It appears Newyddion on S4C has a new look (opening titles at least, the astons appear to be the same and I've not seen the studio yet as they're outside due to the weather), including a more 'BBC News' style theme tune. Does anyone know when this was launched?
The old look was introduced in 2013 when the old S4C logo was still in use.
Was it really as long as 2013 since it was last rebranded? I swear it only seemed like a couple of years ago?
Anyway it seems like the BBC are wanting to 'BBC-ify' Newyddion back again after ditching the BBC News generic look since the last rebrand. Only gently but the music is definitely part of the BBC News portfolio as you can tell.
The perfect match, for me, would be: the new visual + the previous music.
Visually, the new intro looks like a nice refresh to me. It might lack a bit of originality, but it works – and in my opinion, the "window squares" already looked outdated the day they were introduced.
Musically, however, even though the violins "smell" like BBC News, the new tune sounds so generic, and really boring compared to the previous one, which I think they should have kept.
Maybe it's an age thing but I really do struggle to discern the difference between most of his compositions now. The style of most of his recent stuff is essentially the same. Newyddion, 100 Days, Afternoon Live, Talking Business etc - they are all so similar with subtle variations. Contrast that to his work between 1999 and 2003 which was varied and interesting. Play his News 24 1999 theme to me now and I'd instantly be able to tell you what it is; play anything he's done recently and I wouldn't have a clue. It all sounds the same.
Maybe because back in the day there were only 3 variations of the basic BBC News theme - network 1,6,10,weekend.... News 24, and World; and there were less "programmes". Actual programmes like HardTalk, World Business Report etc had completely different theme tunes to the main motif.
Nowadays any "strand" or "segment" needs branding, which for some reason necessitates its own theme tune and on-air look.
No that's not the case at all. During the 1999-2003 period there were dozens of programmes that had David Lowe music:
Network News
News 24
BBC World channel
BBC World News
The World Today
English Regions (1999 and 2002)
Reporting Scotland
Newsline
Wales Today
Budget Day
Hard Talk (the 2000 theme was by DL)
Sport Today (again the 2001 theme was by DL)
Westminster Live
Despatch Box
Breakfast (2000 and 2002)
Business Today
2W News & Sport
September 11th One Year On
BBC Parliament
BBC Local Radio
Newyddion
BBC LDN
Newsbeat
BBC World Service Radio
There are probably even more that I can't remember off the top of my head. The point is that even back then most BBC News programmes received David Lowe music - the difference with today being that each and every one of those was completely original and distinctive. Now all his music sounds essentially the same with minor variations.