BBC News Channel General Discussion

So, in terms of presentation. How do we think the BBC News channel compares with 2 years ago?

I know the channel faces a few issues with the cameras from time to time, but presentation wise it's streets ahead. The variation in presentation from the stood TOTHs and standing for stories with an illustration, to moving to the desk with some nice camera moves is a vast improvement from being desk bound, as the presenters were in N6. I realise that I may have gone on about the lack of variation in presentation in N6, but from my point of view (especially with the evening TOTHs now in line with the national bulletins, something I was saying should have been done 3 years ago) it looks much better.

Question is, does BBC News use the technology, graphics and screens to display and convey a story better than 3 years ago? I think they do - and certainly make a better effort than Sky News. Not because of the stood presentation (which does help) but the visuals on the screens are much less cluttered than Sky's on screen slides.

It's a little ironic, as only 10 years ago Sky were leading the way in on screen presentation. It's strange how the channels have reversed.

I know it probably doesn't add any more to a news story, interview or even the channel (maybe it's just an annorak thing) but it would be good to see the odd interview conducted in the news room 'pit' especially when the channel is double headed. In other words, get out in the newsroom a bit more with the presenters. World News do this and it looks good (although, granted they don't have a newsroom facing studio or the trundle cam). I would assume this isn't carried out on the channel due to the extra staff and camera operator needed?

All in all though the channel's move to NBH was well executed under the circumstances and is by far the best news channel in terms of variety, style and of course content.

Think they could still do a lot more. You hardly see the building apart from trundle cam showing the same old shots every 30 minutes.

Watching Open Source while on holiday made me think the News Channel needs something like this, perhaps to replace the dire 5 o'clock.

You mean Outside Source Moz yeah I think the BBC News channel need a show like that maybe at 6:30pm?

I think it still plods along and plays it safe. World News is a much better channel.

I was thinking the other night how the paper review could be presented from a round table in the newsroom (perhaps on the red chairs/table we see at the bottom of the trundle cam shot)? It probably isn't possible for some technical reasons i'm totally unaware of, but it would make a nice change.

Maybe something like this?

I don't think it makes a difference where things come from, it's the overall style and pace that is still lacking. I'm not saying that I want it to turn into one of those over-the-top US stations that Mouseboy prattles on about, but I much prefer the confident style of Sky News, even if their look is becoming a little dated now.

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I think it helped for the BBC that they've had the chance of a new building and a new start, whereas Sky I believe had the new building a while back so when they upgrade the studio it would take a lot longer to have a similar capability to the BBC and I know that Sky decamp for main studio upgrades but it might be harder to decamp for a while if there is a revamp to be similar to the BBC in terms of technology.

Studios A and C might not be as available as you think, pre records such as HARDTalk and Webscape use the space, some correspondents need the cat walk for investigative reports.
Personally I think Studio C is fine for the 5, decent real stand in studio, it's A I think we need to do something about. Outside Source style presentation for the 9 would be good, but I wonder does the BBC World version only work because the weather presenter is in Studio C and E?

EDIT: Just seen the London thread and looks like Studio D is nearly ready to go and looks like a Mini C, perhaps the 9 is making the move as well?

Though just because a studio isn't on-air doesn't mean it is available for rehearsal - it would need staff (which cost money) to be available for rehearsals. I suspect there is very little slack in the staffing of the studios at the moment...

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I was in Studio A recently for a pre-record and we only had a narrow window to get it done - we virtually got kicked out at the end of our slot. So obviously it's in demand for things other than BBC London and the 9 - presumably precisely because of its VR/CSO capabilities.