BBC Breakfast

[JayTV]

Anyone else think that BBC Breakfast should take the BBC News DOG and flipper?

Just flicked between the “new look” Sky News and BBC One and it’s very noticeable that there’s nothing but the clock on BBC Breakfast.

A flipper/ticker is a useful thing at that busy time of the morning, and surely branding is getting even more important now that GB News is launching.

I'm sure somebody from BBC Breakfast answered a question on this when the refreshed graphics launched in 2019. They basically said they don't have a text producer role (someone to update the flipper throughout the programme) - so that's at least one of the reasons why we don't see one. However, I agree it would be a good move.

[Markymark]

sky now have a news at 10 - which makes it bbc, itv and sky news that all have same name!

Not really, they’ve all had that for ages?

Indeed, quite so, but I never actually said that 8-)

[Moz]

Anyone else think that BBC Breakfast should take the BBC News DOG and flipper?

Just flicked between the “new look” Sky News and BBC One and it’s very noticeable that there’s nothing but the clock on BBC Breakfast.

A flipper/ticker is a useful thing at that busy time of the morning, and surely branding is getting even more important now that GB News is launching.

I'm sure somebody from BBC Breakfast answered a question on this when the refreshed graphics launched in 2019. They basically said they don't have a text producer role (someone to update the flipper throughout the programme) - so that's at least one of the reasons why we don't see one. However, I agree it would be a good move.

Odd how the NC can afford a text producer while Breakfast - with its huge audience - can’t. ?

[VMPhil]

Personally I don't think Breakfast needs a ticker. When watching breakfast TV at home you don't tend to focus all your attention on the screen anyway, in the typical getting-ready-for-work/school/whatever routine.

I would also argue that news channels don't need the ticker on all day long but that argument is long lost...

[all new Phil]

Personally I don't think Breakfast needs a ticker. When watching breakfast TV at home you don't tend to focus all your attention on the screen anyway, in the typical getting-ready-for-work/school/whatever routine.

I would also argue that news channels don't need the ticker on all day long but that argument is long lost...

Totally agree. I think a lot of tickers are just there because everyone else has them.

[Meridian MR]

CNN International dropped theirs a few years ago and is better without. They still use a red flipper for major breaking news sometimes though.

[Robert Williams]

Definitely no to a ticker - just adds to the on-screen clutter. And I think the flipper that BBC News channel changed to a few years ago is actually more distracting - while you can eventually learn to ignore the constant movement at the bottom of the screen, something that only changes every few seconds has the effect of repeatedly drawing your attention back to the bottom of the screen.

So I think if they tried to add a ticker or flipper to Breakfast, with the much wider audience it gets compared to the small number of people that watch news channels, I'm quite sure there would be a lot of complaints.

[AlfieMulcahy]

A compromise could be having the ticker present during Breakfast on the News Channel but not BBC One.

[Markymark]

CNN International dropped theirs a few years ago and is better without. They still use a red flipper for major breaking news sometimes though.

I think CNN were the first news channel to use one ? I seem to remember theirs appearing at '9/11' ?

[VMPhil]

CNN International dropped theirs a few years ago and is better without. They still use a red flipper for major breaking news sometimes though.

I think CNN were the first news channel to use one ? I seem to remember theirs appearing at '9/11' ?

Yes, it appears in this video of the coverage from 11:00am-12:00pm at 10:50, and I believe didn't disappear until it was replaced with the flipper in 2006.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrFV6XSUVSc

I think BBC News 24 started using one in 2005 with the revamp that year - correct me if I'm wrong - but at first didn't use it permanently.

Not sure if Sky had one before their 2005 relaunch?

[Meridian MR]

Yes, and now CNN US has an ugly black ticker. Thank goodness CNN International doesn’t have a flipper or ticker most of the time.

[valley]

sky now have a news at 10 - which makes it bbc, itv and sky news that all have same name!

Not really, they’ve all had that for ages?

Indeed, quite so, but I never actually said that 8-)

Ah, that's odd, I had quoted joshuanesbit so not sure why your username has appeared!

[Isonstine]

CNN International dropped theirs a few years ago and is better without. They still use a red flipper for major breaking news sometimes though.

I think CNN were the first news channel to use one ? I seem to remember theirs appearing at '9/11' ?

Off-topic I know, but Sky News must have got their first as they had one during the 2001 election campaign. You can see a brief example at the end of this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBOnuMTlajI

[London Lite]

CNN International dropped theirs a few years ago and is better without. They still use a red flipper for major breaking news sometimes though.

I think CNN were the first news channel to use one ? I seem to remember theirs appearing at '9/11' ?

Off-topic I know, but Sky News must have got their first as they had one during the 2001 election campaign. You can see a brief example at the end of this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBOnuMTlajI

Now that's a sensible sized ticker. Sadly most news channels across the world have too much on-screen junk on the screen.

[Moz]

I prefer the term ‘on screen information’ rather than ‘on screen clutter’ - the video aspect of the screen gives very little information most of the time - particularly on rolling news channels where it’s often just a short bit of video on loop.

Rather than less ‘clutter’ I’d personally have more! I’d have the ‘pull back’ (is that what it’s called, I’ve forgotten) pretty much a permanent feature.

It all needs using much more flexibly though. For example in the event of a breaking news story, but where not much is going on, carry on with other news in a box, but have bullet points/maps/video clips about the breaking story in another box.

I’m all about a very busy screen. There’s rarely a case when too much information is a bad thing.