Children's BBC and BBC Ulster

During the broom cupboard years Philip Schofield or whoever would say bye to viewers in northern Ireland because their local bulletin was starting where for the rest of the country CBBC continued. Why was this?

Because BBC in NI wanted to be on air first with the news and to beat UTV. This happened from 1985 until 12 February 1996 when the main evening programme returned to a 6.30pm.

This was, of course, during the Troubles, so there was plenty of news in that patch.

Although I think "Goodbye Wales" was a thing too for a while?

Actually BBC Wales had to have its local news at 17.35 as well until 1988 because its studio was also used for Welsh version of the new on S4C at 18.30, Thus there needed time to switch around.

Ah, that makes sense. Did S4C take Channel 4 News after Newyddion?

I don't think they ever took the 7pm bulletin. May have taken the Noon edition when that launched, but not 100% sure.

I don't remember that.

The thing is No one could make up their minds in wales to put what where. Even during that 4 year period Wales news was moved back to 18.35 with Newyddion still going out at 7pm. It seems it just didn't work having 1min turn around, who know! so it was moved back again..

Didn't S4C have its own hq at the time

BBC Still make the news programme to this day...

BBC and S4C only solved the problem when Newyddion was moved to six O'clock, and shortened in length (Im sure Superted would appear afterwards sometime ) So there was 10-15mins gap to turn everything around.

Edit: I think an extra bulletin was also introduced at this time?

I remember that farewell as a child. The reason was that "Inside Ulster" was their local news programme from 1984-1996 and it aired from 5.35pm until 6.00pm. This was the time slot where Neighbours aired in the rest of the UK. They wanted to start the programme fast, and to try and get a full 25 minute programme slot. UTV was very competitive, with their "Six Tonight" one hour news slot from 6-7pm on Ulster Television at the time. UTV used to beat the BBC every night.


Neighbours would air at 6.30pm, and would be followed by another Inside Ulster update at 6.55pm.

In February 1996, Inside Ulster was axed, and a new programme Newsline 6.30 was created. Their launch was an awful start, for some reason the BBC dumped the usual newsreaders Sean Rafferty, Connor Bradford, Seamus McKee and Wendy Austin, and brought in two reporters - Yvette Shapiro and Jim Dougal. Within weeks the ratings got worse than before, and the older team were reinstated.

My memory from the 1980s is of "Today's Sport" at 5.35pm, often with Mark Robson, for five minutes. Inside Ulster then followed at 5.40pm.