BBC News 24
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Template:Infobox TV channel BBC News 24 is BBC News' 24-hour news television channel in the UK, its international counterpart being BBC World. It first broadcast on November 9 1997 at 17:30 and at first only cable television subscribers could view the broadcast. In 1998, with the advent of digital television in the UK, satellite and digital terrestrial television viewers were able to view the service. Initially it was difficult to obtain a digital satellite or terrestrial receiver without a subscription to Sky or ONdigital respectively, but now the channel forms an important part of the Freeview package of channels.
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Background
The BBC were initially criticised for the cost of running BBC News 24 channel, with so few viewers. Their response was to promote the channel through BBC One and later also BBC Two, by having them simulcast News 24 output at night. This has made BBC News 24 available to non-digital viewers receiving BBC One/Two's analogue terrestrial signals, and this is seen by some as influential (to a certain limited extent) in promoting the take-up of digital television. Following the end of the long running Breakfast with Frost, in the summer of 2005, BBC One simulcast News 24 Sunday, a weekly Sunday morning interview show presented by Peter Sissons. This ended when the replacement to Breakfast with Frost, Sunday AM presented by Andrew Marr began.
Examples of News 24 network broadcasts include the September 11th attacks, the capture of Saddam Hussein and the London bombings of July 7th, 2005.
In September 1999 the European Commission ruled against a complaint by Sky News which argued that the publicly funded News 24 was unfair and illegal under EU law. The EC ruled that the licence fee should be considered state aid but that such aid was justified due to the public service remit of the BBC and that it did not exceed actual costs.
The BBC's 2004 annual report claims that News 24 outperformed Sky News in both weekly and monthly reach in multichannel homes for the January 2004 period, and for the first time in two years moved ahead of Sky News in being perceived as the channel best for news.
News 24 broadcasts from the News Centre in BBC Television Centre, West London.
Presentation
Image:BBC News 24 evolution.JPG The initial format of the channel was criticised as being less authoritative than other BBC News output, this being blamed on the radical colour and design of the set and the shirtsleeved male presenters. As a result the channel was relaunched on October 25, 1999 with a new set, music and titles which were based on the recently relaunched network news. This similarity was intended to increase the credibility of the channel and aid cross channel promotion.
In December 2002 the Lambert Report, an independent review commissioned by the government, criticised the BBC Governors for failing to ensure that News 24 had a distinct identity from the commercial rolling-news services provided by the ITV News Channel and Sky News. As a result the Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell announced new conditions on the "approvals" under which the BBC operates News 24.
Image:BBCnews24breakingnews.jpg In December 2003, the channel was relaunched, with cosmetic changes to the look and feel of the channel being the main obvious change. A new set was launched, replacing the beige and red design introduced in 1999. New graphics were also introduced, which are more attention grabbing, the channel signature theme tune was refreshed and a new 'live-rendered' title sequence designed. In addition, criticism was made that "no one notices breaking news" on the channel, so together with the new attention seeking graphics, a breaking news "sting" was developed, which is designed to grab people's attention whenever breaking news is flashed upon the screen. The relaunch also takes into account the criticisms in the Lambert Report, introducing more analysis and features into the schedules of the channel which makes it more distinctive from its commercial rivals.
Following the relaunch of news bulletins on BBC One, the graphics were altered slightly, with the globe changed to red from orange for land and black for sea and the 24 in white. The red ribbons were also changed to a slightly darker shade.
Countdown
Since the October 1999 relaunch an important element of News 24 presentation has been the countdown to the top of every hour. The countdown is to show viewers the pace of the channel. The full version was 90 seconds, though approximately 30 seconds were normally shown. The original countdown featured ivory numbers and globe against a deep red background, reflecting the wider rebranding of the channel. The music was composed by David Lowe, responsible for the network news music.
In January 2003 this countdown was revised to show life around the UK; stockbrokers, playgrounds, commuters, hospitals and school lessons were all shown. With the December 2003 relaunch of the channel the music of the countdown was adapted for the first time and the footage was revised to include markets, fairgrounds and the newsroom and news centre at Television Centre.
On March 28, 2005 the countdown was radically altered. The full version is 60 seconds long, but they still normally show about 30 seconds on air. The music was again revised but the biggest change came in the footage used — it now reflects the methods and nature of newsgathering and strong emphasis is placed on the BBC logo itself. Satellites are shown transmitting and receiving a red "data stream". Footage shows reporters and cameramen operating in the United Kingdom, United States, China, Africa, Iraq and the areas affected by the Asian Tsunami. Some people have also noted that the red "data streams" represented on the BBC News 24 countdown appear to defy the laws of physics [1].
As of 5 September 2005, an almost identical countdown replaced the 'ribbon-around-the-world' countdown BBC World had thus far offered its viewers, with slight changes in music and footage.
Changes Announced
It was announced on 8 November 2005 that a controller of News 24 would be appointed whilst in the area of news on terrestrial television, a single editor would work on the One O'Clock and Six O'Clock News daily main news programmes rather than three individuals. [2]
On December 16, 2005, the BBC Ten O'Clock News editor Kevin Bakhurst was promoted to the newly created role of controller of BBC News 24. Its was also announced the rolling news channel is to get more money and resources under the recently appointed head of TV news, Peter Horrocks, to try to shift emphasis and resources away from traditional bulletins to News 24. Mr Horrocks wanted to beef up the rolling news service and ensure the individual bulletins spend less time battling each other and more time working together against rivals.
From January 30, 2006, the 10 O'Clock News has been simulcast on BBC News 24 and is followed on the channel by an extended sports bulletin and newspaper review.
BBC News 24's new regular line-up of presenters and timeslots from the 10 April will be:
6.00-8.30am Breakfast
8.30-11.00am Presented by Kate Silverton and Simon McCoy
11.00am-1.00pm Presented by Jane Hill and Matthew Amroliwala
1.00–1.30pm One O'Clock News (simulcast on BBC ONE) presented by Anna Ford and later Sophie Raworth
1.30-2.00pm Presented by Jane Hill and Matthew Amroliwala
2.00–5.00pm Presented by Jon Sopel and Louise Minchin
5.00–6.00pm Five O'Clock News Presented by Huw Edwards
6.00–6.30pm Six O'Clock News (simulcast on BBC ONE) presented by George Alagiah and currently Natasha Kaplinsky
7.00–8.00pm News 24 Tonight Presented by Emily Maitlis and Ben Brown
8.00–10.00pm Presented by Emily Maitlis and Ben Brown
10.00–10.30pm Ten O'Clock News (simulcast on BBC ONE) presented by Huw Edwards
10.30pm–12.30am Presented by Chris Eakin.
Awards
On 22 February 2006, BBC News 24 won the News Channel of the Year at the RTS Television Journalism Awards for the first time in its history. The judges remarked that this was the year that BBC News 24 really came of age.
External links
- BBC News website
- The Lambert Report on the DCMS website
- MP3 tracks of News 24 music: 1997, 1999 and 2003
- TV Newsroompl:BBC News 24