A round-up of the week’s stories and observations.
- MON 17TH APR (12.30PM)
All4 rebranded as Channel 4 - MON 17TH APR (2.30PM)
Channel 4 renews contract with ITN until end of 2026 - MON 17TH APR (7.15PM)
Unauthorised BBC logo still in use on BBC South Today - MON 17TH APR (7.45PM)
BBC Four’s live snooker coverage disrupted by protesters - MON 17TH APR (11PM)
More clumsy BBC News at Ten/Newsnight transitions - TUE 18TH APR (11AM)
Key changes prepare the way for remaining BBC One HD regions to go live - TUE 18TH APR (1.20PM)
RTÉ confirms Kevin Bakhurst as new Director-General - TUE 18TH APR (10.30PM)
New idents for BBC Nordic - WED 19TH APR (1.15PM)
A curious picture freeze on Channel 4 - WED 19TH APR (1.30PM)
Lights out on BBC Look North breakfast bulletin - FRI 21ST APR (10.40PM)
New opening titles for The Context on BBC News - FRI 21ST APR (11.30PM)
The untidy Newsnight/live news transitions continue - FRI 21ST APR (11.45PM)
Newswatch is replaced by a repeat of The Travel Show - SAT 22ND APR (6.45PM)
BBC South East Today moves to temporary set - SUN 23RD APR (3.45PM)
Unusual end to today’s BBC News coverage of the emergency alert system
Monday 17th April
12.30pm All4 rebranded as Channel 4
The on-demand service All4 has been rebranded Channel 4.
Channel 4 first announced the plan to rename the service in a press release on its 40th birthday last November.
The same press release also suggested that a larger branding update would take place in the spring.
2.30pm Channel 4 renews contract with ITN until end of 2026
Channel 4 has confirmed today that it has renewed its contract with ITN to supply Channel 4 News until December 2026.
“We are delighted to confirm that, after 40 years, ITN will continue to provide first class news coverage for C4. This multi-year deal is as a direct result of them providing outstanding delivery of their important remit to provide in-depth, unbiased, high-quality reportage and investigations.
Louisa Compton, Head of News and Current Affairs and Specialist Factual and Sport
“The period that this contract covers will see the Leeds permanent newsroom open, an expansion of our digital and FactCheck services as well as the continued exemplary journalism and analysis that our audiences have come to expect.”
“This is a huge vote of confidence in the Channel 4 News team who continue to produce outstanding journalism across a range of platforms.
Rachel Corp, ITN CEO
“Whether it’s ground-breaking investigations, eye-witness journalism – including the exceptional BATFA-nominated coverage from the frontline in Ukraine – or the run of recent, headline-grabbing exclusives, this is an unstoppable newsroom delivering for domestic and global audiences.
“With a core team of established presenters and correspondents alongside exciting new hires and a focus on digital and data, the team are going from strength to strength under Esme’s leadership.”
EXTERNAL LINK: Channel 4 renews ITN contract for Channel 4 News until the end of 2026.
7.15pm Unauthorised BBC logo still in use on BBC South Today
To those nice people at BBC South News:
You are using an unapproved/unauthorised animation of the BBC blocks logo (see below). And it’s not the first time this logo has been used on air.
The BBC blocks have been recreated, with the lettering off-centre.
If you’d like to know where to download an approved version, please DM us.
7.45pm BBC Four’s live snooker coverage disrupted by protesters
Live coverage of the World Snooker Championship on BBC Four was disrupted for a time this evening when protesters climbed on to the snooker tables at the Sheffield venue.
Viewers heard gasps from the crowd as a man climbed on to the table during the match between Robert Milkins and Joe Perry and emptied orange powder over a large section of the table.
At the same time, another protester partially mounted the table in the game between Mark Allen and Fan Zhengyi. She was quickly apprehended by referee Olivier Marteel and other tournament officials.
The Milkins/Perry match was abandoned for the day, due to the damage to the table.
Play resumed 40 minutes later in the Allen/Zhengyi match.
A man and a woman were later arrested by South Yorkshire Police.
11pm More clumsy BBC News at Ten/Newsnight transitions
The smallest of TV stations would strive for better than this.
The BBC News Channel takes the BBC News at Ten and Newsnight, live, each weeknight. But the latter often starts before the former finishes.
The result: crashing out of one and joining the other late, missing the opening link.
Tuesday 18th April
11am Key changes prepare the way for remaining BBC One HD regions to go live
Technical changes have occurred on Freeview HD today in regions where BBC One HD isn’t yet regionalised, preparing the way for the last HD regions to go live.
The process involved splitting the existing Freeview HD macro region set up on multiplex BBC-B/PSB3. For example, East, South East and South all shared the same copy. From this morning, they all have their own versions of the multiplex, permitting regionalisation.
Among the areas due to get BBC One HD Freeview regionalisation is North East England, where the back-up satellite feed supplying relays with a signal following the Bilsdale transmitter incident has BBC One North East and Cumbria HD ready to go.
Courtesy @a516digital.
1.20pm RTÉ confirms Kevin Bakhurst as new Director-General
RTÉ has announced that Kevin Bakhurst will take over from Dee Forbes as its Director-General in the summer.
Bakhurst is currently Group Director, Broadcasting and Online Content at communications regulator Ofcom. He previously held a number of roles at the BBC, including Controller of the BBC News Channel and Deputy Head of the BBC Newsroom.
