BBC News Channel: Presentation

I'm not too sure.

I would have thought that getting BBC3 and BBC4 in HD would be the beebs first priority.

Also with HD capacity being minimal on Freeview, the News channel in HD would only be available on Virgin, Freesat and Sky surely?

So, why should Sky, Virgin and Freesat viewers suffer because Freeview doesn't have the capacity. Besides I'm surprised the BBC hasn't created HD versions on their channels yet. ITV certainly already has.

If BBC News is being produced in HD at Broadcasting House, it would be silly not to broadcast it in HD.

How are the BBC going to cope without the Olympics?

Quite a lot of news around at the moment, but someone hitting someone else for sport is the main headline on the six.

I would imagine in a similar method to how they cope for the other 204 weeks every four years.

Aren't ITV2-4HD only on Sky HD and aren't they pay-TV rather than Free-to-view?

AIUI they are only available to Sky subscribers - though I'm not sure whether ITV get income from Sky or Sky subsidise carriage instead...

The BBC have always argued that they need to be as platform neutral as possible - particularly in the past where DSat and DCab were both pay-TV platforms (making services superior on DSat/DCab effectively made a commercial pay-TV platform more desirable than the subscription-free DTT service). Now Freesat is on DSat, the argument for platform neutrality meaning limiting everything to Freeview level may be slightly weaker?

However DSat and DCab both had better Red Button services than DTT for years - after the Olympics all platforms drop to the single stream... (The BBC are closing their DSat interactive transponder to contribute to the 20% savings they need to make as a result of the frozen licence-fee and the move to the BBC licence fee also funding S4C, BBC World Service etc.)

That said - the BBC are very swiftly moving to everything being produced in HD - so BBC Three/BBC Four HD all increasingly make sense. BBC News is slightly less compelling, as there will be a lower percentage of HD on the channel than BBC Three/Four. I suspect that initially BBC News will be less HD than Sky News HD is - as the BBC regional infrastructure, and many overseas bureaux will still be SD in the short-term? Field reporting may be easier to switch than bureaux...

Does the BBC have a reason to why they don't use break filler like World News? Like just before half past and toths

For what reason?

I'd say perhaps a breakfiller would be quite nice instead of the filler countdown.

The breakfiller exists for the purpose of being a background that adverts can be inserted over with by local affiliates. As there are no adverts on News 24 there is therefore no reason for it to have a breakfiller.

Getting rid of the Countdown in my eyes would be criminal. Always loved the build to the TOTH

Bit off topic but what price increase would the licence fee have to have had to prevent these massive savings they are having to make?

I agree, which is why I said the filler.

What would you put in the Breakfiller? Werld Nyooz features mainly trailers for upcoming programmes, there isnt really any point in that on the Nyooz Chanul as its effectively one programme all day albeit with different presenters. I think the closest we got were those "Catch the Weather every 30 minutes" trails back in 2006. They need some branded daytime programmes before it will be worthwhile producing trailers, and even then, there really isnt any need for a breakfiller.

The Filler countdown on the other hand is a neat little thing that can bridge the gap when timing isnt exactly spot on, however, they could stop that by not simulcasting the short bulletins with BBC One. Not sure how to solve the filler before 1-6-10 without playing out the number countdown on BBC One. Hmm... i cant say i'm that bothered whatever they decide...

...but if they ditch David Lowe's music. ::shakes fist angrily in the air::

Actually... what about an RSS feed over the Filler Countdown? That way they are providing news even when there are crazy red lazer beams that somehow come out of the wrong part of a sattelite dish ...or would that be too complicated for the gallery? The RSS Feed not the Lazer beams.

Do you think the director, for these purposes i will call her Frau, in the gallery shouts "FIRE THE LAZERS" to start the countdown... oh dear god I've lost my marbles.