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The Six and Ten of BBC News

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The opening for last nights BBC News at 6pm and 10pm. The sets are excellent, and much better than anything we have in Australia.

42 replies on “The Six and Ten of BBC News”

The new BBC national news sets look fine to me, but they’ve also brought with them a more commercial feel to the BBC One buletins- something that’s raised a few eyebrows with Politicians. The ITV News has always been a bit ‘stand up and walk about’, but the BBC has typically been ‘behind desk’. One politician, the former Foreign Secretary said that he wanted Newsreaders to stop ‘prancing’ about!!!

I love these – it is an evolution and the BBC really are the best at news in the whole world

I particularly love the swirly dissolve – very James Bond, I have nver seen any news program do a dissolve like that.

Thanks John!

grrrrr… not that impressed.

For one thing, I don’t see anything about this that is NOT commercial. It’s not that I don’t like commercialism, but what happened to the “public broadcaster” role here?

Also, that is some bad-ass chemistry…. bad-ass as in bad.

Also, yeah the opens are all sleek and shit, but sometimes, you know, it can be all a bit too esoteric and up itself…

The sets: I’m not huge on anchors standing up, especially two like that.

They just remixed the news theme for News 24, and you can find a video of the “countdown” sequence, which is quite brilliant.

I love watching News 24 at 59 minutes to the hour just to see how much of it is played :blush:

Fox1, how exactly does a set and opening music demonstrate a channel’s public broadcasting role?

How can you look at a set and say ‘ooh its so commercial’???

What ACTUALLY matters is the content – and I think you’ll find that on that level the BBC is in no way commercial.

1 love the new look but i miss the “thump” at the end of the titles, also i say in some parts of the projection of London that some bits were duplicated (i.e the same tall building standing next to each other)

I like the new glossy globe, but the timing of the opener has been ruined – it’s been speeded up, and it’s lost it’s thump.

May I ask, how did you get a BBC feed?

I didn’t actually record it myself, Graham, a fellow reader of this blog kindly taped it for me on his EyeTV and iDisk’d it to me.

Most of the UK stuff on this site comes from him. (Thanks Graham!)

By Post Author

The music “thumps” reminds me of 9’s Nightline. Also while the graphics are nice they are very similar to those I’ve been seeing on BBC World News Channel for a while. The large walkabout set is nice but I prefer them to sit down and the backgrounds really remind me of 7’s in Sydney and Melbourne but on a larger scale. And did anyone else think that they look like they are standing on a Star Trek transporter pad at the start? Frankly while they are large and new I still think Seven News in Sydney, Melbourne and I think now Adelaide have the classiest sets going round. It seems like no a whole lot of nes in their intro, more current affairs, like if ABC news and the 7.30 report merged. And they have the same “Seven Listens” style public surveys apparently.

The content of the bulletins really varies – the 6 O’Clock bulletin is far more ‘commercial’ and has more of a current affairs style. It concentrates much more on UK and human-interest stories than the 10 O’Clock bulletin which often leads on an international story and has a more ‘serious’ agenda. I guess this is what the BBC is about – it tries to cater for everyone – from the really laid back style of Breakfast to the ‘high-brow’ agenda of Newsnight.
One thing that really pisses me off in news programmes is the cross-promotion of other shows masquerading as news – always after the report the newsreader says ‘And you can see more on this story on Panorama, Sunday night on BBC One…’

Ah…I see. As for cross promotion, the extent of it that we have is say at the end of the 7news 6pm bulliten our newsreader will say something like “that’s the way it is this (insert day and date), Today Tonight is next with Naomi Robson, from all of us at the 7 newsroom good night.” Today Tonight being the “public affairs” show to follow. The govt. funded ABC usually introduces their version, the 7.30 report too. But with no ads on the ABC you can forgive them for tryin to hook you. But as for the expensive looking BBC sets, well you should expect no less considering you have to pay for the privelige! Licence fees for free-to-air tv in aus went away with the demise of black and white. Now the govt funds and ABC(albeit not enough, Howard doesn’t care for it, and can do what he likes now since he is essentially a dictator thanks to the aus voter giving him majority in both houses) and partially SBS(The Eurovision broadcaster…What a joke that Finland won…Eurovision had an air of legitimacy in 2005…then poof its all gone…my comments this yr were more acerbic than the insufferable Terry Wogan), they are allowed limited ads, the 7, 9 and 10 networks are all commercially driven.

