Timeline: 2021 Week 51

Stories featured on this page:

• MON 20TH DEC (11.20AM): Channel 5 joins Digital UK
• MON 20TH DEC (12PM): Laura Kuenssberg to step down as BBC political editor
• SAT 25TH DEC (11AM): BBC One Christmas Morning credits cock-up
• SAT 25TH DEC (5PM): The BBC Northern Ireland 1980s mechanical globe spins again
• SAT 25TH DEC (11PM): BBC One ditches its post-programme sting for much of the day

Monday 20th December

11.20am Channel 5 joins Digital UK

Channel 5 has joined Digital UK Ltd with immediate effect. This is the first time that the Digital UK venture has been wholly owned by all four PSBs.

We’re delighted to welcome Channel 5 to Digital UK and thank all our members for their continuing support. The future of free-to-view television is critical to providing all UK viewers with high-quality British content and we look forward to working with all public service broadcasters to develop and deliver continually evolving and compelling free TV services across Freeview and Freesat.

Caroline Thomson, chair of Digital UK

We’re delighted Channel 5 has joined the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 to help shape the future of free-to-view TV as part of Digital UK. Channel 5 plays a distinctive role in public service broadcasting in the UK and, as part of ViacomCBS can bring a unique perspective to the opportunities that lie ahead.

Sarah Rose, chief commercial & operations officer, ViacomCBS UK

EXTERNAL LINK: Channel 5 joins Digital UK.

12pm Laura Kuenssberg to step down as BBC political editor

Laura Kuenssberg will step down as the BBC’s political editor next Easter after seven years in the job, to take up a senior presenting and reporting role across the BBC.

EXTERNAL LINK: Laura Kuenssberg to step down as BBC political editor.

Saturday 25th December

11am BBC One Christmas Morning credits cock-up

The closing credits vanish for a while at the end of Christmas Morning on BBC One on Christmas Day, before being faded up again. And oddly, this “feast of Christmas music” from Coventry Cathedral is a BBC Studios Documentary Unit production.

5pm The BBC Northern Ireland 1980s mechanical globe spins again

BBC NI announcer/director Paul Buckle posted an image (on Twitter) of the BBC One Northern Ireland globe ident (1981 – 1985).

11pm BBC One ditches its post-programme sting for much of the day

On 20th October, the update to BBC One’s on-screen presentation (new trails graphics and the introduction of the new BBC blocks logo) included the addition of a generic sting after each programme.

This sting was absent from many of the Christmas Day junctions.

RELATED ARTICLE: Timeline: 2021 Week 50.

RELATED ARTICLE: Timeline: 2021 Week 52.

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