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.

[Stanley Matravers]

I'm pretty sure that it is (sadly) *still* the case that the overwhelming majority of "normal viewers" (i.e. not presentation geeks and/or news junkies etc) wait for the prescribed bulletins on BBC One, and the inclination to watch any rolling news channel (or it even occurring to them that such things exist) at other times of day simply isn't there.

So... if, for example, the merged BBC News channel were predominantly "too 'World' for a UK domestic audience", methinks it would only really be a fairly niche sub-set of viewers (i.e. the likes of "us lot"!) who would be tuning-in enough (or at all) in order to notice/care.

[Newshound47]

Being license fee funded means the BBC will have to take into account complaints of being too world focused

[Radio_man]

I'm beginning to question whether there is any value in saving the domestic News Channel at all. It's obviously going to harm World News by merging the two channels. What's left of the NC is now a skeleton daytime service that immediately joins with World for any major breaking news anyway. To sacrifice the World News channel to save the domestic NC will dilute its content too much. The coverage of the by-elections yesterday morning is a case in point. 

Close the NC and make World News available on iPlayer in the UK (wth breakfillers instead of adverts). Then World can focus on being a purely international news channel again and the resources saved can be put back into turning World back into a proper 24 hour World News channel. (E.g. yesterday morning why on earth did World stick with the 10-11am NC simulcast when it was dominated by by-election coverage and analysis?)

Maybe still keep the 5pm news hour, but on BBC 2 with the presenter from the News at 1, and BBC 2 can easily opt-in to World News during the day for any major breaking news events.

[Newsroom]

I'm beginning to question whether there is any value in saving the domestic News Channel at all. It's obviously going to harm World News by merging the two channels. What's left of the NC is now a skeleton daytime service that immediately joins with World for any major breaking news anyway. To sacrifice the World News channel to save the domestic NC will dilute its content too much. The coverage of the by-elections yesterday morning is a case in point. 

Close the NC and make World News available on iPlayer in the UK (wth breakfillers instead of adverts). Then World can focus on being a purely international news channel again and the resources saved can be put back into turning World back into a proper 24 hour World News channel. (E.g. yesterday morning why on earth did World stick with the 10-11am NC simulcast when it was dominated by by-election coverage and analysis?)

Maybe still keep the 5pm news hour, but on BBC 2 with the presenter from the News at 1, and BBC 2 can easily opt-in to World News during the day for any major breaking news events.

Have you not followed @DTV's points in this thread... It's a DISASTER end of. @dtv

[Radio_man]

I'm beginning to question whether there is any value in saving the domestic News Channel at all. It's obviously going to harm World News by merging the two channels. What's left of the NC is now a skeleton daytime service that immediately joins with World for any major breaking news anyway. To sacrifice the World News channel to save the domestic NC will dilute its content too much. The coverage of the by-elections yesterday morning is a case in point. 

Close the NC and make World News available on iPlayer in the UK (wth breakfillers instead of adverts). Then World can focus on being a purely international news channel again and the resources saved can be put back into turning World back into a proper 24 hour World News channel. (E.g. yesterday morning why on earth did World stick with the 10-11am NC simulcast when it was dominated by by-election coverage and analysis?)

Maybe still keep the 5pm news hour, but on BBC 2 with the presenter from the News at 1, and BBC 2 can easily opt-in to World News during the day for any major breaking news events.

Have you not followed @DTV's points in this thread... It's a DISASTER end of. @dtv

I have not no, but I agree it's a non-starter. Which is why I think the domestic NC should close to save World News, so it can be a truly international news channel again.

[Keith]

Watching the News Channel in the early hours they seemed to handle the split well. During the first half hour the news was mostly global, being essentially a World News bulletin. For the second half hour it started with the global headlines. There was then a small pause, presumably for World News to opt-out show a programme. The rest of that half hour on the News Channel appeared to be mostly UK related news.

It wouldn't surprise me if a merged channel handled many of the planned UK opt-outs in this fashion. On weekdays I expect some of the national bulletins were simulcast on the UK with BSL, and the same applied during Breakfast.

[Brekkie]

I think it has a better chance when they treat is as a new channel where the plan from day one is for it to be a largely merged operation. The trouble in it's existing arrangements is it's been so ad-hoc over the years and so much switching from being UK led to World led is they don't quite know how to do it. Also worth noting that already they switch from one focus to another within an hour at points in the schedule - switching from World News America to an Asian focused Newsday an hour later for example.

[Radio_man]

On this newly merged World News and UK news channel, I wonder how much attention will be paid to devolution across the UK? During WN & NC simulcasts currently, anything to do with the UK Govt is the 'British' government. This morning during the 10-11am simulcast hour, at the end of the hour, Chris Rogers was interviewing the General Secretary of the Association of School & College leaders, interviewing him on the upcoming pay award for teachers, which only applies to England. Yet no mention was made of this.

Instead Chris referred to the "British" education system, when no such education system exists. Scotland has long had a completely separate education system, with completely separate qualifications to the rest of the UK. Education has long been devolved to Wales & NI. The devolved governments of all four UK nations will be taking their own separate decisions on teachers pay. Any decisions taken by the new Education Secretary appointed by Boris Johnson this week will only apply to England.

Apart from it being just lazy to ignore this on a UK-wide news channel, it's simply factually incorrect when talking about education to refer to it as "British", World News simulcast or not. It's been 23 years now, it's astonishing that there are still journalists at the BBC that cannot get devolution right.

[headliner101]

I haven’t been following World for some time now but how do they refer to UK cabinet ministers on World-only programmes? Do they say “Foreign Secretary” or “Foreign Minister”? On CNN and many US outlets for instance, they refer to the Chancellor as simply “UK/British Finance Minister”.

[rkolsen]

I haven’t been following World for some time now but how do they refer to UK cabinet ministers on World-only programmes? Do they say “Foreign Secretary” or “Foreign Minister”? On CNN and many US outlets for instance, they refer to the Chancellor as simply “UK/British Finance Minister”.

Your making me think, I believe they say the UK’s Foreign Minister most of time, occasional secretary. And the Chancellor is the Finance Minister.

[Brekkie]

Although surely as such things are often done for the benefit of Americans you'd think Secretary would make more sense considering their equivalent term is usually "Secretary of... " Indeed I don't think the US use the term Minister at all

In my view you should generally use the title they hold in the country - Angela Merkel was always referred to as Chancellor for example rather than President or Prime Minister.

[rkolsen]

Although surely as such things are often done for the benefit of Americans you'd think Secretary would make more sense considering their equivalent term is usually "Secretary of... " Indeed I don't think the US use the term Minister at all

In my view you should generally use the title they hold in the country - Angela Merkel was always referred to as Chancellor for example rather than President or Prime Minister.

Well using the term Foreign Secretary in referring to your Foreign Minister may be more understandable for the rest of the world. It’s potato potatoe. BBC WN put monetary figures is $USD, they use American English for a lot of things.

[Brekkie]

What sort of ratings does BBC World get in the US? I'm guessing a long way behind the domestic channels but probably amongst the most popular international news channels.

[rkolsen]

It was a non rated channel a year or two ago for which you have to be pay to be get reports by Nielsen. I imagine Nielsen has the data but they don’t release when they talk about news channels.