BBC News and BBC World to merge

[Brekkie]

Really sad state of affairs due to the political decisions to curtail the BBC.

The creation of a single, 24-hour TV news channel serving UK and international audiences, called BBC News, offering greater amounts of shared content, but maintaining the ability to offer separate broadcasts depending on what’s happening at home and abroad;

It rarely works for the odd hour they do it, never mind 24/7.   That said though we're pretty much at a point where Breakfast and the afternoon schedule are free of simulcasts anyway.

Other news related cuts:

Shifting a number of World Service languages to be digital only;

Investment in an enhanced news and current affairs offer for iPlayer and Sounds, with new video formats, simulcasts and podcasts

Changes in local radio and regional news to ensure high-quality, distinctive BBC local journalism is available every day when and where audiences want it;

Visualising the likes of Today and PM isn't such a bad idea and I've thought for a while that would be a better way to fill hours on BBC News than increase simulcasts with BBC World, but doubt they'll appear there now.

Also confirmation today of new sets for the BBC1 bulletins, Breakfast and regional news.

[CantGetIn]

It's very regrettable that jobs are being lost, but it makes logical sense in 2022.

[Radio_man]

It's very regrettable that jobs are being lost, but it makes logical sense in 2022.

I disagree, it does not make logical sense. World & News Channel simulcasts work when there's one global story dominating the news, such as the global outbreak of Coronavirus, or the Ukraine conflict, but it doesn't work at any other time. This decision isn't based on logic, the BBC's hand is being forced due to political decisions being taken by the Conservative UK Government to decimate the BBC.

[CantGetIn]

It's very regrettable that jobs are being lost, but it makes logical sense in 2022.

I disagree, it does not make logical sense. World & News Channel simulcasts work when there's one global story dominating the news, such as the global outbreak of Coronavirus, or the Ukraine conflict, but it doesn't work at any other time. This decision isn't based on logic, the BBC's hand is being forced due to political decisions being taken by the Conservative UK Government to decimate the BBC.

The BBC is allowing the option of breaking away if major events occur. Having watched BBC News and BBC World News side by side for some time, most of the time it is showing the same thing or BBC World will be showing a documentary. Seldom is there actually a break away news item much these days. The new BBC management have adopted the channels as they are now, and today it makes sense to merge them. If they were two fully separate channels with fully separate content then that would be a different debate, but they are really not in reality. I am sorry to say it is a half hearted world news channel, compare it to others and this is obvious.

I am not sure the current government has made much of a difference, the reality is that the future is online. I said that before in the other threads that channels would close and was told it would never happen. We must not allow the debate to become a spectrum of bad Tory. If Labour was in power, I suspect this would be happening in another five or ten years instead of now. But it is inevitable that this will happen. I ask people to think clearly and logically. It is the right choice, in years to come this will become clearer. I think people are not thinking clearly and just see any choice made to be orchestrated by Boris Johnson. Less we give him or them credit for such craftery!

My only criticism would be the name, it should have returned to BBC News 24.

[Keith]

Looking at the current World News schedule I wonder if once merged back-half hours will be UK opt-outs during weekday daytimes, ref https://www.bbc.co.uk/schedules/p00fzl9j#outlets.

[News48]

Not good enough (re the breaking away option) Both channels need to stay but learn the difference between domestic news and international news, not have simulcasts just to save money-The News Channel especally has already been cut to the bone since 2015.

[Steve]

It makes absolute sense in the climate the BBC is operating in (the wider discussions is not one for this place).

News channels get their audience when things happen - the benefit of having them is they are live 24/7, don't take long to 'stand up' and you can switch to them instantly. The BBC can still do this - if it's global news, do it jointly. If it's UK, you can focus on that on the 'channel' for a bit and then break out to the new B for coverage which it's likely will also end up on BBC One/Two.

