[DTV]

At one time, BBC News felt like the engine room of the whole BBC. Now it feels like an unloved red-headed stepchild that they just can't admit is the unloved red-headed stepchild and still want to pretend is the powerhouse it used to be. That's what makes the current BBC News situation hurt so much. We know they can be far better than this, but they just don't seem to care.

I think there's some truth to BBC News long feeling like the engine room of the whole BBC, and this isn't something that's always been seen in a good way. There's definitely a perception among some people working in other parts of the BBC, particularly the entertainment sector, that BBC News is the executive's darling and has been treated with undue favouritism when it comes to cutbacks. 

And it's hard not to see a point there - since 2007 in real terms BBC One has seen a budget cut of nearly a third, BBC Two's budget has been halved and BBC Three and Four have lost three-quarters of their income. By comparison, the BBC News channel has only seen a real budget cut of 9%, while network news has been largely ringfenced or seen increased investment.

Would it be better if the merger wasn't happening? Yes, but a) the BBC's finances are in a dire shape (yes, through circumstances not of its own making) and b) it's hard not to look at what has happened to BBC Two (for instance) in the last decade and feel that BBC News is being unfairly treated. Especially when, as David Mitchell articulated on HIGNFY, 'when people think of what they love about the BBC, it isn't the news'.

Despite what some members on here seem to think, there just aren't many tears shed about the News channel merger (apart from those who are unfortunately losing their jobs). And to be honest I don't see why would there be - it's got a low reach (only about 1 in 10 TV viewers use the service); it doesn't really provide any unique functions, with everything the channel does also being done by another BBC service; and, to the casual viewer, it will largely be the same after the merger.