I don’t know the exact stats, but I think it’s usually about half of people surveyed (me included) say they don’t mind paying the licence fee. The BBC do a pretty good job of cross-promoting all their services e.g. promos for Radio 5 Live on BBC One, or trails for BBC Three shows on Radio 1. Having said that I’m not sure a lot of people realise just how much they get for their £125 a year – 8 TV channels, 10 national radio stations, dozens of local radio stations, bbc.co.uk… etc etc. (compare that to a £40 a month Sky subscription)…. and I don’t even work for the BBC!

I don’t mind BBC’s cross promotion because they can do a good job providing TV and Radio, and a little promo or plug won’t hurt anyone because of that.

Not like ITV, where for some unknown reason they have got RTS Best News Program for some unknown reason (i think that is what the award is). Them acting so serious makes me want to say “BREATHE!”.

it’s much more than the set that made me say that.

From the start… (by the way, it’s not that I think it’s terrible or anything).. the following scream “commercialization”!: the fact the 2 anchors are standing up; the woman is on the left; the rather bright, American-looking cityscape imaging (looks like WPVI Philadelphia); the fact the top story is given an almost-promo-esque opening headline, that the top story is all hard-“action”-crime-news, the “country awash with drugs” line, the fact George says right first up “AT SIX O’CLOCK…” , the fact the anchorwoman is kind of from central casting, complete with a “Kay Burley-esque” “attitude”, how the anchor guy and woman are standing so close together…

The open itself.. yeah, I can admire the opening sequence, the animation, the graphics, the art.. it’s nice work, classy. The theme, yes, it’s nice. But like I say, it’s a bit too cool for school. It might freeze it’s so cool.. (ha! get it?!). The 2-shot backdrop is nice enough, but I’m not a huge fan of standing, especially 2 together like that! The last frame looks straight out of Sky. By the way, watching the BBC 6, LDN, and 10… are there any anchormen who are originally English?

SO many people to respond to!

Fox1 – they only stand up for the first bit – they sit behind the desk for most of the bulletin.

‘are there any anchormen who are oroginally english’

I hope you don’t mean ‘white’ because that is offensive – every anchor on BBC news is BRITISH (remember there is more to the UK than just England).

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I don’t mind the BBC or ABC ‘cross promotion’ because it is actually relevant – they are pointing you to a place of further information.

What I hate is the commercial stations ‘cross promotion’ where NINE news will have a story about how someone is up for the million dollar question on ‘who wants to be a milllionaire’ later that night. That is bad cross promotion! (and NOT news)

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THe license fee is a great system, and ensures the BBC is adequately funded – the British get fantastic value for their fee. I wish the ABC had a similar system still.

ahhh, I know what English is. Huw is Welsh. That’s why I said English. It’s a simple question.

OK, they only stand up for the first bit. So? That doesn’t negate the stuff I said.

I just said, are there any anchormen who are originally English?… that is not offensive. The 6pm guy is originally from Indian heritage (or Maldives, or somewhere, I don’t know), the BBC LDN guy appears from Indian heritage, Huw is Welsh. It is a fair question… and , yeah, dude, I’d be asking the other way too if all the anchors were white

