BBC News(known asBBC World Newsuntil 2023) is aninternationalEnglish-languagepay televisionchannel owned by BBC Global News Ltd. – a subsidiary ofBBC Studios– and operated by theBBC Newsdivision of theBBC.The network carries news bulletins, documentaries, and other factual programmes; it broadcasts from studios inLondon,Washington, D.C.,andSingapore.As of April 2023, the channel largely operates as an international feed of theBBC News channelin the UK, sharing the majority of its schedule.
![]() Logo used since 2023 | |
Country | United Kingdom |
---|---|
Broadcast area | Worldwide (except the UK) |
Network | BBC News |
Headquarters | Broadcasting House |
Programming | |
Language(s) | English |
Picture format | 1080iHDTV (downscaled to16:9576i/480ifor theSDTVfeeds; Latin American sub-feed downscaled toletterboxed4:3480i) |
Ownership | |
Owner | BBC Studios (BBC Global News Ltd) |
Sister channels | See list |
History | |
Launched | 16 January 1995 |
Former names | BBC World (1995–2008) BBC World News (2008–2023) |
Links | |
Website | www |
Availability | |
Terrestrial | |
Boxer TV Access(Sweden) | Channel 27 |
RiksTV(Norway) | Channel 55 |
Digital terrestrial television(Andorra) | Channel 20 |
ERT(Greece) | Channel 48 Channel 56 (HD) |
GOtv(Sub-Saharan Africa) | Channel 41 |
Digital terrestrial television (Mauritius) | Channel 2 |
Nexmedia (Indonesia) | Channel 703 |
Foxtel(Australia) Fetch TV(Australia) | Channel 606 Channel 174 |
DStv(Sub-Saharan Africa) | Channel 400 |
Zuku TV (Kenya) | Channel 510 |
Launched on 11 March 1991 asBBC World Service Televisionoutside Europe, its name was changed toBBC Worldon 16 January 1995 and toBBC World Newson 21 April 2008 and again toBBC News (International)on 3 April 2023 after its consolidation with the domestic BBC News Channel. According to the BBC, the combined seven channels of the Global News operations have the largest audiencemarket shareamong allits rivals,with an estimated 99 million viewers weekly in 2016–2017, part of the estimated 121 million weekly audience of all its operations.[1]
Unlike the BBC's domestic channels, it is funded by subscription and advertising revenues, and not by theUnited Kingdom television licence.[2]As such, the channel is not broadcast in the UK directly, although selected programmes and bulletins have been carried on the domestic BBC News channel (especially duringovernighthours), and vice versa (including domestic programmes such asClickandHARDtalk,and duringbreaking newsand special events in the UK).
In April 2023, the BBC began to further consolidate the programming and talent of the two channels as part of a corporation-wide streamlining of operations, with both channels now using the BBC News branding. The international feed remains an advertising-supported service, but the two services are structured to use a common schedule with domesticopt-outsfor UK-specific news coverage and programmes.
History
editThe channel originally started as BBC World Service Television and was a commercial operation. TheBritish governmentrefused to fund the new television service using grant-in-aid. (BBC World Service radiowas funded by agrant-in-aidfrom theForeign, Commonwealth and Development Officeuntil 2014.) The channel started broadcasting on 11 March 1991, after two weeks of real-time pilots, initially as a half-hour bulletin once a day at 19:00GMT.
On Thursday, 26 January 1995 at 19:00GMT,BBC World Service Television was split into two services:
- BBC World started broadcasting on Monday, 16 January 1995 at 19:00 GMT and became a 24-hour English free-to-air international news channel.
- BBC Primestarted broadcasting on Monday, 30 January 1995 at 19:00 GMT and became the BBC's light entertainment channel, later replaced byBBC Entertainment.
