BBC News

I can see and feel all of your eyes rolling at once when you see the phrase how would you, I for one take a dislike to fantasy threads but this can only really be counted as a sort of fantasy thread.

The BBC News brand is strong but there are several weaknesses in the brand, so I have made a few suggestions on how I think the BBC could improve it's news output on TV. Although basically it's what I'd do if the BBC had another scandal and made me head of news by some mad coincidence. None of the suggestions I have made really cost that much (apart from Set Building) so there is really no reason why some of these can't be implemented. Anyway here you go.

My Ideas

Do you like my ideas or simply think that I've gone mad. Also I'd like to here what you'd do if you were put in charge of the BBC News Department.

Good grief - you've even included your fantasy rotas and made it a .pdf to look more important! But it's basically a list of fantasy rotas, and a page of 'let's make BBC News more like it was before and reintroduce a load of programming axed for a reason.

The list of:
'English regions... Should get new sets.'
'Scotland... Should get new sets.'
'Northern Ireland... Should get new sets'

might be a nice dream but isn't viable because some have had recent refits, some don't need them and some probably haven't got the budget for it.

There are also suggestions in your manifesto for thinks like a 7pm news bulletin on BBC Three - this has been done and was axed because it didn't pull in enough viewers, and bringing it back will do it no good, especially as the BBC Three that had the 7pm news programmes is quite different to the current one.

And as for 'NC tonight'...

Could this be moved to the Fantasy forum (the one that people seem to think exists as they continue to make posts for it...)?

Saw nothing in the first half page or so that would improve BBC News in the slightest. The rest seems to be a fantasy rota sneaking in through the back door.

You seem to have come at the problem from the wrong end, and produced a document which is entirely predictable. Instead of asking "what's wrong with BBC News?" and working on a solution to the problems you identify, you've just listed the things you think they should be doing, with no though or method behind your reasoning.

Your ideas are nothing different to the Sky News equivalents regularly posted on here stating that Sky News would be much better if they walked around the studio more, used more presentation points and started using iPads to control the newswall - it's all stuff which appeals to the "news channel enthusiast", but not the people who actually watch the channels.

Do you really think *anyone* wants to see the weather presenter interview someone at the podium on the balcony because it's "raining really hard"? And then you go on to justify your idea with the statement "could give a nice view of the Newsroom and we know there is a second camera up there" - not one single viewer cares in the slightest about that.

That would be roughly the same shot as most London dtls in to Breakfasr.

I only read as far as your ridiculous suggestion for Breakfast and I gave up. Most people only watch Breakfast for 15/20 mins a day, your plan is awful. If you started watching at 7.30 you would just get soft news for 30 minutes but if you started watching at 8 you would get a full half hour of hard news ??
Regional news is also very popular and you want to dump the first bulletin to make way for a 15 minute business bulletin that nobody wants first thing in the morning.

EDIT


They were axed for a reason.

I presume "BUSINESS on Two?" would be pronounced in the same way as "I'm Ron Burgundy?"

I can't really see any major changes in your spiel, I'm afraid. Except fantasy rotas!

Personally a change I'd like to see is more news programming showcased on BBC One/Two in place of (repeats of) daytime shows. It wouldn't cost a dime and would show an increased commitment to news and political coverage.

I'd move GMT to 11am and show this for the full BBC Two hour.
The Daily Politics, I'd move to BBC One.
Global could be simulcast on BBC Two (and World Have Your Say on Fridays)
World News Today could move from BBC Four to BBC Two. It probably wouldn't detract too much viewers from the Six, and could compete with Channel 4.

I think that moving GMT would work but I don't really see the point in moving the Daily Politics to BBC One, Surely WNT already competes with Channel 4 it's just on BBC Four and are they allowed to leave BBC Four without any News Programming?

Yes, I get most of the criticism but I was only advocating bringing back or editing some of the programmes, when I listed the axed N24 programmes I wasn't saying bring them back I was enquiring what they were about. I think that branding the 5AM Hour something different would benefit it, it has a different structure to all other hours on WN and NC. Business Edition would be good on the NC as the Business Edition is a mix of World News and Business News something that the NC has little focus on. The 7AM Hour of Breakfast is already pretty much like that it has a softer tone past 0730. They've axed many things and not all necessarily for the better.

There's a reason for that. Nobody wants business news. The vast majority of people who will dip into BBC News will not be interested in hearing detailed business reports. Like many of your suggestions, they've already tried it and axed it. Do you recall the Business Today programme on News 24? Launched in 2001, re-launched in about 2003 and axed shortly afterwards. They had a segment called Business 24 before that....axed. They had business updates every hour....cut down....then axed. See the pattern? Most people just glaze over when business news comes on. I know I do.

And for the record, like many of the BBC World strands, there is little difference between Business Edition and other bulletins. There's a slightly greater chance of getting a business report, but it's by no means an even split between business and news. It's the same as Impact. That replaced the flagship edition of Asia Today and is meant to have an Asian slant to its running order. Nearly every time I've ever seen it, it's led on a non-Asian story.

I agree. I usually saw about ten minutes of Breakfast before school, that being the regional news at 7:55, headlines at 8 and then off to school. I always thought the 'soft news' came in when BBC News stopped simulcasting at around 8:30?
I also can't see anything that would improve BBC News other than change for change's sake. BBC Three axed their 7 O'Clock News because of the non-existent ratings, though I do think that BBC2 should bring back evening/late bulletins like they used to, however I very much doubt they will.

There is absolutely no demand for more simulcasts with World. The dire beyond ratings for the existing BBC4 and BBC2 simulcasts show that. Both channels only air them due to a lack of ££.



Please think of the actual viewers. 9x the amount of viewers watch Bargain Hunt over the daily politics. General viewers aren't the same as news forum enthusiasts. You're just going to end up with millions of angry pensioners.