BBC News Channel Presentation - 21/03/16 onwards

The ideal solution would be to axe Newswatch entirely. Am I the only one who utterly loathes it?

It’s the same week after week. Moaning nobodies with no sense of perspective, no understanding of how news works, and certainly nothing better to do, asking, ‘Why is the BBC reporting on X when there are far more important things going on in the world?’

Every week.

And as if this wasn’t bad enough, you then get a middle-ranking BBC suit who doesn’t want to be there offering some kind of half-arsed, hollow, inconsequential platitude, satisfying nobody.

The programme is only there as some kind of token gesture towards accountability, but achieves precisely nothing.

It annoys me so much, I’ve a good mind to complain to Newswatch about it.

It was created out of a bad and political situation, but yes I agree it would be better scrapped. Perhaps as a peace-offering there should be dedicated news segment in Points of View.

I miss the days when the BBC went all out on idiots who complained about nonsense.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zU_FXnSjBLY

I think I’d warm to Newswatch if Chris Morris presented it.

NC now airing an edition of Weekend News/National Bulletin only for BBC One Wales at 1700...

Not sure I understand the scheduling here, they have an opt out at 18:00, which could quite easily have been at 16:50 or 17:35 as Scotland.

They are doing the same next Sunday.

I do agree that Newswatch is a bit of a 'ticking the box' exercise but it's probably here to stay.

Not sure what changing the studio would really add to the programme though. I think keeping it in a different studio with a less generic look does help it detach itself slightly from the main BBC News operation which the programme needs to do to help maintain its purpose to be an impartial critique (even if as many people have said, it's usually a pointless public whinge and a BBC manager defending the operation with the same argument each time).

Indeed with the rest of the country having their teatime bulletin at 6:35!

I caught one edition a few weeks ago, where Jeremy Bowen was wheeled on to give a response. I can't remember what exactly the issue was over, but I do remember Bowen's response was excellent, balanced, and thoughtful, it just indicated what a top drawer journalist he is

It's the same with POV, the days of Barry Took or Anne Robinson featuring a letter in order to gently ridicule the sender ("I believe that's called a Spoonerism" "And I believe it's called a joke") are long gone.

As are the days of the BBC1 Continuity Announcer getting to read out an apology which amounts to telling a reasonably senior MP to get over himself.



I miss the days when the BBC had some balls. Recent press releases correcting fake news are a step in the right direction though.

Funnily enough, that just gave Carrott more material for his later shows.

I think it also ended up in a costly court case, but still, good that they didn't just roll over.