BBC News - General

I think it shows that the current format of the Six suits just one presenter. Back in the day (the 80s and 90s) it worked mainly due to the fact that there was one main presenter, and another just doing the less important stories (a la C4 News). Me thinks they saw the dual anchored ITV Evening News (which IMO works with 2), and thought 'we can do that too' They also seem to now use *banter* (i use the word loosely) on the Six between George and Natasha, presumably trying to take it further down the Breakfast route of featuring more *feature* items rather than actual news.

When I see George and Natasha or Dermot and Natasha it makes me think they feel put down - to think George was a respected correspondent all that time, then BBC3/4 (dunno which) then also worked for the one, and then made it to this! Natasha did a while for Sky and joined Breakfast, before making it to the six cause she did strictly! I hate the way as well where George does his quick turn when he stares at Natasha! It's meant to be about respect and stuff but its just destracting

Hardly "sloppy journalism". This is sloppy production, at worst - I hardly think it fair to question the journalistic values of a piece based on failures in its aesthetic presentation.

I don't know if you've ever been in a transmission gallery but it is a very stressful place. I sat in the gallery for a Six O'Clock News bulletin a few years ago and it was tense in there at times. With the numbers of staff in galleries being slimmed down over the years each person has more responsibilities. This is obviously going to affect output to some extent. You have to remember that the people controlling everything are only human and we all make mistakes. Obviously in the heat of the moment, this report was cued up in the wrong place. It's not really the end of the world.

'Cued up in the wrong place' ...that's not quite right. The BBC use a server playout system, so therefore each package is edited, and given a clip number which is called up as each clip/ VT/Ulay is played out. Therefore the entire clip should have been viewed by the producer, editor and programme editor before it went out.

Stressful gallery?! This has nothing to do with the gallery, it should have never got that far!

George Alagiah was a foreign correspondant for many years and now, in the mornings George goes on air for BBC World (I think he said that) and then after lunch he comes back to prepare for the 6.

I don't think it is distracting - I'm sure George and Natasha are nervous and when they're able to look away from screen it's much easier and to show respect for each other.

And to add, yes - transmission gallaries and deadlines are stressful. You have to meet time limits and make sure all the content is in and it's a program, not a mess. We shouldn't create a debate about it - we all make mistakes and as far as I see, it isn't THAT frequent that its cause for concern/

Is it just me, or have they stopped using the story dogs now on the National News bulletins?

No, Natasha and Emily are still there

Does anyone think they're slightly overdoing the death of Alan Ball? True, it's sad, but in the mean time hundreds of people are dying every day in Iraq, millions are starving in Africa, and Bush is melting the planet! Can't it just be slipped in at the end of the bulletin like most obituaries are?

South Today is also running a long report about Mr. Ball.

Subtle...........................

They have been missing for about a fortnight, given the last lot of tinkering made them so foul to look at, I say good riddance! I do note they have been using the video screens more on the plus side to this.

No they haven't