BBC News and BBC World to merge

[AaronLancs]

My view on this is clear: they have to choose - either broadcast BBC World News in the UK or broadcast the BBC News Channel around the world. 

I would favour the latter, with an increase in world stories eg. Could have a segment in back half hour along with sport and business. 

Would a globally broadcast BBC News Channel do less well than BBC World News? Certainly if I’m abroad I would prefer to see the BBC News Channel to understand what’s happening in the UK. Is there really much of a market for a world news channel? Sky News broadcasts in other countries so there must be a market for UK focussed news globally.

God I'm bored of this parochialism on here. Fundamentally, there is value in an international oriented news channel in the UK, there is next to no value in a UK oriented news channel internationally. In addition, the fact that BBC World News is a money-making enterprise and the BBC News channel isn't means that there shouldn't really be a debate over whether which path was best. Though, of course, this doesn't mean it'll be the path the BBC follow.

And I know what people are going to say 'what about UK people who are abroad' and 'people tune to the BBC because they want British news'. Just wrong and wrong. BBC World News gets around 120-130m viewers per week, while a tiny slither of that audience might be Brits abroad and some people will tune in particularly for UK news stories, the main reason that BBC World News has been such a success is that, historically, it was always good at delivering a balanced international news agenda that prioritises stories based on their global importance.

Frankly, if you believe that the BBC's large audiences in India and Africa are tuning in because of a desire to hear about UK stories, you are delusional. This is why attempts to replicate this imagined view of BBC World News, such as France 24 and DW, have nowhere near the same audience. On a day like today, the BBC's international viewers are far more interested in the Sri Lanka crisis than the Conservative leadership contest. If the BBC went down the 'broadcast the domestic News channel globally' route, I suspect many of those international viewers would switch over pretty quickly (which would, of course, mean less money for the BBC).

Here here, DTV. Thinking along similar lines. You don't have people suddenly wanting BBC World Service - if Rob doesn't mind me bringing a radio perspective into it - into a BBC News Radio Service for the UK 'market' to use the turn of phrase.

Plus also, one thing with - as it was known for a good proportion of its time - BBC World is that audiences internationally who trust that "friend" - if one could call it it - would feel betrayed if all of a sudden it were to spout UK focused stories and neglect the international audience that it has built up.

Most of us here in the Purple Place and in the previous Blue Place are mainly predominantly based in the UK in the main. One thing that we have to bear in mind is that in some countries the BBC is the last resort of proper trusted news and information that citizens can access that isn't tarnished with that countries political bias.