(27-05-2022, 11:09 AM)Mr Q Wrote: The more I think about the consolidation of the news channel and BBC World News, the more I like it. It's not as if there's a lack of news channels in the UK now, but the BBC's point of difference is that it has an unmatched global network of correspondents able to bring news and perspective from around the world. So, focus on that. Let BBC News (channel) be the UK's window to the world.
And where there are breaking domestic stories that warrant an opt-out, piggyback off the existing domestic resources for Breakfast and the bulletins on BBC One. ITV News is able to produce coverage of major breaking news without having a news channel; there are also plenty of examples of overseas broadcasters that do it well (Sweden's SVT often does it, including for online-only coverage; Norway's NRK routinely crosses to its radio studios for TV broadcasts). I can't see why this would be mission impossible for the BBC.
A lot of major events that world require dedicated domestic coverage are typically known in advance - or at least moderately foreseeable. Elections, for example, would no doubt require a higher degree of specialised UK coverage - I would imagine there would be more domestic opt-outs during such a period. Even natural disasters, which might warrant more intensive coverage, do not (in the UK at least) typically come out of the blue: anything weather-related is usually highlighted in forecasts, which would allow for planning (even if the worst-case scenarios don't materialise). And if something like a major earthquake or a volcano (!) were to suddenly strike the UK, I'm pretty sure there'd be global interest at such a remarkable event.
There will inevitably be a large range of stories that today result in the "breaking news" banner being rolled out, which in future will not get rolling coverage on BBC's TV output. They will still be covered elsewhere -- whether live on the BBC's website and/or radio, or summing up after the event on the flagship news bulletins. I don't see this as a loss. Much of what gets labelled breaking news is just filler: something that will mostly be forgotten a couple of days (or even hours) later, but which injects a bit of variety from hour to hour on a rolling news service. In my estimation, the category of substantial and truly breaking (ie. unexpected/unplanned) news that is relevant only to a UK audience is small, and manageable enough to deliver on an exceptional basis as needed.
I suppose editorially the stories they’ll need to make a careful judgement on are things like the Plymouth shootings in August 2021. Unforeseen, big breaking news in the UK, with little interest for the wider world.
Instinctively you’d want them to opt but in reality I think World viewers will have just suck it up. And even if it has more of an international agenda, it will be hard for those journalists in NBH watching Sky go to town on their coverage to say no.