BBC World's on-air design was changed significantly on 3 April 2000, bringing it closer to the look of its sister channel in the UK which was then known as BBC News 24, the on-air look of which had been redesigned in 1999.[3]The look of both channels was made up of red and cream and designed by Lambie-Nairn, with music based on a style described as 'drums and beeps' composed byDavid Lowe,a departure from the general orchestral nature of music used by other news programmes.
On 8 December 2003, a second makeover, using the same 'drums and beeps' style music but new graphics took place, although on a much smaller scale than that of 2000. The music was changed slightly, while the main colour scheme became black and red, with studios using frosted glass and white and red colours. Later in 2004, the channel's slogan becamePutting News First,replacingDemand a Broader View.
On 21 April 2008, as part of a £550,000 rebranding of the BBC's overall news output and visual identity, the channel was rebranded asBBC World News.It later moved to the renovated studio vacated by BBC News 24 (now the BBC News Channel). New graphics were produced by the Lambie-Nairn agency and the music was reworked by David Lowe.
Move to Broadcasting House
editThe channel relocated toBroadcasting Housefrom its previous home atTelevision Centreon 14 January 2013. This was part of the move of BBC News and other audio and vision departments of the BBC into one building in Central London. Broadcasting House was refurbished for £1 billion. A new newsroom and several state-of-the-art studios were built.[4]
Consolidation with the domestic BBC News channel
editOn 26 May 2022, as part of planned cuts and streamlining across the broadcaster, the BBC announced plans for consolidation of thedomestic BBC News channelin the UK with BBC World News. The domestic and international versions would share a larger amount of content while maintaining the ability for opt-outs when necessary.[5][6][7]The BBC promoted the service as offering "new flagship programmes built around high-profile journalists, and programmes commissioned for multiple platforms".[8]In preparation for the expansion, the BBC began to add additional staff to itsWashington, D.C.bureau.[8]
The first stage of these changes took effect on 3 April 2023, when the BBC World News channel changed its name toBBC News,and began to consolidate its on-air lineups and programming with the UK BBC News channel. This resulted in layoffs of about 50 employees, including presentersDavid Eades,Joanna Gosling,andTim Willcox.[9][10][11]Despite the changes, the international feed of BBC News – which continues to be distributed by BBC Studios[8]– stillopts outof programmes that are specific to UK audiences, such as simulcasts ofBBC Onenews bulletins andNewsnight.Deadline Hollywoodhas reported that in response to concerns over the arrangement by the telecom and broadcasting regulatorOfcom,BBC News was considering allowing for more UK-specific opt-outs.[9]
Broadcasting
editLive news output originates from studios B, C and E inBroadcasting Housewith some recorded programming from Broadcasting House studios A and D and the BBCMillbankstudio, as well as Manchester, Singapore and Washington, D.C. The BBC News newsroom is now part of the new consolidated BBC Newsroom in Broadcasting House along with BBC World Service and UK domestic news services.
Previously, the channel was broadcast in4:3,with the news output fitted into a14:9frame for bothdigitalandanaloguebroadcasting, resulting inblack bandsat the top and bottom of the screen. On 13 January 2009 at 09:57 GMT, the then-named BBC World News switched its broadcast to16:9format, initially in Europe on theAstra 1L satellite,[12]and then, from 20 January 2009, on the Eutelsat Hot Bird 6 satellite which fed other broadcast feeds in the Asian region. The channel ceased broadcasting on analogue satellite on 18 April 2006.[13]
High-definition
editAs a result of the move to Broadcasting House, BBC News gained new studios and equipment to be able to broadcast inhigh-definition.On 5 August 2013, the international feed of BBC News was offered as aHigh Definition(HD) feed across theMiddle Eastwhen it launched its international HD channel on theArab Satellite Communications Organization.Arabsat was the BBC's first distribution partner in the Middle East to offer the channel in HD. On 1 April 2015, the then-named BBC World News Channel started broadcasting in high definition on the 11.229 GHz/V transponder onAstra 1KRat the19.2°Eorbital position, availablefree-to-airto viewers with 60 cm dishes across Europe and coastal North Africa.[14]
Worldwide
editBBC News claims to be watched by a weekly audience of 74 million in over 200 countries and territories worldwide.[15]BBC News is most commonly watched as afree-to-air(FTA) channel. The channel is available in Europe and many parts of the world via subscription television providers in cable, satellite, IPTV and streaming platforms.
