BBC News: Presenters & Rotas

I get the impression, mainly from tweets, that Matt left the day Channel 4 announced his appointment. Presumably because he's becoming their Washington correspondent, so is (in the UK) continuing the same turf at a rival network.

Selfishly, Katty going full-time would mean I'd rarely get to see her (compared to fairly regular appearances on US newscasts), but the BBC would be making a huge mistake in giving the main position to anyone else.

We're yet to see Matt on-screen for Channel 4 - when do you think we'll see him? Absolutely out of the question for anyone apart from Katty to get the job - as you say, she seems to appear very frequently on US political shows on all networks it seems.

Is it Katty who is doing his cover, and other US correspondents as and when?

I really wish WNA would come back to the News Channel. Someone please listen!!

I'd imagine Matt's on gardening leave, rather than having actually left the BBC, and presumably he'll start at Channel 4 when his BBC contract has been formally terminated and Channel 4 are ready for him. Think of the gap between Kaplinsky being appointed at Channel 5 and her actually starting, despite leaving the BBC the day of the announcement.

As to cover, I can't help I'm afraid. Like you, I'm now WNA-less.

Matt Frei was on CNN's Reliable Sources last Sunday. Was introduced as working for BBC World News America but soon to move to Channel 4

Matt still regularly appeared on WNA up to three weeks after the announcement of his move. In fact, we was on duty the day the announcement was made, IIRC.

Jane Obrien, Laura Trevellyan and of course Kattt Kay are all semi regular stand in presenters on the program. Katty has been the main presenter in the last few weeks. Yesterday was the first time I'd seen Rajesh doing it.

Raymond Snoddy (from the BBC's Newswatch programme) appearing as a guest on Sky News. I take it Ray is freelance at the BBC?

He is indeed - a regular writer in the Independent paper too according to Wikipedia.

What's Jane O'Brien like as a presenter?

She's ok, I guess. A little bit "coldish", but that's just the usual early stage stuff. She's perfectly watchable actually.

And was The Sunday Times Media Correspondent for many years, where he was very influential. It's a given that the Newswatch presenter would be a freelance so they can be impartial. It's the same as how, for many years, Feedback on Radio 4 was presented by Chris Dunkley, who was always billed as Chris Dunkley Of The Financial Times, which was to underline the fact he was completely independent of the BBC.

I've seen him once or twice do the Press Preview on Sky News. He was on recently with Jayne Secker.

I really don't rate Carol Walker as a presenter. As a reporter and correspondent she is absolutely brilliant, but when presenting on the News channel - she's constantly going to the wrong camera and really doesn't seem confident in her delivery or what she's talking about.