That's strange, as I recall there being loads of excitement on TV Forum way back in June 2001 when we could all watch the Nations news programmes because the news was on BBC2 instead. If the BBC1 Nations had been available all the time, there wouldn't have been any hype.
Well yes but the hype was only among English sky viewers -- the nations were always available on BBC1 in those areas but were encrypted to the postcode [as network was to England].
I remember a couple of members managed to get a Welsh sky card for the nations service -- and Derek Brockway of course.
This is going off topic though. I was trying to compile the details of when and why UK Today ended. First programme, last, presenters, any screenshots anyone may have of the programme; even videos of the logos, that sort of thing. Can anybody help?
I'm very embarrassed to have found I was duped into believing someone who told me they had insider knowledge of an upcoming BBC News presenting team reshuffle. Now I have found it was all false, I wholeheartedly apologise. SORRY!
What no-one seems to have mentioned is that originally (don't know when from) UK Today was produced by (and simulcast on) News 24* - BBC One Digital would opt in to News 24 at 6:30 to show UK Today. (Used to allow for long countdowns up to 7:00, I seem to remember!) It later - for a reason I can't remember - moved to being produced in N6, as previously stated.
What no-one seems to have mentioned is that originally (don't know when from) UK Today was produced by (and simulcast on) News 24* - BBC One Digital would opt in to News 24 at 6:30 to show UK Today. (Used to allow for long countdowns up to 7:00, I seem to remember!) It later - for a reason I can't remember - moved to being produced in N6, as previously stated.
* (unless I'm going completely mad)
It was originally broadcast on News 24 as an hour long programme at 6pm and a half hour programme at 1.30 (IIRC) - short updates were just simply broadcast from the newsroom. It was dropped shortly into News 24's new look in 1999 when it was found the restrictive schedule meant News 24 couldn't break any news during this time.
What no-one seems to have mentioned is that originally (don't know when from) UK Today was produced by (and simulcast on) News 24* - BBC One Digital would opt in to News 24 at 6:30 to show UK Today. (Used to allow for long countdowns up to 7:00, I seem to remember!) It later - for a reason I can't remember - moved to being produced in N6, as previously stated.
* (unless I'm going completely mad)
I certainly remember both the News 24 (+newsroom barstool) version and the CSO version...
The service ended when a small selection of BBC One English regional shows were available at 1830 (and only 1830 - at other times you got BBC One London) via the Red Button. (Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham and Southampton ISTR) It took a while longer for all the BBC One English regions to launch on satellite - which happened when the BBC One ceased to encrypt their services on satellite (which is said to have saved money, as the BBC stopped having to pay Sky for encryption)
The original BBC satellite line-up was :
BBC One Nations : England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland (Encrypted and regionally restricted so only viewable within your nation)
BBC Two England (Encrypted but available in all nations)
BBC Choice Nations : England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland (Encrypted but available in all nations)
BBC News 24 (Encrypted but available in all nations)
At this point all BBC digital services had DOGs ("BBC CHOICE N. Ireland" was a corker...) - and the BBC only broadcast in 16:9 - so 4:3 material was broadcast pillarboxed, and thus postage stamp on letterbox 4:3 displays.
BBC Knowledge launched later - can't remember where BBC Parliament stood (for a long while it wasn't actually produced by the BBC)
When the BBC axed the BBC Choice Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland services, they replaced them with BBC Two Nations instead, but didn't regionally restrict (though I think they could if they had to for sports rights etc.)
Thus when Wimbledon shunted the 1830 regional news from One to Two, it moved from a regionally restricted BBC One, to a viewable across the UK BBC Two.
It's viable it could return in some form if the 6pm bulletin goes the way of the 10pm bulletin and is simulcast on BBC News 24.
I guess the new 7pm News 24 Tonight programme (assuming that is still going) is now supposed to bring regional content to News 24, though I think it's still dominated by the national output.
