BBC News at 10 to be shorter

Please use paragraphs, it makes it easier to read, so didn't get through half of what you were trying to say 08tom.

This will cause a stir but here goes....

From my perspective the phalanx of news channels, websites etc have long done away with the notion that we must watch the news at a certain time. BBC News, Sky News, CNN, Al Jazeera etc broadcast 24/7 365 (or 366 in a leap year) so we can simply catch the news when we want to and not when the BBC etc want us to. I understand the need for ratings and I also understand the feeling of those who feel that watching the News at ten o'clock is part of British life.

I genuinely feel that Newsnight on BBC 2 should be reformatted into an hour long bulletin with the first 30 minutes dedicated to news and the last 30 minutes looking at stories in depth with maybe Sportsline afterwards and lasting for an half hour.

Now excuse me while I duck for cover...

Nothing wrong with having an opinion like that.

For me, I think there’ll always be a place in the schedule for a news programme at a set time. Just because there is access to news elsewhere, it doesn’t mean that people will go to that instead. It’s like having a song on my phone that I love - but I’ll always turn the radio up when it’s played on there whilst practically never opting to listen to it. A lot of us just want that decision of what to watch or listen to be made for us.

Not to mention that Fleabag is totally unsuitable for BBC One,

I think it's time for the return of The Flying Fish Fingers.

Then at 0930pm, BBC1 can show something decent, also capturing the ITV News at Ten viewership. Offering a 10pm alternative to news.

Movie, drama, anything in the 2130 to 2300 slot would work IMO.

Anyone still specifically wanting the BBC News at Ten would still be able to find it on the News Channel (With Martine Croxall, IMO) whilst Huw would do the 2100 on BBC1.

Simples.

As absurd as it sounds, there may be a bit of method in your madness.

If the BBC put the News back to 9, then it would give them the opportunity to air something to grab the audience at 9.30pm which is too early for most peoples bedtimes at that point. Therefore a bigger audience to capture there who may be willing to watch later if there's something to capture the audience.

By 9.30pm ITV will likely be in the middle of an hour long drama which will prevent people from switching. ITV's news viewership will also likely dwindle given they are going to be an hour behind with the news, which these days offers no alternative than the BBC's offering.

However, I think the BBC would be more likely to shove their News to 11 rather than use up 30 mins of primetime. But it could be a useful tool to grab audiences for a little bit longer as currently 22.30 is the natural conclusion for most people to turn in to bed, you could easily maximise it to longer by removing that 'natural conclusion' after the news.

Does the BBC exist to cause ITV’s audience to dwindle?

It may be scheduled to finish at 11.10, but it doesn't - because the weather isn't five minutes long.

It is a Murdoch rag report.

Back in the day, I always thought it absurd that BBC One had a measly 2 hours of continuous primetime weeknight entertainment/non-news between two lots of news (i.e. 7pm - 9pm).

In the era of the ITN Early Evening news at 5:40pm/5:45pm, if your ITV region happened to have its regional news in the first half of the 6pm hour (e.g. followed by Home & Away, or whatever), then there was 3-and-a-half hours of continuous entertainment/non-news on ITV each weeknight primetime – 90 minutes more than on the Beeb!

This massive disparity in the relative durations of the two major networks’ primetimes having since been eliminated seems sensible to me. That said, I’m not sure that two rival late newses going head-to-head at 10pm is the best idea.

I really don’t see the logic behind this decision at all. It won’t attract more young people, and it surely won’t save that much (if any) money.

Moreover, if the rumoured General Election is called in June, the news will probably end up being extended back to the length it is now!

I was clearly using Family Guy as an example! And never say never.

Sorry LondonLite will do that next time.

Basically I was saying BBC want to save cash. Closing BBC3 & 4 will make savings. BBC want to appeal to a younger audience as they have being failing them recently (according to ofcom). So Charlotte has to think of away of have airtime for that audience without having to relaunch BBC 3 TV. BBC 1 after the news Mon - Wednesday and later other days is time that can be made for that audience. Starting BBC 3 content very late will simply not get watched as you will lose the audience. BBC 2 would be more like BBC 4 so BBC 3 content will no longer fit on that channel.

Also many people don’t watch BBC News at ten till the end. Making it short and snappy might give the bulletin more energy to keep people watching longer.