BBC National News: Presentation

That's except for viewers in Scotland, who did get A Question of Sport. Because it's not been snowing there yet.

For those who missed it: the Snowmageddon special included a regional Snowmageddon update, about halfway through.

I wonder how well this sort of programme does in the ratings? I assume they wouldn't do them if they weren't popular, despite their vacuity.

It did seem to be. I don't think the images were really epic enough to warrant it, to be honest.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/i/b01qjdmp/?t=26m52s

Ratings from UK TV RATINGS-The BBC News Special: Snow Across Britain last night averaged 4.69m (18.2%) last night at 7.30, up 49% on the same slot last week.

Chris Eakin was astoned as News Correspondent today on the BBC One lunchtime news. He's usually just named with his location.

Err, well now that's interesting then. So the Beeb only feel it appropriate to broadcast news stories to areas only affected by that story ? It's a miracle we get any foreign news at all from them, going by that logic !!!

Snow is different than foreign news, if Scottish people are travelling and will be affected by the snow, they'll know to check the weather online and on a news channel, we don't need our schedules filled with stuff that won't affect most of us.

No, and nor do those of us that are snowed in. It's just stating the bloody obvious

Sorry, I'm confused by the purpose of the hours and hours worth of snow coverage on TV, what's the point of it ?
To report what's happened, or to be of practical assistance ?

For national TV (and quite frankly regional) it can only really serve the former.

It's the job of the forecasts and local radio, to 'assist'. It's of very little help for the day to day practicality of trying to move around in the stuff. I'm sure most people last night had seen, and experienced quite enough snow
thank you very much, and were looking for escapism. Yes, it's seems 18% of the audience watched that pointless programme, therefore 82% didn't !

Lazy graphics today on lunchtime news (and so I presume on the News Channel) - the slide to explain the latest snow news. A stock picture of a snowy road - not in the UK! Clearly see the yellow road markings and yellow signs.

Ok not the biggest issue ever - but lazy nonetheless

BBC Scotland did the sensible thing and opted out of it, like any other region/nation could have.

I think the nations have that level of autonomy, I don't think the English regions do ?

Why does the Sunday night bulletin use the 'News At Ten' titles? Yes it goes out at Ten O Clock usually but it's only a 15 minute programme listed as BBC Weekend news, not a full news at 10 bulletin.

That's a throwback to the launch of the Ten O'Clock News in October 2000. At the time the BBC boasted how it could have the Ten on air six nights a week; you have to remember that this was the same time when ITV was going through its "News at When" saga in the wake of the cancellation of News at Ten the previous year. For a while it also acted as a lead in to Panorama; in fact, I seem to recall the weather forecast was part of the bulletin, following which the newsreader then handed directly over to Panorama. The practice of using the 10 titles has just continued ever since. You can't blame them though as attaching the Ten brand to it gives it more cachet. It's similar to the way in which they used to bring in Sissons, Buerk, Lewis or Witchell for the Saturday and Sunday late bulletins during the 1990s - to make them seem more like the Nine O'Clock News. Indeed they also used to share the Nine's look back then too.

The BBC announced the Ten O'Clock News as a 6-day a week programme when it launched (with Huw Mon-Thu and Fiona Fri and Sun) - so the Sunday programme was branded with the Ten titles, and continues to be. Fiona used to come in just to do the Sunday Ten ISTR - though think that has gone the way of all things.

*EDIT - realised some of this is bobbins... Michael Buerk and Peter Sissons were the original presenters of the Ten, as it was a snap relaunch of the Nine*