BBC News: Presenters & Rotas

Baring in mind that Mishal did quite a while on Breakfast and had been due to return (Susanna Reid's original website bio said that she was filling in until Mishal returned) but my guess is either bosses preferred Susanna or (more likely) Mishal decided 3am starts wasn't so good with two new borns. Mishal is also the main face of the BBC News at Ten on Sundays, which is reasonably high profile!


In regards to Zeinab, bare in mind there are all sorts of places she could go. I'm not sure how long Dimbleby will want to continue, and it's been suggested before that Paxman could take over when he does eventually leave, so I wouldn't be surprised to see a new-look Newsnight that featured Zeinab, Gavin, Kirsty and Nick Robinson, presumably with Emily moving permanently to the NC and BBC One bulletins.

In all honesty there isn't much room in the schedules for a new NC presenter, unless those who are presenting Peter Sissons' old timeslot (I think it's normally Martine Croxall) are only doing it until a new presenter is found!

And certainly the likes of Anna Ford and Michael Burke decided to retire rather than 'end up in some graveyard shift' on the NC - does anyone really believe many of their former colleagues would leap at the chance?

And in regards to the BBC One bulletins, where exactly would they/ could they fit in? Huw won't be going anywhere soon and I think the same is true for Fiona and Sophie unless they're taken on by a rival (and there's only really Sky who could) so unless George moves on (to World News?) there would only really be the Saturday shift still available, and surely that's more expensive than using the current rotation of NC presenters?



By the way, I'm all in favour for Zeinab making it onto BBC One. You're not seriously telling me any WORLD NEWS presenter is as high profile and as important to bosses as Huw Edwards or Jeremy Paxman?

EDIT: Apologies for all the spelling mistakes... very, very tired.

Zeinab won't be doing the Saturday BBC1 shift! No way.

Is that your "she's better than that" attitude kicking in?

I think there should be a complete overhall of presenters across the NC and BBC 1 bulletins-breakfast aswell. Let's mix it up!

Do you want us to get Kate Silverton and Emily Maitliss presenting every god damn bulletin? The BBC has been looking for something permanent for Kate for a while now, with long stints at Breakfast, then the News at One, then Breakfast, then the News at One....

God no! Kate drives me mad. I just feel it's all gone very irregular. To get a week where everyone presents in their normal slots is rare.

Why did you presume I wanted Kate and Emily on every bulletin? I simply suggested a change.

I am not talking about Huw and Paxam. Pax is high profile on the domestic side but when it comes to international he is not high profile as Zeinab or Nik. I doubt the BBC boses will be looking to remove them from their current jobs and put Zeinab or Nik in any of their roles. When Paxman show was on BBC America it failed big time because people didn't know him. Just as the World Execs would not put them on the channel or simulcast Huw slot on World. The audience profile is different and what the world audience want in a presenter is different. Some people can not be taken from anywhere just to fill out quota. Most of World/ News Channels/National anchors have been in their positions for a while so the likely hood for them to be move around is slim.

YOU Are so right...LOL

I am show it was because of the kids that prevented her, ultimately I feel she wanted to do international work. It was natural for her and that was were she was comfortable eventhough, she is a professional and can handle any work,, she couldn't do that for long.
Mishal doesn't work on Fridays at world. I think because she is Muslim so the Sunday shift she does compensates for the Friday not working. That will bring her work day at 5 days a week.

No, I was saying that if they do shake up BBC 1 bulletins any time soon, Kate certainly is more than likely to feature, so for that reason alone George, Sophie, Fiona and Huw more than work for me!

She used to work Fridays on Breakfast, so that doesn't work! Also, Sunday BBC News at Ten is surely higher profile than Fridays on BBC World News?




My point about Huw and Paxman is that the highest person on BBC World News still won't equal Huw/ Paxman/ Dimbleby. Equally Zeinab is probably as well known here as she is internationally, having presented Channel 4 News for 10 years, spent 5 years working for the BBC in Westminster and having worked on BBC Radio 4, amongst many other domestic programmes/ channels.

Therefore Zeinab moving to, say, Newsnight probably would be higher-profile for her than the BBC's international channel, but with much (if not more) of the hard-hitting side of news making.

Equally Gavin Esler went from presenting BBC News 24 to Newsnight and has now made a name for himself - I'm sure Zeinab would fit in perfectly and that it would be seen as a promotion, even if those of you who only get BBC World News would miss her!


And in regards to Paxman, I'm not convinced it was him who failed in America, more the programme he was representing. If they put Paxman on World News Today he wouldn't fail - the audience, often watching on a news channel, would get used to him and soon see him for the same values UK viewers see him for.

But moving Newsnight to America would never have worked without someone known to American viewers - equally Zeinab being put on or Mishal Husain wouldn't have worked.

Mishal is better known than Paxman in America.
Mishal use to get over a million viewers on PBS when she was there so people certainly know her and she was great. That is a very good number for PBS.