In the United States, the channel is available through providers[16]such asCablevision,Comcast,Spectrum,Verizon Fios,andU-verse TV.[17]As of 2023, the American distribution and advertising sales for the channel are handled byAMC Networks,who own and operateBBC Americaunder license from the BBC.[18][19][20]
In addition, BBC News syndicates its daytime and evening news programmes topublic televisionstations throughout the US, originally maintaining a distribution partnership withGarden City, New York-basedWLIWthat lasted from 1998 until October 2008, when the BBC and WLIW mutually decided not to renew the contract.[21][22][23]BBC News subsequently entered into an agreement with Community Television of Southern California, Inc., in whichLos AngelesPBS member stationKCET(which was apublicindependent stationfrom 2011 to 2018) would take over distribution rights toBBC World News America(the KCET agreement has since been extended to encompass a half-hour simulcast of the 90-minute-long midday news bulletinGMT,which airs in the US as a morning show, and a weekly edition of the BBC news-magazineNewsnight).[24][25][26]
Since June 2019, the distribution of the programme has been handled by Washington, D.C. PBS memberWETA,which also produces other networked news and public affairs programmes such as thePBS NewsHourandWashington Week.[27]PBS separately began distributing another programme aired by the channel,Beyond 100 Days,as a tape-delayed late night broadcast on 2 January 2018, as an interim replacement forCharlie Rose.UnlikeGMTandBBC World News America,Beyond 100 Daysis distributed exclusively to PBS member stations as part of the service's base schedule.[28][29]
ChinabannedBBC News in 2021, although access had already been heavily restricted before then and what was carried was censored, with parts of the show being blacked out by censors operating live. It was banned because of its coverage of thepersecution of Uyghur people in Chinaand in retaliation forCGTNbeing banned from the British market for violating national broadcast regulations.[30]
Online
editThe channel is available in the US as part ofSling's World News add-on package.[31]
The international feed of BBC News was available onLiveStationfrom 2012 until the platform closed in 2016, along with the UK simulcast.
The channel was added to variousfree ad-supported streaming television(FAST) platforms in the United States, includingPluto TV,XumoPlay,Samsung TV Plus,and Sling Freestream, in March 2024. Apart from advertising, the FAST version of the channel is identical to the version already available through traditional U.S. cable and satellite providers.[32]
United Kingdom
editThe TV platforms in the UK (i.e. Freeview, Sky, BT TV, Freesat, Virgin) do not officially offer the international feed of BBC News as a standalone full-time channel because it carries, and is funded by, advertising. (The BBC's domestic channels are funded by atelevision licence feewhich households and establishments that want to watch television programmes as they are being broadcast must pay). However, it can be easily received due to itsfree-to-airstatus on many European satellite systems, includingAstraandHot Bird,and is available in selected London hotels. The UK's TV platforms, however, do provide theUK feed of BBC News channel,which carries much of the same programming. The international feed of BBC News can also be viewed in the public areas of Broadcasting House (in the lobby and café).
