[Keith]

Perhaps a comprehensive 'refresh', or even overhaul, of BBC News presentation was once planned -- there were certainly noises to that effect some months ago. Perhaps it was simply a miscommunication -- the promise of 'new looks' and 'fresh titles' might have been a case of Chinese whispers; as the information passed from one person to another, a reference to the p!ss-poor title sequences for the new branded programme blocks could easily have been gradually reinterpreted as 'a whole new look is coming'. 

But whatever was previously planned, I think it's becoming increasingly clear that what we've got now is what we're stuck with:

[*]the existing globe-and-cats-cradle look for BBC One bulletins, as well as for 'regular' BBC News channel bulletins, and the Nations; 
[*]a completely different style (with location footage and scrolling placenames) for the English regions; and 
[*]a whole bunch of different but entirely generic styles that look like free templates for publishing your personal podcast -- all of them inexpertly based around nothing more substantial than "any f**king circle" and "shades of red" -- for branded segments on BBC News. 


The fact that Reporting Scotland has literally just introduced refreshed titles with the maps-and-cats-cradle style is surely proof enough that this look isn't going away any time soon. And when also viewed in the context of the recent introduction of the sh!tty titles for Verified Live, News Now, et.al -- and the recent update of the National titles with Chameleon branding -- I don't think it's realistic to expect another 'refresh' of any kind anytime soon. 

Speculating, but maybe they're reluctant to spend too much, which might give the perception of the BBC having lots of money to spare despite the two year licence fee freeze. On the one hand you have staff striking over proposed cuts to local radio and cuts through the recently merged news channels. On the other you have regions being upgraded to HD and new sets being rolled out.

Whilst new titles and graphics are probably a drop in the ocean compared to the cost of new sets they're probably seen as being the least necessary spend for now. At time they're telling local radio they need to cut costs they might be cautious of undermining those arguments.