[ALV]

There’s someone I’ve never seen before doing the U.K. opt out this afternoon. She’s Catherine Byaruhanga and a quick Google search suggests she’s usually an Africa correspondent. 



Out of interest did she do the 7-9 World feed this morning too?

Out of curiosity is the presenter presenting from the blue screen chroma key studio or from the balcony? The blue reflection on her face makes it look like the backdrop is chroma keyed...

[xlalonce]

Out of curiosity is the presenter presenting in the blue screen chroma key studio or from the balcony? The blue reflection on her face makes it look like the backdrop is chroma keyed...

Seem more the lights used in the columns. Used mostly during NaT.

[LargelyALurker]

There’s someone I’ve never seen before doing the U.K. opt out this afternoon. She’s Catherine Byaruhanga and a quick Google search suggests she’s usually an Africa correspondent. 



Out of interest did she do the 7-9 World feed this morning too?

According to iPlayer there was no coverage of the programme for government on BBC One Scotland, BBC Scotland channel, BBC Parliament and the listings didn’t show anything on BBC News Channel. Pretty poor really.

Obviously they did cover it on BBC News channel, but you’d think that BBC Scotland could provide coverage that the News Channel could join instead of an unfamiliar face? No offence to that individual, but there are numerous presenters at the BBC who have Scottish politics at the core of their job.

[interestednovice]

Indeed, and such coverage could easily have come from the Reporting Scotland studio or even the space used for The Nine.

[thegeek]

That's surely what the studio in Holyrood is for?

[freeview87]

BBC Scotland/ BBC One Scotland usually have special programmes for FMQs or other significant statements/business. I'm guessing whatever the FM was speaking about today didn't qualify for this.

[lobster]

I do have to say that having watched the output from Washington over the weekend and indeed tonight that it is crystal clear they are staffed with a team of talented people. The running order is rarely the same unless Breaking News makes it impossible. It's the most enjoyable and acceptable output of the channel I've seen since it merged.

Had no idea what Helena Humphrey (presenting this eve) and Carl Nasman were Husband and wife - how perfect.

I totally disagree. When it comes to content DC hours feel so old. Sometimes they cover news that are 36 / 48 hours old.

[ViridianFan]

The network bulletins are designed to offer that analysis and reporting, and do so successfully to many millions of people. 

There are certainly broader arguments to be made about how BBC News as a whole seems to be struggling to get real scoops and lead the news agenda, but that was the case long before the channel’s merged. 

BBC News as a whole has a vast budget overall - if anything, not having a domestic channel to stretch services should be strengthening the quality of reporting on the network bulletins and online. 

Comparing networks and the old news channel is like comparing apples and oranges, they had different purposes. 

How I’ve always seen it is network bulletins are there to provide you with an overview of the tops stories with some analysis. However they can never go too deep into each story as theres not the time. When you think average bulletin can’t be more that 25mins once you’ve taken out the opening headlines, titles, mid-recap, weather, final recap and hand to regions. I’ve always seen them as taking stock of what’s happened by that point in the day. 

The news channel on the other hand was far more about watching stories develop, analysing  them on the go. I think it was also good for those life political interviews with mps. I think they were often more informative than the very brief sound bites as they could (when done properly) hold MPs to account. I also think sections such as your questions answered were very good for allowing the viewer to better understand stories. 

As to the scoops, it depends what you think BBC News’ purpose is. IMO BBC news should be about informing the viewer of important local, national and international stories, cutting through the noise surrounding the stories giving truthful, well informed, verified information free from bias. The scoops should be coming from programs such as Panorama which the BBC News should then be reporting on. 

If budgets allowed there definitely should be a domestic news channel as part of the offering provided. Especially when there is so much misinformation and with the rise a channels which lean in a certain political directions

[harshy]

Dosent look like they want to invest in the Uk news channel, on the Uk opt you just get any presenter who is spare to go the balcony studio and do some links it seems, this is the now ex bbc news channel service downgraded to an opt out feed presented from the balcony by anyone.

Some resemblance of a news service comes from the global division even though that’s a downgrade but compared to the UK feed it’s not as severe.

[DTV]

As to the scoops, it depends what you think BBC News’ purpose is. IMO BBC news should be about informing the viewer of important local, national and international stories, cutting through the noise surrounding the stories giving truthful, well informed, verified information free from bias. The scoops should be coming from programs such as Panorama which the BBC News should then be reporting on.

I think agenda-setting isn't only about scoops, it's also simply about steering the conversation - and, in that regard, BBC network bulletins (possibly only second to the BBC News website) are best-placed to do that purely because of their reach. I mean, government ministers and senior civil servants are known to celebrate with little parties if it's their policy that leads the News at Six - because more people will see that and talk about that than with any other outlet.