BBC Newsline

Indeed - he was great. He did present it a couple of years back with Sian from the old N24 set - but there wasn't much opportunity for banter.

I also remember him presenting Breakfast on a Bank Holiday in 2001, with Susannah Reid, IIRC.

I really rate Donna. She is a great presenter, who adopts good tone in every piece that she anchors. I have seen her on a few occasions presenting herself.

She also doesn't take herself too seriously...something of a rarity amongst newsreaders.

Most days this week Newsline has been reporting on a News Item from Dublin, but what I think spoils it is the crap backdrop they have, could they not get a live camera shot from somewhere and use that or use an outdoor shot from the roof of a building some where, like RTE does on Belfast

Yes, apparently he has a holiday home not far from my cousin's ahem... holiday home.

That said, Dundrum does have a good smattering locals and passing visitors all year round!

Any Ideas anyone why Newsline has a new Format at the start of the 6:30 edition?

Do they? Must take a look.

Agreed though about both Noel and Donna - both superb newsreaders, some of the best in the UK and Ireland.
Particularly Donna as mentioned - doesn't take herself too seriously, but adopts the perfect tone for every story and above all she seems like a really nice person, a very important quality.
That's why I don't like Darren Jordan for example - he doesn't seem like a nice person in real life, whereas people like George Alagiah or Sissons do . Makes all the difference I think.

Also Donna has a lovely accent - nice crisp Irish tones with a decent but not overpowering dose of NI

As for the lack of live backdrop from Dublin, it would appear to me very simply that RTÉ use an excellent BBC built? facility in Belfast hence have basic chromakey, whereas the BBC use a crappy RTÉ facility in Dublin - probably their city centre Leinster House studio on Kildare/Molesworth St, or out in Montrose HQ.

As far as I know ludicrously the Leinster House facilitiy is not equipped with chromakey! I know I know, it beggars belief, but in all my years I have never seen a chromakey backdrop from that studio.

For News they use a ghastly RTÉ News logo roll-down backdrop which really has to be seen to be believed, or for Prime Time etc they use a basic harp motif blind.
In 1995, whatever about 2005, chromakey should have been in use, it is an embarrassingly pathetic state of affairs, which obviously have wider consequences with the BBC availing of it for Newsline and Hearts & Minds etc.

And most ridiculously of all, the office is directly across the road from Leinster House! They could with little to no difficulty at all mount a permanent camera up on the 4 storey high roof or even out a flippin window and shoot the splendid scene of Leinster House, the Ntl Museum and Ntl Library if they bothered to get up off their arses!

Very simply it is typical RTÉ institutionalised rubbish - it's always been like this, why change it?

There are no live broadcast quality feeds mounted anywhere at all in Dublin city..

Have RTE given up on their home in the old AA building on Great Victoria Street then? I thought they hung out there - certainly a few years ago they had their own offices / bureau there. Do agree about the poor state of the backdrop though - is it possible to chromakey a picture broadcast from Dublin in Belfast? If so it would make sense so that a red / yellow backdrop to suit Newsline could be used there and slides ready for Newsnight / Hearts and Minds / Spotlight etc.

Ciara ridell has been presenting the breakfast bulletins last week and this, but i'm not sure about her, I think her hair's too red and curly for presenting.

The new way of opening the programme was introduced a few weeks ago following the change of ending for the 6 o'clock News. The 6 now ends with the presenters paying-off, but no end-sting/caption. Therefore, it was decided that it would look wrong mixing from George & Sophie straight to camera, to Noel & Donna straight to camera.

No live BBC newsline on the internet tonight instead we get the live tennis that is on BBC two? That seems like a mistake ITV would make.

The last time I saw a glimpse of BBC Newsline a few weeks ago, it looked like the backdrop to the Dublin studio had changed at last, they had got rid of the shot looking down on the top of O'Connell Street with the large Bailey's hoading on the top left corner of the screen...

To be honest, there are very few weak newsreaders and journalists on BBC Newsline, they have the right mix of authority, professionalism and friendliness.