With Ofcom’s blessing, the combined BBC News service for UK and International viewers goes live on 3rd April, with the BBC promising an “improvement” on the current service.
The BBC has been largely quiet about providing details about what happens from 3rd April and how it plans to balance world and UK news agendas. That’s despite ongoing controversy and media interest in its plans. Ofcom has committed the BBC to provide further details next week, when the 2023-24 BBC Annual Plan is due to be be published, just days before the new service – which combines the current BBC News Channel with BBC World News – goes live.
But what hits TV screens from 3rd April will not be the finished product. Viewers can expect further tweaks in the coming months, as changes are phased in. Of the details that are already known:
- On-screen, five current BBC World News daytime and evening presenters, recently appointed as the main faces of the new channel will guide viewers through the day.
- The BBC News countdown will be updated and there will updates to overall graphics and titles, including the end of the BBC News red box (seen in the image above), although the BBC News globe is set to be retained.
- There will also be studio changes, with presenters encouraged to get away from the desk.
Ofcom scrutiny
After the BBC attempted to remove the channel’s main obligation regarding the provision of UK news stories from the regions, Ofcom has this week inserted a new obligation into the BBC’s operating licence. It requires the channel to “ensure that it provides high quality local, regional, national, UK and international news”, although critics have said the obligation is vague and subjective.
Ofcom says it will be closely monitoring the new service, including conducting audience research. In light of public responses to last year’s consultation on BBC operating licence changes, the regulator says it is considering introducing further obligations on the BBC to deliver to its UK audiences.
A number of organisations, including the National Union of Journalists had called on Ofcom to put the BBC’s plans for the news channel out to full consultation. Ahead of the change, the BBC had already retired a number of UK-only segments on the News channel, including The Film Review and The Papers.
▶ Interim BBC News schedule from Monday 3rd April 2023
- UK viewers will break-away for simulcasts of existing news programmes on BBC One and Two, including Newsnight at 22:30.
- Short feature programmes as five minutes to the hour, including short edits from Click and The Travel Show continue on BBC News internationally.
- The UK feed can break from the main BBC News feed for UK-specific breaking news stories between 09:00 and 23:00.
- There’s scope for UK viewers to ‘crash’ into and out of the main international feed of BBC News at the beginning and end of opt-out programmes.
Schedule (All times UK, i.e. British Summer Time)
The final schedule is subject to change.
| Time | UK | World |
|---|---|---|
| 06:00 | BBC Breakfast | BBC News :30 World Business Report :55 Feature |
| 07:00 | BBC Breakfast | BBC News :30 World Business Report :55 Feature |
| 08:00 | BBC Breakfast | BBC News :30 Features |
| 09:00 | BBC News | As UK :55 Feature |
| 10:00 | BBC News | As UK :30 HARDtalk |
| 11:00 | BBC News :30 World Business Report :45 BBC News | As UK :55 Feature |
| 12:00 | BBC News | As UK |
| 13:00 | BBC News At One :30 Sportsday :45 BBC News | BBC News |
| 14:00 | BBC News :30 World Business Report :45 BBC News | As UK |
| 15:00 | BBC News | As UK |
| 16:00 | BBC News | As UK :55 Feature |
| 17:00 | BBC News | As UK :30 Focus on Africa |
| 18:00 | BBC News At Six :30 Sportsday | BBC News |
| 19:00 | BBC News | As UK :55 Feature |
| 20:00 | BBC News | As UK |
| 21:00 | BBC News | As UK :55 Feature |
| 22:00 | BBC News :30 Newsnight | BBC World News America :30 HARDtalk |
| 23:00 | :10 Newsday :30 HARDtalk | Newsday :30 Asia Business Report :45 Sportsday |
| 00:00 | Newsday :30 Asia Business Report :45 Sportsday | Newsday :30 Asia Business Report :45 Sportsday |
| 01:00 | Newsday :30 Asia Business Report :45 Sportsday | As UK |
| 02:00 | BBC News :30 Asia Business Report :45 Sportsday | As UK |
| 03:00 | BBC News :30 Our World | As UK |
| 04:00 | BBC News :30 HARDtalk | As UK |
| 05:00 | BBC News :30 World Business Report | As UK |
Availability
The combined BBC News channel will continue to be broadcast on Freeview, Freesat, Sky, Virgin Media, BT TV and iPlayer, as well as via the former BBC World News outlets on Astra 19.2 and Hotbird, among others, from 3rd April.
In an internal email, the BBC indicated that it plans to offer additional online streams containing UK specific news later in the year. But the BBC is yet to publicly confirm these plans.
Marc Thornham