[Reith85]

twitter.com 

I've got to say that I agree with this tweet a lot - and it breaks my heart, too, as the BBC means a lot to me. However, I'm finding this merged channel nigh-on unwatchable and I'm quite embarrassed to leave it on for any length of time because I know it will only be a matter of minutes, literally, before I'm confronted by the next on-screen presentational cock-up (either the wrong titles playing, or a static flipper that no longer has an on-screen function, or prolonged shots of unfamiliar presenters or reporters staring into the camera like rabbits in headlights), or some editorial misjudgement. The Philip Schofield crap is exactly that - leave it to itv and the trashy tabloids to naval-gaze about itv.

It actually feels a lot safer and more reassuring to have Sky News on if I need to have a rolling news channel on: at least you get a channel that has a sense of confidence about it, staffed with professionals who know what they're doing and 99% of the time, there are no on-screen cock-ups that you know you're just seconds away from whenever you turn to the merged BBC News channel. You can't even blame it now on the channel "finding its feet" after a few days on air. It's been months and we've still got amateurish presentation and amateurish editorial judgements hour by hour.

Really sad times - and for Tim Davie to bang on about how important BBC News is: it's an utter travesty how he and Deborah Turness are being allowed to preside over this utter decimation of the news service.