However, some programmes are officially available to UK audiences through the channel's UK feed. Such programmes air on the BBC's domestic channels, and some are available on demand on the BBC's iPlayer. From 00:00 to 05:00 UK time, the top-of-the-hour news bulletins are broadcast on both the UK and international feeds of the channel. At 01:30 on weekdays,Asia Business ReportandSport Todayalso air on both channels. There is a simulcast of the 05:00 UK edition ofThe BriefingandBusiness BriefingonBBC Oneand theBBC News channel.This programme was previously branded asThe World Today(later a generic BBC World News bulletin) andWorld Business Reportrespectively. At 08:30 UK time,Worklifeairs on the BBC News Channel. BBC News also produces a version ofOutside Sourceat 21:00 UK time Monday–Thursday (shown on the BBC News Channel),World News Todayat 19:00 Monday–Friday (shown on BBC Four), and 21:00 Friday–Sunday (shown on the BBC News Channel).World News TodayreplacedThe World,which had been broadcast as a simulcast on BBC Four between 2002 and 2007.
TheCOVID-19 pandemicsaw an increase of simulcasts between BBC News and BBC World News with simulcasting running through the morning (10:00 to 11:00) that was also shared with BBC Two, and the evening (19:00 to 20:00 & 12:00 to 22:00). The additional simulcasting was made permanent in August 2020. Consequently, the two channels now simulcast every day from 10:00 to 11:00; on weekdays from 19:00 to 06:00, apart from theBBC News at Tenand for an hour at 20:00; and between 21:00 to 06:00, apart from the eveningBBC Onebulletin, over the weekend.[33]
The BBC implemented a wider consolidation of the networks' lineups in April 2023.[9]
Programming
editLive news programmes:[34]
- BBC News– International news.
- BBC World News America– News from the United States and around the world, live from the BBC's Washington DC bureau.
- The ContextwithChristian Fraserin London reports on international news, with a focus on the UK, Europe and the US (previously called100 Days,100 Days +,Beyond 100 DaysandBBC News with Katy and Christian).
- Focus on Africa– BBC News's flagship African news programme, with news, business and sport from the continent.
- Newsday– Live from Singapore, news and analysis from both an Asian and global perspective.
- Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg– Interviews and analysis of the week's big news from the UK and around the world, including interviews with key politicians and personalities from all walks of life.
- Verified Live– Analysing andfact-checkingthe truth behind the news based on available data and facts.
- BBC News Now– fast-moving breaking news with live interviews and reactions.
- The World Today– The best of the BBC's global journalism.[35]As well as interviews with leading figures from the arts, culture and entertainment.
Live business and sports programmes:
- BBC Sportsday– International sports news and results.
- BBC Business Today– The latest business news.
Pre-recorded programmes:
- 100 Women
- Click– Technology programme aimed at non-technical audiences.
- HARDtalk– In-depth interviews with personalities from all walks of life.
- Newsnight– Weekly highlights from the daily domestic news programme.
- Our World– Documentaries.
- Panorama– Current affairs programme, featuring interviews and investigative reports on a wide variety of subjects.
- Reporters– Weekly reports from the BBC's correspondents.
- Talking Business- Examining the business stories and economic trends that are re-shaping our world.
- Talking Movies- A look at the latest developments in the global film industry.
- The Travel Show
- The Media Show- A global, topical weekly show that lifts the hood on the entertainment and news business.
- Unspun World with John Simpson- Provides an unvarnished version of the week's major global news stories
Former programmes:
- The Briefing–Sally Bundockwith news, business, and sport.[36]
- Dateline London– Foreign correspondents based in London discussing the week's international news.
- Global– International news and analysis.
- Live– International news, including business and sport.
- Impact– Global news as it affected audiences in Asia.
- Outside Source– Discussion and analysis of news topics.
- Worklife
- World News Today– A daily news programme with in-depth analysis. Focus on the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Presenters includedNancy Kacungira,Karin Giannone,Kasia Madera,Alpa Patel andPhilippa Thomas.
- Asia Business Report– Live from Singapore.
- World Business Report
BBC News bulletins
editHalf-hourBBC Newsbulletins are made available toPBSstations in the US through Los Angeles'sKCET,a non-commercial independent public television station which has been separate from PBS since the beginning of 2011 due to a rights-fee dispute (it returned to being a minor PBS member station in 2019 after a merger with the major PBS member-station in the market). 80 to 90% of Americans can receive the bulletins, with PBS member stations having scheduling discretion. The programme is broadcast on several PBS stations in markets such as New York City andWashington DC.
