BBC News - General

I'll say this again (it's not the first time I've said it) as I think it's so important and someone at the BBC should listen...!

When BBC News take a leaf out of BBC Sport's book when it comes to presentation, they'll have most of us here drooling, and will greatly improve their product.

For those of you that don't like sport, can I suggest that you put this dislike to one side one Saturday afternoon and tune in to Final Score. You'll see that everything that is complained about on a daily basis here, with regards to BBC News, is just not an issue on BBC Sport.

The graphics are clear, funky, and perfectly suited to sport. The set is just awesome. The presentation style is perfectly balanced. The way, this afternoon, they put some ever so subtle snowflakes falling gently across the backdrop. They even properly handle the junction where Final Score finishes on BBC One but continues on BBCi, actually acknowledging the viewers on BBCi, "BBC One viewers leave us now, but Score continues on BBCi."

Why can't we have more of this on BBC News?

I didn't see that, but it sounds dreadful! It's something I'd despair of on a commercial station, but on BBC News? There've been a few decisions lately that make you wonder whether anyone's stepped back and thought, "but hang on, we're the BBC!". They need to cop on and maintain the integrity that's beginning to crumble elsewhere.

On an unrelated note, Moz, I couldn't agree more. Until recently, any changes made to BBC News pres since the 1999 Lambie Nairn era had been shíte, to say the least. The most recent titles and incarnation of N6 are better, but not exactly breathtaking. And yes, BBC Sport's pres has been exemplary for the last few years. Even when their graphics are used on N24, they put everything else to shame.

Just saw one of the more bizzare technical faults at the end of the weather on BBC One. Just as the presenter said goodbye we got a burst of the theme tune from Pingu!

However flashy and visually impressive Final Score is, editorially it is lacking, just like much of BBC News these days. The pundits are second rate, repetitive and love making mountains out of molehills, with little in-depth analysis. For those of us who are actually interested in the stories of the day, Final Score lag some way behind their radio colleagues and Sky Sports News. Just like daytime BBC News bulletins are a long way off Radio 4, Newsnight and Channel 4 News editorially.

I spent an hour or so the other night looking up old BBC and ITN news clips on YouTube. I was astonished at just how much better bulletins were 10-25 years ago. Yes, they were very visually simplistic but the lack of flashy graphics actually made me focus more on the actual news stories. On a Six O'Clock News clip from the 1980s, the only graphics used were the titles and an inset behind the presenter. Still slides were also used to illustrate the closing headlines. There weren't any fluffy, inane stories - it was just a straighforward round-up of the day's proper news.

The music used on the old BBC and ITN bulletins was also a lot better than today's offerings. I was initially a fan of David Lowe's work for BBC News, but I've rapidly grown very tired of it now. Those old orchestral themes of the 1980s and 1990s are much more appropriate for the news - they really grab your attention, which is what they're supposed to do.

I'd say that's more to do with the newer drums-and-beeps mixes not having parity with the original ones. IMO the News 24 mixes from 1999 were easily the most dramatic and wonderful versions of the music.

That said, I think it would be interesting if there was more variation - in particular, maybe a beepy version of the orchestral themes? IIRC someone did a beepy mix of the Nine theme some time ago, but it's since gone missing.

As for the graphics, I'd say that they are more dull and boring than the Lambie-Nairn identity created in 1999, and that the studios are also pretty rubbish.

What I would really liked to have seen was a look based around the BBC World Service identity from 2000-2007. Shame that's been ruined by some unusually bad pieces from Mr Lowe lately.

I was purely talking about the presentation, not the content.

Peter Gibbs just presented the Look North (NE&C) weather! Usually its Trai or some scottish man I've forgot the name of!

The ending to the late news was so tacky!

http://www.hillyard22.freeserve.co.uk/xmas07-01.jpg
Is this image supposed to look like a child about to eat Sophie Raworth?
http://www.hillyard22.freeserve.co.uk/xmas07-02.jpg

Festive finish to the news!
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t176/zukeylukey/BBCNews1.png
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t176/zukeylukey/BBCNews2-1.png
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t176/zukeylukey/BBCNews4.png

It's all nice for them to say Merry Christmas but. Am I the only one who thought that was a bit OTT? I mean, even ITV stuck to good old holly on the endcap.