Forum for former BBC staff

Forum for former BBC staff
http://www.ex-bbc.net/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl >> News and Comment >> "Save The News Channel" http://www.ex-bbc.net/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1463518450 Message started by Administrator on May 17^th, 2016, 8:55pm

Title: "Save The News Channel"
Post by Administrator on May 17^th, 2016, 8:55pm

Roger Mosey has expressed HIS opinion in The Guardian, here.

He ends his piece with the following:-

"Would Rupert Murdoch abandon his market-leading Fox News in America? Although Sky News is excellent, do we really want it to be the only UK-based 24-hour channel? It may be time to hang a banner opposite New Broadcasting House: “Save the BBC News Channel.”"

Roger Mosey is master of Welwyn College Cambridge and a former editorial director of the BBC.

Title: Re: "Save The News Channel"
Post by Administrator on May 17^th, 2016, 11:09pm

There is an on-line petition asking to..

"Save The News Channel".

"TO: JAMES HARDING, DIRECTOR OF NEWS AND CURRENT AFFAIRS, BBC

Preserve our News Channel as it currently stands and refrain from merging it with BBC World News thereby keeping precious national scrutiny and accountability.

Why is this important?

BBC licence fee payers want a separate UK news channel that reports Britain to itself and holds politicians, other public officials and the private sector to rigorous and focused account in that unique and special BBC way. This is in contrast to a global channel with international focus and priorities."

The petition may be found, here.
 

Title: Re: "Save The News Channel"
Post by Amigo on May 18^th, 2016, 8:40am

For the vast majority of European viewers "Sky News" is the default source of UK News. It has been for many years.

This is because SKY News is on a strong transmitter feeding the whole of Europe. Europeans can't receive the BBC News Channel. Many British viewers through the whole of Europe use SKY equipment and watch SKY News, because it’s all they can receive.

If the (alleged) proposed marriage of BBC World News and the BBC News Channel goes ahead, then there will be many times when a late-evening UK news story breaks, the "BBC World News TV Channel" will not cover the UK story, will not be able to react to the UK story, and the only 'live' coverage will be on Sky News.

BBC World News is available in Europe but it is not on the most-commonly-used satellite. Astra at 28.2.

Perhaps the combined channel might re-appear on a full-strength Pan-European beam and be available to all Europeans.
Perhaps it might be fully-funded by commercials.... it might even pay for itself.... why not bite-the-bullet and pay Mr. Murdoch for access to their encryption and add a ‘BBC Europe TV Channel’ with commercials, showing BBC One’s output (where legally possible) and fill the gaps with other BBC material-and adverts!? As it’s aimed at ’non-UK people’ who cares about adverts?

Since the recent cuts were executed, UK news has been poorly-served after midnight UK Time. Why we need pictures from Singapore I don't know, when a story is 'breaking' in the UK.

The programme seems incapable of telling me about it. It must be frustrating for those in the newsroom. It certainly is as a viewer.

Whatever is shown on SKY News is perceived to be ‘British News’ throughout Europe.

Title: Re: "Save The News Channel"
Post by WG on May 18^th, 2016, 12:51pm

Roger's piece is excellent. For interest though-My news digesting habits are as follows.
A.M-Breakfast Time
1)Check Sky News -on line app- for overnight breaking stories
2) Read Newspaper Review on the BBC News Website app
3) Quick read of digital edition of the Times from their app

P.M-Listen -whenever possible to the 18.00 Radio 4 News bulletin-the only-repeat only- 30 minute complete News broadcast on Radio during a 24 hr period. So good is it--that if i miss it at 18.00-I listen to it later-an hour or so- on the BBC Radio Iplayer app

Bedtime-quick check of any closing headlines either on BBC News TV or more likely the Sky News app.

In summary-I do not mind particularly if the TV news platform for BBC News is reduced if the website coverage is retained and Radio continues to thrive.

Title: Re: "Save The News Channel"
Post by Administrator on May 31^st, 2016, 3:24pm

Neil Midgley (a writer and contributor to BBC TV News programmes) expresses his opinion as to why:-

"The BBC News TV Channel Must Be Saved".

Neil's piece, in Forbes Magazine, may be found here.

Title: Re: "Save The News Channel"
Post by JohnW on May 31^st, 2016, 4:18pm

It really is time that BBC Management realise that not everyone is wandering around with a very smart mobile instrument to receive the News at every moment of the day!

If James Harding is so motivated to get all their efforts devoted to "BBC News mobile" then he needs to be reined in, and reminded that a good proportion of his audience is NOT on a mobile - or indeed always on the internet - and that we want intelligent presenters to be there and managing the process when something BIG occurs.

Frankly, if he's so concerned to get the costs down by some 10%, then I can think of one immediate saving (even if it doesn't amount to that 10%!) which he could make - bite the bullet and make himself redundant, since his contribution to the output of BBC News is of such miniscule value that I bet the UK audience wouldn't even be aware of his departure.