Question about obits/"news reports"

After seeing that BBC One had a "news report" about the death of a former Prime Minister after Doctor Who, it got me wondering... would BBC One break into the schedule with "news reports" (I say it like that as it is to my understanding that "obits" are only for people like the Queen), if say, someone from the repulsive world of "celebrity" was to die in a shocking way.

Not wanting to sound sick for suggesting it, but what if say, David Beckham or someone equally high profile died unexpectedly? (like Princess Diana was unexpected). Would programmes be interrupted for such a "trivial" person?

There are no hard and fast rules for any situation other than the obvious ones - senior members of the Royal Family, leading politicians, and the pope. These are the only people who would get an "obit", anyone else who ceased to be in a dramatic way would get a news report if the situation merited it. The decision to do a news report would be taken by the relevant news editor in consultation with presentation and the channel controller.

The only high profile celebrity death I can think of in recent years which may have got a news report is Jill Dando.

On that note, has anyone seen the front page of I think it's the Express? Just caught a climpse. Something about it being suggested Archer was involved in the murder of Jill Dando.

I assume that's the same as on the BBC website? That says he ordered the assasination of a prosecution witness, but she was killed in error. Didn't read all of it, to me it was about as logical as Alice in Wonderland. The BBC artical is here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4386441.stm

For some one who was only a high profile presenter on the BBC her death was covered widely across the media that day, as News channels stopped their programming for on-going coverage, ITV even had a News Special in Prime Time and it also got the Six O'Clock News the highest ratings for some time.

If Beckham was to die suddenly, I could guarantee that ITV would break into the schedule to cover it.

Though what marski said is probably the most correct, that these things are saved for very important people, but what would happen if someone like Maggie Thatcher died? As she is likely to be more remembered than Callaghan (no disrespect to the man) and probably be remembered more for such things as the Miner's strike.

...that's except in Scotland, where we went straight into the Italy v Scotland match.

There are very few rules, even for the Royal Family. What happens is at the discretion of the editors on duty at the time.... like most editorial decisions there is hardly ever a cut-and-dried right answer.

Also there are millions of diffent eventualities that could happen... life in unpredictable. You can't plan for what will happen

When Maggie goes the newsflash will be followed by party music and OBs from round the country showing people dancing in the streets