BBC News at One / Six or Ten to be axed?

The chances of the Nine O'Clock News coming back are zero, it was always a millstone in the schedules and moving to 10pm meant BBC One could compete much more effectively.

I respectfully refute your suggestion is a massive over-reaction. Yes the responses have been passionate and the reason as far as I'm concerned why there has been so much passion is because of the unique position the BBC has in the UK.

The BBC has over its near 100 year history developed from a radio station through a multimedia network into part of the fabric of British life itself.

At times of great importance the British and I daresay many in the world have gravitated towards the BBC to find out what is going on. One example was during WWII when many living in occupied nations would risk their lives to tune into the BBC's foreign language stations.

In the 1980's when the network news bulletins were introduced the CA would introduce a note of gravity:

"The--------o'clock news from the BBC

And of course many of us on the forum have waxed lyrical about the corporation's efforts during the current situation.

Streaming is in the ascendancy that much is correct but I cannot in all honesty see the death of linear channels in the next 10 years. It's psychological in my view. Millions tune in at 7.30 or 8PM for Eastenders (or will when it returns next month) so the BBC keeps a firm eye on the ratings.

It may well be the case that the BBC as we know it will change considerably in the next 10 years but I can't see the corporation jacking the 6 or 10 as they get the most viewers. Likewise the idea of a single bulletin could cause ructions. What time would it be on? How long would it last for What about regional news? What about Newsnight? Would there be a paper preview? All of these question would have to be answered.

I believe Ms Unsworth has not dropped a clanger in her interview with the Daily Telegraph but I do believe that she has been somewhat naive in postulating a theory that one or even two of the network news bulletins may be dropped.

I wonder if the BBC want to go the same way of the three US networks have been doing since the late 1940s, and only have one nightly national news programme?

NBC, CBS and ABC all simply have one networked nightly news programme, usually airing on all three stations at 6.30pm ET/PT but affiliates can move it depending on their schedules.

NBC Nightly News, ABC World News Tonight and CBS Evening News are the only national network news shows airing on those stations per day. Breakfast television programmes are a different entity and local news is what fills lunchtime, early evening and late night news slots.

I do wonder if this this the BBC plan?

Yeah it's a shame really as in terms of providing news at an appropriate time, I always preferred it to 10pm. News at 9pm gives more chance to enjoy something less heavy later in the evening, whereas for most working people bed time rolls around between 10.30 and 11pm. So, at present, news is the last thing a lot of people watch each day and it can be somewhat heavy so close to bedtime, especially with the doom and gloom news stories of the past decade (financial crises, Brexit, coronavirus etc.). I fully appreciate the scheduling problems the Nine created for the BBC in terms of competing with its rivals, but I felt it was a shame to lose it back in 2000.


The problem with that notion is that in the US, regional news plays a far greater role than here in the UK due to the size of the country and diversity of the States. From what I can recall of my visits to the USA over the years is that although there is only the one networked newscast, local news airs quite prominently at breakfast, late afternoon and late evening. So, there is still plenty of news on the main networks just more local than national. And that really does make sense - I'm sure most people living in Boston couldn't give two hoots about events in San Francisco.

I thought we established a long time ago what what suits America in terms of TV news provision, doesn't suit us, and vice versa?

The thing is with local BBC news is that its always had the national news to hang on to. If the 1 and 6 were to go then Look North et al would invariably suffer without the lead in from the network.

I do question whether BBC One really needs more news in the schedules as some here have suggested, Surely with Breakfast, BBC News at 9 and the usual bulletins, there's more than enough news in the schedules. If anything, they probably will drop News at 9 in the near future.

I think many people have started rationing their consumption and exposure to the rolling news cycle, both news channels and online, to both protect their own health and because it is now more an argument of extremes rather than a balance of facts, hence the importance of traditional bulletins to keep informed with minimal exposure.

The Six or Ten won't go for the same reason News at Ten kept coming back - they're expensive to replace with little reward.

That is one possibility. I have to say that the metamorphosis of BBC 2 into BBC News Light pre covid was a bit silly. Far better in my opinion to have the bulletins fixed at Breakfast, 1, 6 and 10 and make them cornerstones of the output.

Right now I think there is too much news on BBC One and that's purely down to cost savings. I would rather they go back to having less news but at more suitable times. In my view, they should prioritise breakfast, lunchtime and evening, purely because that is when most people will have the opportunity to watch it. Basically what they were doing for decades!!

I completely agree and I have probably been consuming less news this year than ever before. The acrimonious Brexit debacle was a big turn-off and that was just exacerbated by coronavirus. It's just too bloomin' depressing and frightening to some degree.

That said, they should prioritise network TV news over everything else, complemented with a strong online presence. The way the BBC has treated its news channels in recent years has led me to the conclusion that they might as well go the whole hog and just axe them and have done with it. It's pointless providing a half-hearted service that ultimately serves no-one well. I would prefer regular and very high quality network TV bulletins with the option to follow up online. I've got to the point where I could now live without rolling TV news.

That's why I think Fran Unsworth is way off the mark here - I don't feel that network news and online news are mutually exclusive. They contribute completely different things and therefore complement each other really well. TV news brings the balanced overview of stories and online is there for immediacy and extended analysis. I see online replacing 24 hour rolling news, not network news on linear channels.

If you look at the flagship bulletins on BBC News Channel (Newsroom Live, Afternoon Live) BBC World News (Impact, Global, Outside Source, WNT, Beyond 100 Days) they are in rolling format with mix of long reports, interviews and analysis, pack a lot into half an hour compared to 'rigid' BBC One bulletins, the Nine & Five are better formats. I would choose a flagship BBC World programme over a BBC One programme. The Briefing is the only real BBC One bulletin which works, but is not promoted.