[DTV]

World always had a combo of the main close up and the side shot with the plasma screen, which livened things up significantly. Plus they would use the plasma screen for interviews as well, have guests in studio more often etc. It was very, very different than the one shot set up we have to endure now.

This is true to an extent, I was being a little facetious, but the predominant shot in a standard bulletin back then was pretty much always the static standard MCU with the presenter at the desk. As indeed it has been for most BBC News programming forever - the dynamic camera movement, varied shots and mixed presentation of the first ten years of NBH were rather exceptional in that regard, though, to be fair, World were a little experimental during their N8 days.

Plus, to be honest, I have a soft spot for split-screen interviews and over-the-shoulder graphics when compared to using side screens - they're always just a bit too awkwardly positioned that it makes it hard to get a decent shot and it always seems a little redundant to have the presenter facing away from the desk (and often the camera) during DtLs. When HARDtalk was in C (which was never a good fit), for instance, I always felt it would give better camera angles if you had the DtL guest on one of the catwalk screens than one of the side screens.