[steve]

On the same basis the small part of the lead up to the queens death that Clive Myrie presented was such a car crash that Huw Edwards was rushed back on air midway through the hour even though no developments were imminently expected.

I mean this just isn’t true - Clive came in to do 10-15 minutes just to give Huw a short break ahead of what they all suspected was coming. There was no difference to those 15 minutes as to the rest of that period when there were few facts and much conjecture. He then anchored 8-10pm after the announcement.

With the Proms, Mastermind, etc, they clearly see Clive as one of the main BBC faces of the future.

[interestednovice]

Clive and Reeta both presented on the NC for many years too, doing open-ended interviews and breaking news when required. Like Jane Hill, they were both totally relaxed and comfortable with that style of presenting. I think, partly, due to running around Studio B and trying not to trip over camera tracks, as mentioned in the LK thread, the presenters can be quite distracted and this adds to the already staid feel of a structured bulletin.

Any of the BBC’s big names can anchor rolling news just fine, and all of them have done it in the past very well. Fiona Bruce is the only one who hasn’t and I seem to remember from TV Forum that it was once mentioned that it was a deliberate thing because Fiona wanted to only do bulletins so she could do other work during the day.

Both Clive and Reeeta also did several of the Covid daily briefings and they seemed to have no difficulty in filling up to an announcement, analysing it off the cuff afterwards with a health correspondent, and then quickly summarising before ending the coverage.

[Brekkie]

Not really sure news channel experience is a prerequisite to fronting election coverage - David Dimbleby didn't do it after all.

[Humphrey Hacker]

Not really sure news channel experience is a prerequisite to fronting election coverage - David Dimbleby didn't do it after all.

Good point, Dimbleby presented Nationwide for a while in the 1980's and from what I understand it wasn't well received. Dimbleby is a one anchor for major events but for day to day news he's out of his depth.

[Dougal]

My first post on different (purple) forum was in a thread discussing Andrew Marr leaving the BBC. I remarked at the time that - with a little thought - the BBC could resolve a number of issues and set the bulletins up for a decade or so. I compared it to a game of 4D chess.

I'm still of that mind. However, the BBC needs to decide upon which non-news roles are acceptable for its journalists to take on and which are not. Is it right that Fiona Bruce should have so much of her time taken up by filming the Antiques Roadshow, Question Time and Fake or Fortune? I have less of an objection to Question Time as it's a news and current affairs programme. How many people look at Fiona Bruce and think "Presenter" or "Antiques" rather than "Journalist"?

By the same token, I'm not convinced that Clive Myrie should be presenting Mastermind. It's easier for him at the moment as he's associated so strongly with news (and war zones) but in time, how many people will see him and think "Presenter" or "Mastermind" rather than "Journalist"? He's already gone down the path of a 'road trip' documentary through Italy.

It isn't helpful when roles are blurred and the filming requirements for these broadcasts mean that the burden is taken up by others within the newsroom. I don't have an objection if a journalist does a documentary - Dimbleby, Marr and Edwards all did them - but the documentary should be (call me a snob if you must) substantial. I'm not sure a jolly through Italy quite cuts it. As much as I love gardening, I'm not sure that Sophie Raworth should be doing the Chelsea Flower Show, but this is one of the rare occasions when she appears on something other than the news or a consumer affair programme.

Of course, the Huw Edwards issue revealed a failure (shocking, I know) of BBC management. They placed all of their eggs in one basket. Anchor of the Six/Ten, State events, commentator, etc. When that linchpin is removed so suddenly it leaves a hole that must be filled. Should that hole be filled by an individual or by two or three individuals? It's a question that needs to be answered sooner rather than later (especially as an election could be called anytime between now and the end of 2024).

I know who I would like to see more of and I know who I think deserve certain roles (if being deserving is sufficient). But to achieve it you'd need to look across the BBC's output, from the Today programme on Radio 4 to Newsnight on BBC Two.

[harshy]

They will have to start updating countdowns as Yaldas show on Sky News begins October 2nd I am guessing she has left bbc news and if she has she didn’t get any fanfare at all.

