Viewers in the south of England latest to benefit from revamped BBC regional news provision.
- South Today joins growing list of regional news services to relaunch from standardised studio set.
- The region is first outside of London to have completed both elements of a project to upgrade regional news programmes on BBC One.
The BBC opted for a low key midweek launch of a new studio set for BBC South Today. Wednesday evening’s bulletin was the first from the revamped studio, with new look Breakfast bulletins following this morning.
Following the completion of the work, South Today joins a growing number of other regions that have switched to a new standardised regional news look, which features a tower screen on the left and a sofa and desk on the right.
First for BBC Local
Uniquely so far, BBC South is the first to complete both the gallery and studio set refresh that’s been rolling out across the regions outside of London. Most other regions have so far only completed one or the other.
The gallery upgrades are linked to regional news bulletins actually being broadcast in HD, despite the BBC launching HD channels for each region. Where the upgrade isn’t complete, regional news and adjacent programme junctions are upscaled.
To facilitate the work, the BBC has had to combine some weekend bulletins with neighbouring BBC South East.
South Today was previously broadcasting in HD, but from its old studio set which was based on the pre-2013 BBC News look.
Some other regions have a new studio set but haven’t had a gallery update to broadcast in HD. Regions including BBC East have had the gallery update, so can broadcast in HD. However, they don’t have the new studio set.
The BBC hasn’t publicly set out a deadline by when all English regional news programmes will be broadcast in both full HD and from new studio sets.
BBC regional news programmes first began to be standardised across England in 1999. But over the years, different regions have attempted to introduce their own look, feel and presentation before the next corporate revamp invariably brings them back into line.