[ginnyfan]

I was today years old when I realised BBC World News do full TOTH sequences every 30 minutes (presumably only during hours when there's no back half hour filler programme).

Has this always been the case?

Yes, for branded shows that go for a full hour or longer. Basic World News bulletins are always 30 minutes long, except for 08.30 cet which goes for 15 more minutes but I don't think they do TOTH for those 15 minutes.  I guess it's also cause of India time zone.

[interestednovice]

BBC World News generic 30 minute bulletins also usually end at around 25 past the hour, go to weather and adverts, then (even if the following programme is pre-recorded) there is a short headline sting and a headline recap before another sting to mark the end of the bulletin. On WN, they would then go to a continuity slide but on the NC, the presenter comes back in vision and says something to the affect of: "Now on BBC News, the Travel Show" to introduce the next programme. This is because, as we've discussed in the thread, there is no proper playout for BBC NC.

The one exception to this, for BBC NC viewers, has been during recent opts where there is no presenter avaliable (such as the awkward time after Sportsday around 22:40) and they have fallen-back on the pre-recorded Mishal Husain "sort-of continuity" clip which says something like "This is BBC News. Headlines at the top of the hour straight after this programme". This has also been used during overnights as they don't seem to be able to do proper introductions just for the NC - as with other WN-produced programmes from NBH - from the Singapore studio. I'm not sure if the reason for that is technical or operational. Back when Newsday was dual-anchored, they did used to do it but always only with the London presenter.

[Andrew]

Why was there an unannounced filler programme at 8:30, why couldn’t Ben Thompson have carried on until 9:00 with the news?

[oscillon]

The one exception to this, for BBC NC viewers, has been during recent opts where there is no presenter avaliable (such as the awkward time after Sportsday around 22:40) and they have fallen-back on the pre-recorded Mishal Husain "sort-of continuity" clip which says something like "This is BBC News. Headlines at the top of the hour straight after this programme". This has also been used during overnights as they don't seem to be able to do proper introductions just for the NC - as with other WN-produced programmes from NBH - from the Singapore studio. I'm not sure if the reason for that is technical or operational. Back when Newsday was dual-anchored, they did used to do it but always only with the London presenter.

They can't do introductions for the NC from the Singapore studio for one specific reason - Singapore studio at the very sime time is pretty busy doing Asia Business Report for World News! And IIRC the recorded "continuity" announcement has followed Newsday more or less since its return after the height of the pandemic.

Why was there an unannounced filler programme at 8:30, why couldn’t Ben Thompson have carried on until 9:00 with the news?

Outside Source usually runs for 90 minutes, not 120. (WN has Sport Today after it.) When evening NC shift was a thing, they either covered the whole 8pm hour, or sprang into action at 8:30 pm UKT.

[interestednovice]

There is now always a filler programme at 8:30pm in the UK. I think it's just how the shifts work, Outside Source is scheduled to end at 8:30pm and they mirror this on other days (with no OS) too.

BBC WN gets Hardtalk, I believe, at this time?

We get bizarre filler, which since they've axed things mostly of interest (such as Dateline London) is often now a strangely specific BBC regional investigative programme - but never from England as they have axed Inside Out and it's replacement We Are England. I've seen a BBC NI investigation into PPE and a BBC Wales Investigates programme about river pollution, for example.

---

The one exception to this, for BBC NC viewers, has been during recent opts where there is no presenter avaliable (such as the awkward time after Sportsday around 22:40) and they have fallen-back on the pre-recorded Mishal Husain "sort-of continuity" clip which says something like "This is BBC News. Headlines at the top of the hour straight after this programme". This has also been used during overnights as they don't seem to be able to do proper introductions just for the NC - as with other WN-produced programmes from NBH - from the Singapore studio. I'm not sure if the reason for that is technical or operational. Back when Newsday was dual-anchored, they did used to do it but always only with the London presenter.

They can't do introductions for the NC from the Singapore studio for one specific reason - Singapore studio at the very sime time is pretty busy doing Asia Business Report for World News!

Ah yes, I knew there was a reason!

Why we can't still have Asia Business Report, as we used to, is anyone's guess! I still remember Rico Hizon's classic introduction of "Good morning Asia, Hello World!". Also his outro of "thank you for investing your time with us", lol!

Those were the days - a far more dynamic dual-anchored Newsday, a proper half-hour headline sequence with Babita Sharma or the London presenter (frequently Kasia Madera as well); the sting as WN left and then the London presenter would introduce World Business Report properly.

[oscillon]

BBC WN gets Hardtalk, I believe, at this time?

No, it is Sport Today(!), not a pre-record.
www.bbc.co.uk 

BBC News Europe - Schedules
This is the daily broadcast schedule for BBC News Europe
  Source: www.bbc.co.uk

[Andrew]

‘Non continuity’ continuity announcements is worse than those digital channels that play out the exact same announcements into their daily shows every single day

Surely they could record a bank of suitable announcements rather than “The news follows this programme”

[interestednovice]

BBC WN gets Hardtalk, I believe, at this time?

No, it is Sport Today(!), not a pre-record.
www.bbc.co.uk 

Sorry, I should have checked!

They did used to air Hardtalk at that time about 5 years ago, and I thought it hadn't changed. It's perhaps not surprising that they now air Sport Today, as I don't think Outside Source itself covers sport any more (whereas it did during the touchscreen era). Again, the "anything but World News" (in a bad way) attitude strikes. Why viewers would want an out-of-date regional documentary they could access through iPlayer, or Nicky Campbell's radio show, in preference to a live sport bulletin or WN focused news bulletin is something the BBC has yet to explain.

[Kojak]

‘Non continuity’ continuity announcements is worse than those digital channels that play out the exact same announcements into their daily shows every single day

Surely they could record a bank of suitable announcements rather than “The news follows this programme”

I agree, it makes it look and sound so automated (which it probably is!). Where is Adrian Finighan when you need him?! Joking aside, it would be good for them to have a CA record some announcements for each back half hour programme.

[interestednovice]

Yes, the phrase "headlines at the top of the hour" makes it so obvious that it is a generic announcement, if the reference to "this programme" wasn't already bad enough!

They need to think about how to do these sorts of transitions as they are only likely to increase in number, and the current methods being used are not great. The opt-out feed for UK news should be able to smoothly leave and rejoin programmes too.