[DTV]

There's absolutely no reason for simulcasts on the new channel of anything other than the 1/6/10, other than for the BBC to be able to claim it's providing UK relevant content on the new channel.

The idea to stick cameras in Nicky Campbell's radio studio, and claim that is 2 hours of UK only content every day, is just mad.

Absolutely agree that it is largely redundant to simulcast unless you are going do to something like BSL signing with it. As you say, the push to simulcast all network news and current affairs content is so clearly an attempt to push up the UK only % on the new channel.

And Nicky Campbell - I am just bemused everytime I'm reminded of this. I mean, I'm not wholesale opposed to visualised radio if done properly, but that wouldn't be anywhere near the top of my list of BBC radio programmes that could actually be useful to visualise on the new channel. I imagine it is really a case of Campbell's show being 'right place, right time'.

So - keep World (or News, as it will be known) for international coverage, and the network bulletins/radio/website for UK events. I think that’s about as good a compromise as we’d get.

I think that a better compromise might be available, but it's clear that the BBC aren't interested in going down that road (at least not at the minute, they might be holding something up their sleeve in case blowback is notable). Plus, I'm not sure the new channel has to wholly be international to at least work. Though I've always been clear on the importance of the profitability of the international channel, I think you can introduce a certain level of UK news and get away with it. It's just about setting boundaries so that UK news doesn't overstep the mark - I'll try and demonstrate what I mean later.

When it comes to the UK breaking news opt outs, I'm going to reserve judgement until I actually see them. I've always been sceptical about them, but have just read too many contradictory accounts of the proposals to write them off completely.