EXTERNAL LINK: Kevin Bakhurst confirmed as new RTÉ Director General.
10.30pm New idents for BBC Nordic
BBC Studios and Weareseventeen have collaborated to produce new idents for BBC Nordic (the result of a merger of BBC Brit and BBC Earth) – a channel serving Scandinavian countries.
“The Bright Side – our strategy for BBC Nordic/Nordic+ is built on insights from our Scandinavian audience and their culture and the channel programming. Conceived to capture the multi-faceted nature of the channel, the brand idea ‘The Bright Side’ conveys intelligence, wit and contrast.
“Deeply rooted in strategy the brand identity and on-air package reflects the brand idea and accompanying brand pillars. These principles are Bright Entertainment to highlight the channel’s spark and optimism. Warm Connections to celebrate the affinity that exists between the UK and Scandinavia. Illuminating Moments to foreground the enlightening documentaries our audiences love. And finally Cultivating Contrasts, as contrasts accentuate the emotional appeal of BBC Nordic’s spectrum of programming. This is also neatly suggestive of the principle that where there is brightness, there is darkness too – speaking to the seasonal extremes of the region.
Weareseventeen
“We also developed TOV principles for the channel Sparky, Welcoming, Curious, Passionate which will influence all messaging throughout the brand – and taglines ‘Welcome to The Bright Side’ and ’The home of the brightest factual and feel-good TV.’”
“BBC Studios have worked closely with the team at weareseventeen to bring BBC Nordic and BBC Nordic+ to life.
Sarah Johnson, Lead Creative at BBC Studios Creative EMEA
“Using our audience insight driven Creative approach, coupled with weareseventeen’s strong design expertise, together we’ve built a bright, warm and inviting brand identity across all platforms.
“We are delighted that it’s visually striking and reflects the full spectrum of content now available to our audience across the Nordics”.
EXTERNAL LINK: BBC Nordic Channel Identity.
Wednesday 19th April
1.15pm A curious picture freeze on Channel 4
For the second time in a week, we’ve heard viewers report picture freeze on Channel 4 – yet sound continues as normal.
The latest example, from this morning:
However, when we reviewed this on Channel 4+1 on satellite, there was no issue:
We’re not sure if the reported occurrences were due to issues with the viewer in question’s receiving equipment. But it all feels like a bit of a coincidence.
This latest example doesn’t seem to be playout-related. But could be an encoding issue.
Please do let us know if you encounter anything similar on Channel 4.
1.30pm Lights out on BBC Look North breakfast bulletin
The 6.27am edition of BBC Look North experienced a problem with the studio lighting.
Presenter Clare Frisby appeared in-vision at the start of the bulletin, in almost complete darkness, bar the light emitting from the TV screen behind her.
Clare presented the remainder of the bulletin out of vision.
UPDATE: the incident featured at the start of Thursday night’s edition of Newscast on BBC One.
Friday 21st April
10.40pm New opening titles for The Context on BBC News
Tonight’s edition of The Context on the BBC News Channel saw the launch of new opening titles.
The short sequence features a number of animating red swirls on a white background, with a slight gradient. The closing frames include the BBC News ‘Chameleon’ lock-up.
11.30pm The untidy Newsnight/live news transitions continue
Since the new schedule launched on the BBC News Channel on 3rd April, the transitions at the end of the Newsnight simulcast back to the live news programming (that’s already in progress on the world stream of the channel) have left a lot to be desired.
The Friday edition of Newsnight finishes just after 11pm. So, you can imagine the untidy result on the BBC News Channel.
11.45pm Newswatch is replaced by a repeat of The Travel Show
The latest edition of Newswatch failed to appear in its new late-night Friday slot of 11.30pm on the BBC News Channel.
The programme was due to discuss viewer reaction to the simulcasting of Nicky Campbell’s radio call-in programme on the TV news channel.
UPDATE: the programme was broadcast in its usual slot within BBC Breakfast on Saturday morning (though this is not promoted in EPG data).
On Saturday afternoon, the programme’s Twitter account issued this statement:
“Sorry for the non-appearance of Newswatch in its scheduled slot of 11.30 last night. We’re trying to encourage the News Channel to put it out later today. In the meantime it’s now available to watch on the iPlayer. Apologies – and enjoy!”
@newswatchbbc on Twitter
However, the programme did not appear on the BBC News Channel on Saturday.
Saturday 22nd April
6.45pm BBC South East Today moves to temporary set
This evening’s edition of BBC South East Today saw the programme broadcast for the first time from the standard temporary set that’s being passed around the regions as part of the set upgrade programme for BBC English regions.
Sunday 23rd April
3.45pm Unusual end to today’s BBC News coverage of the emergency alert system
The BBC ran dedicated coverage of the test of the new UK emergency alert system, on iPlayer (2.30pm – 3.30pm) and as a UK opt-out on the BBC News Channel (2.50pm – 3.30pm).
The coverage ended shortly before 3.30pm – but not with the usual BBC News sting.
Instead, we saw 20 seconds worth of a shot of a BBC News gallery, accompanied for the first few seconds by the alarm many people heard on their mobile phones when the emergency alert system message arrived.
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Acknowledgements
PICTURED: damage to one of the snooker tables at the World Snooker Championships caused by a protester. COPYRIGHT: BBC.