[South]

They will have to start updating countdowns as Yaldas show on Sky News begins October 2nd I am guessing she has left bbc news and if she has she didn’t get any fanfare at all.

I think her show begins in November not October.

[denton]

I don't watch much of the BBC News Channel anymore. However watching this morning I've noticed that the technical quality of those newsroom cameras has changed (presumably in the last couple of weeks?).

They were rather progressive/webcam-ish, but now they're looking more interlaced. Though it's with some dropped frames or motion-engine type of thing going on. Unfortunately the audio is out of sync, but it's looking slightly better.

[ViridianFan]

I'm still of that mind. However, the BBC needs to decide upon which non-news roles are acceptable for its journalists to take on and which are not. Is it right that Fiona Bruce should have so much of her time taken up by filming the Antiques Roadshow, Question Time and Fake or Fortune? I have less of an objection to Question Time as it's a news and current affairs programme. How many people look at Fiona Bruce and think "Presenter" or "Antiques" rather than "Journalist"?

It isn't helpful when roles are blurred and the filming requirements for these broadcasts mean that the burden is taken up by others within the newsroom. I don't have an objection if a journalist does a documentary - Dimbleby, Marr and Edwards all did them - but the documentary should be (call me a snob if you must) substantial. I'm not sure a jolly through Italy quite cuts it.  As much as I love gardening, I'm not sure that Sophie Raworth should be doing the Chelsea Flower Show, but this is one of the rare occasions when she appears on something other than the news or a consumer affair programme.

Of course, the Huw Edwards issue revealed a failure (shocking, I know) of BBC management. They placed all of their eggs in one basket. Anchor of the Six/Ten, State events, commentator, etc. When that linchpin is removed so suddenly it leaves a hole that must be filled. Should that hole be filled by an individual or by two or three individuals? It's a question that needs to be answered sooner rather than later (especially as an election could be called anytime between now and the end of 2024).

There have always been the odd newsreader who front other programmes with Michael Burke jumping to mind with 999. However I need do agree there does they seen to host other programs much more now. 

I wonder if the BBC’s finances have had any impact on this. I wonder if also if the thinking is these are already recognised, trusted and popular faces and that there is less risk having these front programmes instead of risking someone unknown. 

Your example of Fiona Bruce is a good one. I have to admit whenever i see her present an bulletin for that split second I forget that she does. If you asked me to name what she does I will admit the news would be one of the last things I’d mention. It would be antique programs and question time. In relation to her fronting the election I’m not too sure. I’ve not been massively impressive with her fronting question time but thinks she’s great at roadshow and a bulletin. 

IIf it was me planning this out, I would got back to having pairs of presenters who front each of the national bulletins including at the weekends so you know generally know who will present it. Id then have a few floaters who fill in where and when needed. Then instead of having 1 person who ends up becoming the face of BBC News, instead the team become the faces of bbc news. You’d then use that team to lead things such as state opening of parliament, elections and those big national events. That way it never becomes reliant on one person its the “core” team

[House]

IIf it was me planning this out, I would got back to having pairs of presenters who front each of the national bulletins including at the weekends so you know generally know who will present it. Id then have a few floaters who fill in where and when needed. Then instead of having 1 person who ends up becoming the face of BBC News, instead the team become the faces of bbc news. You’d then use that team to lead things such as state opening of parliament, elections and those big national events. That way it never becomes reliant on one person its the “core” team

I would suggest they essentially already have that ‘core team’. Raworth, Myrie, Hill, Chackrabati and Brown are currently the main/regular BBC 1 presenters, across all of the week. It’s relatively uncommon for others, like Moshiri, Husain or Daheley, to appear.

I think it’s more important to have capable and familiar presenters than fixed rotas. There is arguably more consistency on the bulletins today than there has been for most of the last decade.

I think the bigger question is about who fills the other duties if Edwards doesn’t come back - the royal death-calibre news coverage, election nights etc. Though again I feel like they already have more than capable people who can take on those roles - I could see Mishal Husain or Nick Robinson taking over elections, for example, without needing to become more of a ‘BBC 1 face’.