I know we love a news channel here because we are that sort of person... but I can't remember the last time any of my family or friends went to watch a news channel more generally. If you want the headlines, you look online. If you want to watch some video clips, you look online. If you want a curated look at the day's news, you turn on BBC One at 6 or 10. When major news happens, you stick on BBC One and it's there.

In a world where everyone is having to make tough choices, this seems like a pragmatic one for sure.

[DTV]

God this'll be awful. Evening simulcasts are fine, but the 10AM simulcast just showed how the differeing priorities of a domestic (during peak hours) and international news channel don't really mix. I'm sure that the BBC's many viewers on the Indian subcontinent (one of the BBC's main international markets) will be glad when, at the height of monsoon season, the BBC is leading on some bins being blown over in Somerset.

The press release says that there will still be the "ability to offer separate broadcasts depending on what’s happening at home and abroad", but we all know that such an ability will be used so sparingly as to be a rarity. We all know that this means international viewers being subjected hours of useless coverage of the Lib Dem conference every party season and UK by-elections taking priority over international elections that actually matter.

That said, it will also be interesting to see how they do actually implement this. I imagine it means that the afternoon programmes on BBC World News will be ending or restructured. Sport bulletins will also be interesting - are they doing to do separate ones or are UK viewers going to be left with stills only for most sports. The implication also seems to be that this is an end to simulcasting of BBC One programmes, hence the move to Studio B for the nationals - I imagine the new merged channel will move to Studio E afterwards.

(I am also going to smugly point out that I did call BBC World News being renamed BBC News a few months ago.)

[AxiosBrit67]

God this'll be awful. Evening simulcasts are fine, but the 10AM simulcast just showed how the differeing priorities of a domestic (during peak hours) and international news channel don't really mix. I'm sure that the BBC's many viewers on the Indian subcontinent (one of the BBC's main international markets) will be glad when, at the height of monsoon season, the BBC is leading on some bins being blown over in Somerset.

The press release says that there will still be the "ability to offer separate broadcasts depending on what’s happening at home and abroad", but we all know that such an ability will be used so sparingly as to be a rarity. We all know that this means international viewers being subjected hours of useless coverage of the Lib Dem conference every party season and UK by-elections taking priority over international elections that actually matter.

That said, it will also be interesting to see how they do actually implement this. I imagine it means that the afternoon programmes on BBC World News will be ending or restructured. Sport bulletins will also be interesting - are they doing to do separate ones or are UK viewers going to be left with stills only for most sports. The implication also seems to be that this is an end to simulcasting of BBC One programmes, hence the move to Studio B for the nationals - I imagine the new merged channel will move to Studio E afterwards.

(I am also going to smugly point out that I did call BBC World News being renamed BBC News a few months ago.)

There's a possiblity for ending of BBC One simulcasting BBC News bulletins, at least for international audiences, because they usually cannot shown main regular national bulletins in countries outside the UK once both BBC News and World News become single channel with different off opts.

[DTV]

There's a possiblity for ending of BBC One simulcasting BBC News bulletins, at least for international audiences, because they usually cannot shown main regular national bulletins in countries outside the UK once both BBC News and World News become single channel with different off opts.

The press release suggests a new 24-hour channel. That combined with the new set in Studio B being pointedly for nationals only strongly suggests, to me at least, that the new channel will not include simulcasts of BBC One bulletins. I might be wrong, but that is certainly my reading of the wording.

[Newshound47]

Won’t that mean the end of some of the bulletins being signed?

[DTV]

Won’t that mean the end of some of the bulletins being signed?

I suspect that you could still offer signing for a BBC News channel bulletin - the 13:00 News 24 bulletin was signed before they started simulcasting the News at One.

[Josh]

[MrBiggieSMLZ]

In my opinion, the merger of BBC News and BBC World is actually no surprise to me! Signs of a merger of services became apparent when BBC World and News began simulcasting bulletins during the Pandemic, but by far, this is the best BBC-related change I've learned about since Davie took over!

[Keith]