BBC News and BBC World to merge

[BBCMeridian]

Yes, merging the News and World Channels, is the biggest mistake the BBC is making, and I wouldn't be surprised if many people switched off because they don't get the UK News stories that they need.

I just hope that Ofcom, the staff and trade unions who are in charge of the consultation will reject the BBC's plans and not allow for it to go ahead, the fact of the matter is, a merged News and World News Channel is never going to work.

Well it's fine to think it's a mistake, but then what's your alternative. BBC News may have been in a near-continuous state of cutbacks since around 2005, but things are now reaching a critical mass where you've only got the big building blocks left - what are you prepared to lose, because the cuts are happening, like them or not.

- You could save the BBC News channel, but what services are you prepared to cut instead? Newsnight? Regional News?
- Or do favour saving services but cutting journalist numbers - that route you're looking at way more job losses and will only have bare bones services left.
- Or do you merge the news channels, but favour the UK route. Fine, but you're imperilling BBC World News's advertising revenue - if that £8-10m profit goes, you're looking at more budget cuts and, if it becomes unprofitable, you are looking at losing the service altogether as licence payers can't subsidise the service. If you lose BBC World News, you also lose a significant chunk of the News channel's output and you are likely left with no news channels (as well as leaving millions of international viewers without a trustworthy TV news provider). 

This plan leaves World News largely unscathed and, when additional radio simulcasts are added, doesn't lead to much reduction in the number of 'UK-only' hours on the News channel (even with just Nicky Campbell, the loss in exclusive content hours is roughly the same as the 2015 cuts). It's pretty much the best plan available given the circumstances that BBC News is in. These changes aren't being made maliciously, but reluctantly. I'm sure that the people making these cuts don't want to lose good staff or be in this position at all, but the position they are in necessitates difficult choices like these.

Well I'm prepared to cut CBeebies and put all of its programmes onto the CBBC Channel, because the truth of the matter is before 2002 there was no CBeebies, only CBBC, now I know some people say it won't work but I think it could.

For example you could have CBBC programmes including Newsround from 7am to 9am, then have CBeebies programmes air from 9am till 3pm, have CBBC Programmes including Blue Peter from 3pm till 6pm then have the bedtime hour from 6pm till 7pm, and you can have the presenters that suit their age.

As for the bitesize slot, why not move it to BBC Two considering all they show in the morning is BBC News until Politics Live.