BBC News and BBC World to merge

[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?