[Reith85]

I haven't watched much outside of the 6 and 10 since the restructure, but today I managed to watch about an hours coverage. Editorially, yes it is a compromise, but needs must etc. However, the biggest problem I had with it was the amount of technical problems and silly mistakes even in the short time I watched. It really was like amateur hour. I know that Sky News runs with what is still a much smaller on-air technical team than the BBC, and their output is pretty much spotless 99% of the time. A real shame to see what the BBC News channel has become.

This is why I find it difficult to watch the merged BBC News channel now - any hour you tune in, you're guaranteed to see a gaffe of some sort, whether it's typos on the lower thirds; the redundant static ticker; long, long embarrassing and awkward presenter pauses; presenters and reporters fluffing their lines / not knowing what's happening; wrong title sequences being played out; weird UK opt-outs that, months after launch, they still haven't got right. The list goes on and on. It's embarrassing and uncomfortable for a viewer to watch (unless you take pleasure in seeing BBC News going to ruins).

Any hour you watch Sky News, it's slick, it's professional, you know what you're getting. You know you'll be in safe news hands.