BBC News: Presenters & Rotas

Just to clarify, that wasn't my statement - misquote!

I apologise if I was unclear: I meant those staff on the programme - including her - must have started new jobs with dramatically more confidence than when rumours began to emerge in the press of the NC's possible downfall only a couple of months in, because with low ratings the programme would struggle to find a new budget if the NC was torn up. You would have to be very literally-minded to interpret my comment as meaning 'the presenter Victoria Derbyshire must right this minute be sitting at home worrying about her career future'. Although anyone who thinks people dealing with serious illnesses are somehow exempt from other worries in their lives have either been very lucky and/or never been seriously sick before.

The notion that someone (generally, and not just at this particular moment in time) wouldn't be reconsidering, in the past or the long term, their big career move as a 'big name star' from a comfortable position on a secure station to a channel with an apparently-uncertain future because they currently have a (personal) medical condition is a ludicrous suggestion. The chances are a lot more jobs will be lost in the coming years, and the idea that the futures of talented, experienced broadcast journalists may be uncertain seems relevant to me. So while I'm sure your comment was well intentioned, I would argue it's not relevant to my (hopefully more clearly expressed) point.



Oh I'm aware jobs and remits change - that's rather what we're discussing. But you do also have to recognise that despite being a more experienced presenter, Ben is currently being used less frequently and prominently than Clive Myrie (who also has reported extensively since the changes), and Simon McCoy seems to have been preferred for the afternoon slot than Ben, who occupied it pre-election. I'm just surprised Ben hasn't more regular shifts, potentially on World News where I've always suspected he'd be better suited.

Plus there aren't four shifts a day considering the One is produced by the News channel and frequently uses its presenters, as does Victoria Derbyshire (which people on here frequently forget is a News Channel commission, not BBC Two). Ben could even have taken over Chris' slot at weekends (he has presumably taken over some of Chris' OB duties) yet Gavin Esler seems to have taken it instead.

For what it's worth I'm not a fan of Ben as a presenter, and don't think the schedules have been nearly as strong post- TVC (save for Martine Croxall).




Re:8pm update - the logical solution there would be to merge it with the BBC London presenter, surely? Rip Lateef does/used to do Friday updates after her main London programme, so presumably practically both shifts can be done, and Riz is familiar enough to national audiences. It's hard to see where production or presentation could be handed to the NC, although I think it's hard to argue having the Six/Ten presenter do it would in any way disconnect younger viewers...

I have never really understood the need for the 8pm to have a different/younger/"fresher" face. I know the presenter will have other duties (writing the bulletin, going into make-up etc) but they're probably still getting paid a significant amount. I can't see that Fiona/Sophie/Huw presenting it would make a difference, they're all made up by that time to record the promo for the 10 just afterwards anyway.

The '8' targets a younger audience and receives the largest amount of young adults than any other mainstream bulletin.

Which probably has more to do with it going out just after or just before Eastenders than it being presented by a young 'fresh' face.

Agreed. It's not an appointment to view bulletin, the ratings are largely affected by the programmes airing around it.

BBC News to create the post of Scotland Editor, to be based in Glasgow. Appointment to be made in October, according to Jonathan Munro.

I'll throw Sarah Smith's name into the ring.

BBC Newsbeat's Tina Daheley makes her first appearance doing tonights BBC1 90 second update tonight.

It's ridiculous - it's nothing more than a bit of primetime filler and only gets a passing audience. Fiona has done it in the past and Huw is way cooler than most of the young female faces they get in anyway. I'm surprised really is hasn't been dropped already - the regional element especially must make it quite an expensive 90 seconds of television - would cost much less, if anything, to add 30 seconds to the Six, regional News and One Show.

What a rediculous comment.
Filler?
Do you really think BBC One would not ache to have that 90 seconds of marketing in prime time back?
It's there for a real reason, to reach a different and big audience that don't routinely come to BBC News.
It works, it does its job.
It's been unchanged since it launched because it knows its market and continues to do its job well.
It's not going anywhere.

Am I the only person who doesn't think the BBC will shut the News Channel? The BBC has done stupid things in its time but to shut down the most watched news channel in the UK. Giving Sky the News Channel monopoly would be far too symbolic for a start - Murdoch stripping back the BBC's assets for his own wallet's good. The highest quality source of an NC closure I've seen have been a few unsubstantiated rumours in newspapers, most of whom hate the BBC's guts and would happily kick it to death in the streets. The BBC News Channel isn't the fall boy in BBC cuts anyway - that's the World Service's tragic job. Half of the language services are probably being underlined in red pen as we speak. The current irregularities in the schedule are probably influenced by several key presenters currently on sick leave, including George Alagiah who will hopefully be back soon as he's one of the BBC's greatest newsreaders. Huw Edwards also doesn't present the News at Ten as often as the main presenter should (or do I only catch it when he's not on), possibly due to his other commitments such as The Wales Report. There are plenty of simple cost cutting rota changes that can be made - merge the Six and Ten, does Newsnight really need 3/4 permanent presenters, why are there dozens of sports presenters when Sky Sports News is where most people interested in Sports News go, why replace a cheap morning slot for an expensive remit-dodging expensive slot, use NC presenter on News at One. The fact that changes like this could easily be made but haven't suggests to me that the BBC aren't considering throwing away one of the most vital parts of its news service, although given that most of the BBC management are, not only words that wouldn't pass the swear filter but also, not use to the most sane decision making - I could be wrong, but I live in hope.

Nope, I also honestly believe this will never happen. I can see further scaling back - removing irregularities that you mention and perhaps cutting back on taped programming (the likes of Click and HARDtalk - although the latter would be a shame). But if the BBC Is going to scrap the NC, I reckon it will only happen after some savage cuts elsewhere - I mean they'd be looking at cutting other things first: multiple radio stations, BBC Four, BBC Parliament, one of CBBC or CBeebies, interactive services, parts of the website.