Still, we do pay for the ABC with taxes, and they do an amazing job with the budget they have, a national free-to-air station(envy of the world because of its shear quality and lack of fees and or ads), a digital station, something like 150 or more local radio stations and national ones like NewsRadio.
And Yes Nine’s cross promotion can be shocking as can Ten’s (eg. during Melbourne grand prix, which they covered, every secong story on Ten News Melbourne was on it). At any rate the ABC’s Media Watch programme has taken Nine, at least, to task many times over their cross promotion and irrelevent “news” stories.
SBS’s anchors are a varitable cultural stew, from Anton Enus and Mary Kostakedes (sorry bout spelling) to Li-Li Ching. And ABC News’ melbourne sports presenter is Greek, her name escapes me but I remember when she was bumped to weekends for a generic sport wrap up from Sydney and there were protests and strikes, the ABC still receives dozens of calls a week about it. Any way I suppose it only makes sense to have Greek anchors(also Helen Kapalos who reads Ten News) in Melboure since it is the largest Greek city outside of Greece.

well, Fox 1 why exactly do they need to have ‘English’ newsreaders? This is a national news broadcast – to all of the UK.

Besides, three of the four female anchors are English.

How boring would it be if the BBC reverted to what they used to be like in the 1950s when every newsreader was white, upper class, and spoke using received pronounciation? I think they’ve deliberately moved away from that in an represent the country as a whole, and quite rightly. It is the British Broadcasting Corporation after all. Mind you, I think it’ll be a while before they have a black newsreader on Spotlight in the south west!

yeah, but, Andy, you’re not exactly getting my point.

I never wrote “they need to have ‘English’ newsreaders”.

As you say, it’s a “British” broadcast, which can be clearly seen in the backdrop. …ah, sorry, that’s London. oh yeah!

If “originally English” anchormen on prime BBC newscasts (BBC 6, London and 10) are an endangered species, then I;m gonna ask if that’s the case, just like those good old BBC journos.

Is there a reason why people from, I dunno, 80% of the male population of Britain (that is, “originally English”), don’t have the big anchor gigs on these shows

Yes, there is a reason.

There are two in fact

First, the other newsreaders are better – so they got the job.

Second, this is an attempt by the BBC to select people form a wider pool of talent – and accurately reflect the diversity of the UK.

Besides – there are MANY ‘English’ (or as you really mean ‘white’) news anchors in the UK. SO this debate is irrelevant, becuase you are seeing a problem where none exists.

uhh, but my point is, in prime BBC newscasts, eliminating 80% of the male population is not “accurately reflecting” the diversity of the UK. Sure, there may be many “English readers of original English heritage” in the UK, but I’m talking about the BBC’s prime newscasts.

I would be mentioning it if it was the other way around too.. and non –By the way, you say I mean “white”. Uhhhhh, last time I checked, Huw Edwards was white. The issue for me is not about “white” at all.– It would be the same for me if non-English were getting the short end of the stick. And no, I was never a fan of the posher-than-the-Queen BBC readers of previous eras.. Nicholas Witchell, Martin Lewis, Sue Lawley and so on.

But they are not ‘eliminating’ them, as you put it – there are still ‘white english male’ newsanchors – but they do not doninate the line up.

Instead the lineup has a diverse range of anchors to reflect a diverse range of viewers.

What part of this do you not get?

“But they are not ‘eliminating’ them, as you put it – there are still ‘white english male’ newsanchors – but they do not doninate the line up.”

so there ARE white English male main newsanchors on the BBC six o’clock, ten o’clock and London news?

“Instead the lineup has a diverse range of anchors to reflect a diverse range of viewers.”…

or , to put it another way, 80% of the male viewers are of “English heritage” (it’s my crude guess), and the total number of anchormen from that group on prime BBC1 news programs is zero?

I am very much for reflecting diversity, …..but, if there’s something going on at BBC1 along the lines of “no English guys (from English heritage) at night”, then that kind of deserves a mention. I’m not saying anything about it one way or the other. But if that;s what the Beeb is doing, then let’s call it that, get it out in the open.

Graham, I believe the rough figure is 60% would arther not pay the LF – but I don’t think it was 60% are against it – at any rate, we’re guarnetted another 10 years thankfully.

