BBC News and BBC World to merge

[Renap]

It's simply not going to work out the way the BBC wants. If they want to water it down so much they might as well bring back the 5 minute bulletins on the main channels the way things are going.

They could have a few more UK-only hours or half hours in addition to the nationals, and that is likely going to be the compromise in the end, but effectively having World News for the vast majority of the time is not the way to go, and will obviously lead people to other news channels instead. Once coronavirus happened and they made the call to do more joint broadcasts so there's less people working at the same time, it clearly made the BBC think it would work out, even though they proposed that years ago to merge the channels and it was rejected I believe?

There's a reason why World was separate and only really shown in the UK overnight when it made sense to have a combined output then.

[Newsroom]

BBC World News overnights served it's UK problem because most aren't watching (unless Rich Preston is presenting). Blushes

EVERYONE is going to notice and feel the impact of a merged service, but haven't we seen this coming? World presenters on the News Channel more and more.

I am all for it providing the back half hour is UK news for us in the UK. If of course the main story (that affects World) is a UK story.

I've no idea what happens if the main story is World lead.

[Rolling News]

I wonder if this will lead to a presenter revamp with the departures of some on screen talent?

[UTVLifer]

I hoping that the new channel gets to keep at least some of BBC World News's branded slots - and by that I'm referring to Impact and Global.

[mdta]

For the UK it could appear as an hour long bulletin/segment - just with the first set of stories being worldwide in priority - with a second headline sequence being UK focus, after the International audience has opted out.

There is an option for following UK specific breaking news - which would likely be handled by a secondary presenter, working from either the National's studio if its available, or from one of the supplemental studio spaces.

[headliner101]

I do find it funny how people find it so difficult to imagine anything other than the status quo.

The new merged channel will inevitably be BBC World News in all but name. Yes there’ll be a bit more of a UK focus for international viewers, but I’m not sure that a UK channel having a UK slant should be that much of a surprise for viewers.

In reality though the UK focus gets covered via Breakfast, network bulletins and regional news. The structure, when you think about it, fits quite well - a news channel with an international focus, network bulletins with more of a domestic slant, and regional / nations news close to where you are. The political stuff gets coverage through Politics Live, which could be extended if needed. The news channel doesn’t have to be all things to all men.

Yes, I've never understood the idea that people expect a BBC global service to somewhat overlook UK news.   I tend to gravitate towards CNN for US News, France 24 in the event of a big French story, Al Jazerra for the Middle East etc. so it's fair to assume they'll be a British slant to a BBC channel.    Big UK stories become  international stories anyway, and big international stories become British stories.

If it's done right they might get away with it.  If it's done badly they won't.    As for Politics Live - how that isn't already simulcast on the News Channel I don't understand, especially as by taking the 12.15-13.00 slot out of the schedule you could probably cut out one morning shift.   It can then continue to air there when BBC2 has live sport taking precedence.  


One way they could do some kind of opt outs without additional presenters is by keeping dedicated sports bulletins for UK and world, airing at different points in the hour.   When the World version airs we get some UK news in brief for a few minutes, and vice versa for World.    (Indeed thinking about it at a time of cuts a separate sports presenter in their own studio from Breakfast through to the evening is very much a luxury)

My impression is unless you’ve been to the UK, you would not even get a clue that when tuning in to World, the UK exists since it hardly ever covers world news.  In fact, I tend to find even more UK news on CNNI. 

Also since the introduction of iPlayer, the BBC is the only major domestic terrestrial broadcaster in the world to not make its main domestic bulletins officially available to international viewers in one platform or another.  NBC, ABC, CBS, TF1, France Televisions, RAI, ARD…you name it, make their signature evening newscasts accessible without the use of complicated tools to access geo-blocked content.  You can also get US evening news from selected partner broadcasters in some parts of the world but not BBC national news bulletins.  In fact, the BBC’s international channels showing UK content (BBC America, BBC Entertainment, BBC Brit) do not show BBC UK news.

Any idea why the BBC is hesitant to make available UK news to international audiences outside of a general election in a way other domestic broadcasters are not towards their respective domestic news outputs?

