 7 Dec 2007 20:29:57]

It is a disgrace that sky have removed maddie site from the news. this has kept us updated on how the case is going. I feel so sorry for the Parent's of Maddie. If you were going to do this why oh why not wait until after the new year. Shame on you have you no heart and soul.
You will have upset thousands of people that log in to read the updates of the investigation.
I just pray to god that you will see sense and put Maddie updates back on.