[interestednovice]

Yes, it’s a well-made promo - just one that strikes a different tone to what we’ve had in the past, and the difference is noticeable.

[ginnyfan]

It's a great promo. Just compare that to those clumsy Chief Presenters introduction promos used for a few weeks after the merger.

[Moz]

I like the idea behind the promo - but the words are so clunky.

“Trust is about presence” < what does that even mean?

“About fostering relationships all around the world - for years.” < this sentence is so much longer than the previous one that it jars, no balance.

They needed a decent copywriter.

[DTV]

AJE seems to be the only ones resisting this terrible trend.
I've seen some argue AJE is the one with true global reach over the years (not necessarily in overall ratings) in addition to actually covering news around the world rather than restricted to a few places. Apparently some claim (I would like to see some hard evidence) it's more popular than the BBC and CNN across the "Global South". Obviously many of us in wealthier places who like to have old school journalism also tune in so adding the two together I can see why these few individuals make that claim.

I think it all just comes back to the question 'who is this for?', 'why would anybody choose to watch this beyond brand loyalty?'. In a competitive marketplace, you need to have a USP, a reason to watch - what is the BBC News channel's? I know that they believe that its trustworthiness, but I'm sorry, it's not the Cold War anymore - the BBC isn't the only trustable non-aligned outlet in the international news space - it's not enough. Why sit through the slog of the current BBC News channel when other oulets like DW are an easier watch, you'll get better UK/US/world coverage elsewhere, websites like the FT have superior analysis, or, if you're actually into panel debates, there are dozens of commercial outlets offering more 'entertaining' ones?

The simple strength of the two predecessor channels in their heydays was that they were watchable and reliable generalists, with a decent balance of stories for their audience, with easy headline, business and sport updates at regular intervals. Indeed, that's always been the strength of BBC News - being a global stenographer of events, essentially the broadcast equivalent of PA, AP, etc. Attempting to move away from this has just left them playing second fiddle in other's domains, while ceding their own former territory to other news outlets.

[Moz]

I do think the channel has noticeably improved since it moved back into E.

Better graphics, more camera angles, and multiple guests in the studio for The Context.

The coverage from Matthew yesterday of the assassination attempt, and that from Tblisi the day before was also top notch.

It’s getting there.

[Rhys j]

New promo for the BBC News Channel featuring Lucy, Matthew, Maryam and Christian

x.com 

I agree a good little promo. But slightly confused where the other chief presenters are?

I guess these 5 are the chosen main chief presenters or the "chief" chief presenters, because they have their own programme!

Plus it's strange the the other 2 London based chief presenters, aren't named on the titles when presenting a programme. If we think back when Yalda was still here, I recall Maryam being named on all the titles no matter which show she was presenting!

Plus let's not forget our chief business presenter Sally Bundock.

One other thing to add about these branded programmes are that it seems that there's a lack of consistency of presenters. When I tune in to BBC News Now I expect to see Lucy most of the time, but it's often presented by a different presenter. Of course that's fine, but let's not brand it around the presenters who'll often not be presenting. The two I see most often is Matthew Amroliwala and Christian Fraser.

[South]

I notice that the BBC appears to have launched BBC INDEPTH for its long form articles on its website. The branding appears to be a red variation of the BBC Verify logo. I wonder if this is something that we will see transitioned to tv with analysis pieces similar to that of verify.

[Brekkie]

I do think the channel has noticeably improved since it moved back into E.

Better graphics, more camera angles, and multiple guests in the studio for The Context.

The coverage from Matthew yesterday of the assassination attempt, and that from Tblisi the day before was also top notch.

It’s getting there.

The merged channel though is at it's strongest when international stories justify dominating the domestic news agenda because that is essentially where their priorities seem to lie.

[interestednovice]

I notice that the BBC appears to have launched BBC INDEPTH for its long form articles on its website.

Interesting, those long form articles previously didn’t have consistently distinct branding despite being quite a separate thing, so that’s probably a good idea.

I agree with Moz that the channel is improving, but it’s baffling (and actually really quite unacceptable) that it’s taken so long.

Thinking about E, I also agree with other posters that the touchscreen looks out of place. When it’s actually being used, it’s OK - but the rest of the time the studio is uneven as a result. It’s a pity they didn’t just upgrade the catwalk area and use that for explainers instead, possibly with a self-op clicker if needed. I’m sure weather presenters have done that in the studio before and it’s worked absolutely fine. There is also nothing to stop them clipping-up catwalk pieces and using them in other output.

[MFTJA]

There’s (rightly so) a lot of negativity here over the current state of the News Channel, but I thought I’d mention that the “AI Decoded” section of The Context tonight was great. There was some genuinely interesting discussion and a bilingual demo of a new translation app.

Pres wise there was a wide range of shots which showed off Studio E well. At one point there were four people around the desk, very reminiscent of Dateline/The Papers. It definitely felt a lot more ‘alive’ than the News Channel has over the past year.

It’s also nice to see some attention-to-detail being put back into the NC. Despite only being a 20 minute weekly segment, there was still AI Decoded branding on the studio screens and in the newsroom which was a nice touch.

youtu.be