BBC News and BBC World to merge

[LargelyALurker]

To me, if I was (and I have been) abroad and there's a major story breaking at home, I'd be going for the BBC on the hotel telly.  BBC World News would be that source.

I think this is the principle that needs to be openly addressed:

What is the role of BBC World News? Is it:

a) An international news channel, providing international stories to an international audience.
b) A largely UK domestic channel being broadcast internationally.

My understanding was that World's mandate was A. The proposed changes, as demonstrated yesterday, risks increasingly shifting the output to option B. If that happens then international viewers will float away to other services and the hugely important 'soft power' influence that the BBC has around the world will continue to erode.

Doesn't feel much like "Global Britain" to me...

And what’s the purpose of the domestic BBC News channel? Is it a world news channel that just happens to be available in the U.K. with occasional opt-outs for U.K.-focused news (eg during ad breaks on world version)? Or does it remain an evolution of BBC News 24, a 24-hour news service aimed at U.K. viewers?

Pretending that both channels can be everything to everyone is misguided. I agree the BBC have to be honest about what the future BBC News channel will be.