Brexit Dramarama

It seemed that was what Huw was probably told at some point. But I guess BBC Two has nothing to show worthy of 20mins before Newsnight so stuck with it.

Pushback deployed on NC

The ticker is still saying the statement is due at 22:00

I agree, viewers will be confused what they are meant to watch now, as they will kind of have a News Channel standard of round up now, followed by the same round up with added Huw and Laura K afterwards.



They should really have gone back to the scheduled programme with Newsnight at 10:40, it’s going to clash with the Ten (the proper Ten not the fake Ten) in any case.

Fair point:

I wonder what Downing Street would say if the TV networks said — we’re not broadcasting PM statements from steps of Number 10 unless there is news value in it.

— Andrew Neil (@afneil) January 16, 2019

I know I’m being pedantic, but... Under the Fixed Term Parliaments Act (FTPA), the PM only goes to see the Queen to request a dissolution as a courtesy. Due to the FTPA, Parliament is automatically prorogued for an election.

Moreover, the Queen is currently in residence at Sandringham. The Queen (and Court) does not return to London until 7th February (after anniversary of her succession) unless required to do so. I’m pretty sure that if the Queen was required in London it would have leaked that she had returned (usually the helicopter landing at Buckingham Palace).

Keep calm everybody...

Not quite a simulcast anymore, as BBC 2 is showing a full screen, whereas the news channel currently has a split screen.

The BBC often get more complaints for moving stuff to BBC then delaying it - especially from those recording the football.

They are replaying the Ask the BBC that was on the News Channel earlier, clearly scheduled by the NC as filler.

The guest in Belfast is sitting in front of screens with the football on.

I guess I was the only one watching ITV then. I was flicking between that and BBC Two at 10, as ITV didn’t start until 22:01 and was worried they’d miss the speech by being stuck in the headline sequence, but it worked out well for them as May came out just after the tiles and Bradby’s introduction.

Minus the ticker and clock too.

Sorry but it's as though they've completely given up playing what is largely a repeat of an earlier newschannel bulletin on BBC2 on what is one of the biggest news days of the year.

I know what might have solved the scheduling issue ... BBC having a 24-hour rolling news channel. Imagine that...