@Nick Renwick – the ‘expensive’ sets are actually cost-cutting! There are two almost identical sets, which are used for the BBC News bulletins, Newsnight, Working Lunch, Newsround, Politics Show and Sunday AM. The reason behind this (and I bet the sets cost a /lot/ to make) is that it has tremendously cut down on scene-shifters etc. who had to move all the numerous sets round and take down/put up new ones each time – now they just chnage the furniture and digital backdrop. 🙂

Sorry, wrong.

As you said in your first two posts at least ‘any originally english anchormen’

you didn’t say primetime!

The evidence is above, in your early posts.

I hear the sound of Fox1 clutching at straws, desperate to prove non-existant discrimination!

i said… “By the way, watching the BBC 6, LDN, and 10… are there any anchormen who are originally English? ” That is a direct reference to BBC at 6, 10 and London.

.. the second comment is referring to that first comment.

..the third comment mentioned ” prime BBC newscasts (BBC 6, London and 10)”]

…the fourth comment mentioned “prime BBC newscasts” twice.

..the fifth comment referred to evening BBC1 newscasts 3 times.

the sixth comment says “i have said so many times… prime-time BBC ONE newscasts”.

Bye bye Fox1.

I am leaving you here, shouting out to no one in paticular about invented discrimination.

There, there you poor little thing.

The BBC shouldn’t be allowed to advertise having EIGHT TV channels. While CBBC and CBees (or whatever they call it) are on the air, BBC3 and BBC4 are off air. Then at 7pm, the kids channels close down and BBC 3 & BBC4 begin. Also, night time and Breakfast are EXACTLY THE SAME on BBC1 and BBC News 24. In reality there are only 6 channels, and the BBC don’t do ANYTHING (other than add a massive BBC Logo) to the feeds on BBC Parliament. AND there aren’t even announcers or presenters on BBC Parliament. They really only have to work on FIVE channels at once, and BBC2 consists of a lot of re-runs and stuff like “MURDER SHE WROTE”.

I didn’t like the opening sequence initially, but the revamped version (especially the clear globe and staggered fade out at the end really makes up for a pretty bland logo and colour scheme. To be honest I thought it was the worst they had come up with for years when it was released. The previous one was much better.

I actually quite liked the opening sound to this ident used from time to time on news 24.

I also liked the Flash Gordon style radio mast of the late 80’s and the overall look and feel of this was certainly ahead of its time.

The BBC shouldn’t be allowed to advertise having EIGHT TV channels. While CBBC and CBees (or whatever they call it) are on the air, BBC3 and BBC4 are off air. Then at 7pm, the kids channels close down and BBC 3 & BBC4 begin. Also, night time and Breakfast are EXACTLY THE SAME on BBC1 and BBC News 24. In reality there are only 6 channels, and the BBC don’t do ANYTHING (other than add a massive BBC Logo) to the feeds on BBC Parliament. AND there aren’t even announcers or presenters on BBC Parliament. They really only have to work on FIVE channels at once, and BBC2 consists of a lot of re-runs and stuff like “MURDER SHE WROTE”

There is a wonderful thing called Freeview and those channels have to timeshare! (BBC3 – CBBC, BB4 – CBEEBIES).

On the subject of BBC “english” representation. Actually i think that if you look around most terrestrial news channels are severly underlacking in fair rep. Can someone please tell me where the BLACK faces are. The only non-white faces out there are Asian. Since Trevor left and Darren…the Black population don’t really exist. And hang on a minute before you all start screaming whats colour got to do with it, I’m White, but i’m uncomfortable with such a gap.

you might not be so eager about the BBC if you had to pay for this utter shite,the BBC long ago ceased to be a public service broadcaster ,they are leftie ,pro europe anti usa,pro palestine anti-Israel,and about time they were made to stand or fall in a free market,instead of robbing the public under duress with threats of fines and imprisonment for choosing not to fund what is a de facto commercial organisation if the BBC is so beloved of the people in the uk they should not be afraid of going to subscription,but they know damn well that they would not raise the 3.billion pounds per annum withut the thug tactics they employ at the present time.

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