[Stuart]

Any idea why the BBC is hesitant to make available UK news to international audiences outside of a general election in a way other domestic broadcasters are not towards their respective domestic news outputs?

I guess that's because the BBC go to great lengths to create bespoke international versions for different areas of the World. 

The BBC is a globally respected source of impartial news, not a mouthpiece for UK-esque propaganda.  Many other international broadcasters attempt to push a message to the World, instead of just presenting information.

The BBC's domestic news output often includes regional content which would be of little interest to anyone outside the UK. A yacht catching fire in Torquay is meaningless to someone in Singapore.

[mdta]

Any idea why the BBC is hesitant to make available UK news to international audiences outside of a general election in a way other domestic broadcasters are not towards their respective domestic news outputs?

Domestic news stories have little impact on the rest of the world, so a political editor of a world news channel, would have a different threshold on what constitutes top stories, and what order a story should feature in the headlines and round-up.

The BBC does report these stories from a non-American eye, and so will continue to offer a unique take on many stories being reported.

[headliner101]

Any idea why the BBC is hesitant to make available UK news to international audiences outside of a general election in a way other domestic broadcasters are not towards their respective domestic news outputs?

Domestic news stories have little impact on the rest of the world, so a political editor of a world news channel, would have a different threshold on what constitutes top stories, and what order a story should feature in the headlines and round-up.

The BBC does report these stories from a non-American eye, and so will continue to offer a unique take on many stories being reported.

Yes but it does not stop domestic broadcasters elsewhere (from the US to little-known countries) from making domestic TV news programmes available in one form or another (either through the non-geo-blocked version of their web players/apps or through partner broadcasters).  France 2, 3, RTBF, RTSI make their domestic newscasts available on TV5 as well as their respective websites.  Yet since the iPlayer was introduced, it's impossible to get access to BBC's UK domestic TV news, even the national bulletins.  

It may be the case that the content of UK domestic TV news is not relevant to international audiences but that's not the point.  What I don't get is why they are hidden behind a geo-wall in a way that their counterparts in other countries are not.

[Stuart]

It may be the case that the content of UK domestic TV news is not relevant to international audiences but that's not the point.  What I don't get is why they are hidden behind a geo-wall in a way that their counterparts in other countries are not.

Because they produce geo-specific news for their international audiences. Why would they need to duplicate UK domestic news elsewhere?

UK Domestic BBC programming is reliant on the licence fee for its funding, and quite rightly for that reason it's geo-locked.

[mdta]

Geo-blocking for the BBC is more about protecting the license fee funded services to those who pay, but also to protect their commercial content which they sell or monetise outside of the UK

Now I believe one of the stated goals of this new BBC News service, is to leverage online and social media platforms for content sharing and views. Ros Aitkin's explainers are very popular online, and do get picked up on by political commentators and streamers on occasion.

[headliner101]

It may be the case that the content of UK domestic TV news is not relevant to international audiences but that's not the point.  What I don't get is why they are hidden behind a geo-wall in a way that their counterparts in other countries are not.

Because they produce geo-specific news for their international audiences. Why would they need to duplicate UK domestic news elsewhere?

UK Domestic BBC programming is reliant on the licence fee for its funding, and quite rightly for that reason it's geo-locked.

Aren’t many BBC programmes produced with licence fee money but made available through international BBC services and other partner broadcasters?

[Stuart]

Aren’t many BBC programmes produced with licence fee money but made available through international BBC services and other partner broadcasters?

Certainly programmes co-produced with international companies are available to them as much as to the BBC, but they are also sold commercially to many other broadcasters through BBC Studios, and that revenue is returned to the BBC to invest in further programmes for licence fee payers.

[CantGetIn]

I have heard the phase "signed in experience" be used again and again recently. Very much sounds like BBC news website (like iPlayer did) will become a signed in service perhaps. The Guardian is also trying to do this albeit very slowly.

[Brekkie]

Well it already is than extent. I doubt they'd put it completely behind a log in.