Timeline: 2023 Week 10

A round-up of the week’s stories and observations.

• MON 6TH MAR (12.30PM)
  World Business Report returns to UK screens
• MON 6TH MAR (2.30PM)
  BBC Look North (Leeds) moves to temporary set
• TUE 7TH MAR (7.30PM)
  BBC News at Six broadcast from BBC Scotland headquarters
• THU 9TH MAR (8.20PM)
  Technical problems affect this evening’s BBC London
• FRI 10TH MAR (9PM)
  BBC/Lineker asylum row: lead story on BBC World News?

Monday 6th March

12.30pm World Business Report returns to UK screens

As the UK BBC News Channel enters a transitional phase – where almost all live news/business/sport output is shared with its international sister channel, BBC World News – the schedule changes have seen the reappearance of World Business Report in the UK.

Prior to what has been described as a low-key relaunch of the BBC’s 24-hour TV news channel on 3rd April, when the BBC News Channel and BBC World News will merge, most of what was left of the UK news channel’s dedicated live news programming has been dropped.

Live news during UK daytime hours will be based in Studio E (more familiar to UK viewers), with 7pm – 6am programmes being presented from a combination of Studio C and the Singapore studio.

World Business Report is having to make use of Studio E for the next few weeks. The programme’s blue colour scheme is a bit of a challenge for the newsroom-based studio, which has panels of red glass along the back.

Although blue lighting is possible on Studio E’s main set, the adjustment wasn’t always ready in time for the start of World Business Report bulletins today.

2.30pm BBC Look North (Leeds) moves to temporary set

The Leeds edition of BBC Look North moved to a temporary set over the weekend.

The Yorkshire-based programme is the latest of the English regions to have its main set updated, with a design modelled on the national set in Studio B at Broadcasting House in London.

The new look studio is expected on air in May.

The temporary set got a mention on its first outing on the early evening weekday edition of the programme.

Tuesday 7th March

7.30pm BBC News at Six broadcast from BBC Scotland headquarters

As part of events to mark 100 years of BBC Scotland, this evening’s BBC News at Six was broadcast from BBC Scotland headquarters at Pacific Quay in Glasgow.

The programme included some bespoke virtual graphics – and even some old BBC Scotland idents.

Thursday 9th March

8.20pm Technical problems affect this evening’s BBC London

There were technical issues during the early part of BBC London this evening.

Cameras not playing ball, mic issues and missing lower-thirds.

Thanks to @harryhodders for flagging.

Friday 10th March

9pm BBC/Lineker asylum row: lead story on BBC World News?

For the next few weeks, the BBC News Channel is trialing the new combined UK/international news channel format, ahead of its formal launch on 3rd April.

The news that the BBC has asked Gary Lineker to step back from his presenting role until agreement is reached on his use of social media, has, understandably, got quite a bit of attention in the UK.

However, is this story terribly relevant on a channel that now supposedly has an international news focus?

Well, apparently so. It’s now the lead item on BBC World News (and by default, the BBC News Channel in the UK, given the now largely combined schedule of the two channels).

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