News during Euro 2008

Thought it easier to start a new thread than try and slot the info in the correct existing threads.


Euro 2008 kicks off next weekend with matches generally at 5pm and 8pm, with the 5pm games obviously coursing problems with the evening bulletins.

ITV seem to be moving their news to 4pm, with 15 minutes of local news then a 15-minute national bulletin. You'd imagine they'd just get the Lunchtime News hosts to split up with one doing London Tonight and one doing the ITV "Evening" News, rather than brining in Mark or Mary for just a 15-min bulletin.


BBC1 on the Monday have a full news hour scheduled from 7pm, with the regional news at 7.30pm.

On Tuesday though EastEnders claims the 7.30pm slot so it's just half an hour from 7pm, which Digiguide claims to be the regional news - but with no sign of the national news either earlier on BBC1 or on BBC2 I imagine that's a mistake.

Looks like though the BBC have finally had to accept local news can't be moved to BBC2 on such occasions.


The late bulletins should remain unaffected until the knock-out stages, where extra time / penalties could cause some delays, which as we've seen before may course problems for BBC1 and News 24.

It worked better what they did in 2006 and moved the Regional News to either 4.00pm or 6.30pm, the National News at 7.00pm and Emmerdale at 10.00pm, although Emmerdale fans weren't pleased about that one.

Although I don't see why they can't do something like that again. Can't see News At Ten being at 10.00pm for some of the tournament.

Didn't Emmerdale fall to something like 3-4m viewers. I say this every (other) year but it would be better all round to just pull the soaps for a couple of weeks rather than bounce them around the schedules.

That said generally when ITV1 show a 5pm kick-off, the BBC show the evening match (and vice versa), so there is no reason why the Evening News couldn't air at 7pm and then Emmerdale be slotted in at some point between 7.30pm and 9pm.


It would also make more sense for BBC2 to screen the early evening games leaving BBC1 free to air the news at 6pm. And considering BBC2 are screening at least one evening match (seemingly to allow a double bill of EastEnders) I don't see why that would be a problem.

WHAT?! What about Eggheads?

Seriously though, If English regional news cannot be put on BBC2 digital, I agree putting matches at around 6pm on BBC2 would be sensible.

Unfortunately, we now live in an age where broadcasters don't give a toss about the viewers and are more bothered about the ratings. All big sporting events MUST go on BBC1, even though anyone who can get BBC1 will get BBC2. This was the case with the Commonwealth games a few years back in the morning, creating one mighty cock up with respect to regional news.

Some sporting rights agreements mandate that some or all of the events covered as part of that agreement have to be shown on BBC One or ITV1.

It is important to remember that ITV and the BBC don't always have carte blanche to show them on the network they chose...

What on earth? Who is making up those ratings if not the viewers? The little spiders sat on your shoulder? Think before you post please.

Err - the ratings ARE the viewers aren't they?

It is usually a schedulers job to make sure that as many as people as possible watch the shows they schedule... They don't aim to reduce the audiences of special events - they aim to maximise them.

That said - I'll be watching Euro 2008 on BBC HD not BBC One.

There is an evening match in the first week on BBC2 though (BBC1 are showing a Wednesday double bill of EastEnders), so it can't be the case here.


Regional news wise though in Breakfast and that may be an issue during the Olympics, which traditionally see "Olympic Breakfast" on BBC1 with the news based programme on BBC2 - and with the games in Beijing they'll be alot of live action around breakfast time for us.

I think I've been misunderstood, albeit easily - my apologies. What I meant was that in my opinion, broadcasters seem to be more concerned about attracting viewers at the expense of their rivals, rather than the convenience of the viewers. This case illustrates what I'm trying to say. The BBC have got it into their heads that any major event they show will be more prominent and get better ratings on BBC1, rather than BBC2, which is complete and utter rubbish to be quite honest. Now I couldn't care less which one it was shown on, but when it's at the expense of digital viewers in England not being able to watch regional news, that's when I get annoyed.

It's the same principal regarding CAs talking over end credits telling us what's up next. Despite the fact that the majority of viewers find this irritating, broadcasters have maintained they do it to help the viewers. Rubbish. It's purely to stop them changing channels - tough luck to those who want to listen to the closing theme, read the credits or want a steady ending to an emotional programme.

It's about time the people who issue such agreements don't have the right to demand what channel their damm product is shown on IMO.

The rights should be to the company(BBC) not the channel (BBC1) !

Equally BBC should've fixed the system so there is both regional BBC1 & 2 too!

Unlikely to happen. Rights holders have the upper hand in this regard - they are providing the broadcaster with something they want after all, and this is all part of the negotiating process. It may be something that a broadcaster agrees to guarantee in order to retain, or gain, the rights to an event.

Rights holders are requiring guarantees that certain channels broadcast certain events to avoid their sports being sidelined by being shown on a minority channel like ITV2 or BBC Three, and losing the prestige of a BBC One / ITV1 slot.

As for regional opts on BBC Two - the cost of implementing them (though possibly reduced for Freeview when they Beeb shifts from regional coding to central coding) is prohibitive - particularly when you consider how many more satellite transponders would be required (and there aren't many left on Astra 2D - which would be a requirement for a UK footprint for FTA broadcast)

I wouldn't hold your breath - given that there is no scheduled regional opt-out activity on BBC Two (apart possibly from the BBC North macro-region Rugby League stuff if that hasn't been fully networked) - in the current funding reduction climate (a result of a rubbish licence fee settlement) any spending on non-essential stuff is unlikely.

Can't see spending millions of quid to provide occasional BBC Two opts in England can be remotely justified.

Don't think that is really the case when it comes to re-scheduling for sporting events. Most viewers expect major live sporting events - football, rugby etc. to be shown on BBC One, with secondary events on BBC Two.

Showing major matches on BBC One is an accepted part of the channel's remit - and has been for many years.

One could argue that NOT showing these events on BBC One is inconveniencing a larger audience - the ones who are used to major sporting events being on BBC One.



Is it? I think most of the public would agree with the schedulers. Most people think that the important events are on BBC One - by being on BBC One they almost become more important. This probably dates back to the days when BBC Two had a much smaller potential audience as it was 625 UHF only, whilst BBC One was 405 VHF and then both 405 VHF AND 625 UHF, so covered a larger number of TV sets!

As for the BBC One vs BBC Two rating thing - you can argue that this is self-perpetuating - but events on Two seldom rate as well as events on One. If you showed the football on Two and it got a lower audience - there is a strong argument that you've not served the audience well.



It is unlikely to cause a regional bulletin to shift onto BBC Two - it is more likely that the regional slot will change TX times I would imagine. It is now widely known that such a large chunk of the audience can't watch regional BBC Two opt-outs (in fact a number of regions can't opt out on BBC Two analogue or digital) as they are digital only - and any news schedule changes are more likely to shift TX time rather than channel.