On PBS stations,BBC Newsis not broadcast with traditional commercials (the breaks are filled with news stories) but omits theMet Officeinternationalweather forecastat the end of the programme, replacing it with underwriting announcements. The PBS broadcasts aretape-delayedon some stations.
BBC Americaformerly aired a three-hour block of BBC News programmes from 05:00 to 08:00 on weekdays, until the stabilisation of the network's carriage in the United States. Met Office forecasts were removed, and it was broadcast with advertisements.
Many airlines around the world also play pre-recorded extracts of BBC News, have text headlines from it, or have a full bulletin available on the in-flight entertainment systems.
Previous bulletins
editAnother BBC World News programme, the hour-longBBC World News America,aired on BBC America at 19:00ET.A second broadcast at 22:00 ET ended in 2010 when BBC America introduced a second feed for the western time zones of the US. On 18 February 2011, it was announced thatBBC World News Americawould no longer be broadcast on BBC America and would instead be broadcast only on BBC World and localPBSstations in the US as a 30-minute programme.[37]
The channel also produced short bulletins for public transport services in Singapore and Hong Kong:
- Singapore Mass Rapid Transitservice fromMarina BaytoChangi International Airport
- Hong KongMTRservice fromChek Lap Kok International Airport-Disneyland Resort stationtoDisneyland Resort line
These broadcasts began with the statement: "Welcome to BBC World News on board theSingapore Mass Rapid TransitandHong KongMTR".The short bulletin was updated twice a day and has since been replaced by a similar programme fromMediacorp'sCNA.
Travellers on theHeathrow Expressrail service betweenLondon PaddingtonandHeathrow Airportcould watch a summary of the headlines from BBC World News on the LCD screens provided.
News presenters
editFormer presenters
editPresentation
editBBC News is, for the most part, the same channel around the world; thecommercialsare intended to be the only differences. However, there are some regional programming variations. For example, several programmes are made exclusively for regional viewings, such as the Indian feeds, andThe Record Europe,which is only broadcast in Europe. Also, the weather forecasts focus more on the area the viewer is watching from.
On most feeds of BBC News, when no commercials are being inserted by the cable or satellite provider similar to other channels, the break filler shows promotions for upcoming programmes on the channel. During BBC News, a news story that has not been promoted airs during what would be thetelevision advertisement.This is the case on the broadband versions of BBC News, and on versions of BBC News aired in the US onPBSstations. However, there are some global commercials and sponsorships which air throughout the network.
On 11 September 2007, the break filler was redesigned and now more closely resembles previous versions.[clarification needed]The promotional videos now fill the entire screen and are interspersed with news and market updates, schedules, and other information. There is also no longer a unifying music composition. Instead, each 20-second promotional video uses music selected from a handful of themes, which have some unifying musical characteristics. The information screens, such as the 10-second plug for the website or the YouTube channel, and the 15-second weather/time/coming-up screens each feature their theme. The colour theme was updated following the relaunch of the channel in April 2008.
Since its inception, and more so since its extensive association with theBBC News channel,the countdown to the hourly news bulletin has been a feature of the channel's presentation, accompanied by music composed byDavid Lowe.The current style of countdown features reporters and technical staff in many different locations working to bring news stories to air. The new countdown keeps the same music, but with Chameleon-style branding and a clock relocated to the middle from the bottom right corner,[38]similar in style to that ofBBC Alba.The countdown can range from 45 seconds to as little as 3 seconds.
Awards
editThe then-called BBC World News was namedBest International News Channelat theAssociation for International BroadcastingAwards in November 2006.[39]It won aPeabody Awardin 2007 forWhite Horse Village[40]and another in 2009 forWhere Giving Life is a Death Sentence.[41]
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