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Might some lockdown changes linger on?

Posted on 23rd June 2020 by Andrew Nairn
Last updated on 23rd March 2021 Filed under Opinion

As lockdown restrictions ease, now is the time to start keeping a watch on whether some of the changes made by broadcasters become permanent or indefinite.

The most obvious superficial change concerns social distancing. Following the announcement about the relaxation of the 2-metre rule, how quickly will presenters start to sit more closely together?

If the aim is to set a good example, will extra distancing remain until the rules are relaxed across the UK?

Production of most programmes has been badly disrupted and it will take a while for the supply of soaps and many other productions to be fully restored. They will be back just as soon as possible.

But here’s s handy checklist of other changes to the everyday schedule to tick off.

BBC One:

  • Regional opts during Breakfast;
  • 9am BBC News;
  • Extended 10pm news and late regional bulletins.

BBC Two:

  • 10.45pm start time for Newsnight.

ITV:

  • Curtailed regional news bulletins at lunchtime and at weekends;
  • Regional weather at 11.10am and 3.59pm;
  • STV Central and STV North joint news service;
  • ITV branding on UTV.

Of course, there are still many practical difficulties for producers to confront – especially because of any form of social distancing and advice to work at home.

But as restrictions (hopefully) continue to ease and the news agenda becomes more mixed, those changes which stay will start to look like they have become permanent by stealth even if that was never the original intention.

There are cases to be made, for instance, for keeping the 9am news on BBC One as long as the demand is there. It increasingly includes non-coronavirus stories.

Watch this space…

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FEATURE IMAGE:

PICTURED: presenter social distancing as implemented on The One Show. COPYRIGHT: BBC.

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Tags: BBC, BBC News, BBC One, BBC Regional News, BBC Two, ITV News, ITV plc, ITV Regional News, ITV Regional Weather, STV, STV Group, UTV

Dates for the Diary

30th January: BBC Reporting Scotland moves to a temporary set. The programme will move back to a refurbished Studio C in the summer.

30th/31st January: BBC One East HD and BBC One East Midlands HD launch on satellite.

6th/7th February: BBC One West Midlands HD, BBC One East Yorkshire/Lincolnshire HD and BBC Alba HD launch on satellite. BBC One/Two Wales SD services close on satellite.

13th/14th February: BBC One West HD, BBC One South West HD, BBC One Channel Islands HD, BBC One London HD and BBC RB1 HD launch on satellite.

20th/21st February: BBC One North East and Cumbria HD, BBC One North West HD, BBC One Yorkshire HD and BBC Parliament HD launch on satellite. BBC One Scotland SD and BBC Scotland SD services close on satellite.

22nd/23rd February: BBC One South East HD launches on satellite.

February 2023: new set for BBC Midlands Today goes live.

13th February 2023: Sky Kids launches.

Q1 2023: BBC Chameleon branding introduced on air for BBC Weather, CBBC and CBeebies.

April 2023: BBC News Channel and BBC World News merge.

November/December 2023: World Radiocommunications Conference (WRC-23).

Q1 2024: SD versions of BBC channels close on satellite.

2024: BBC Four and CBBC go online-only.

2024: BBC Radio 4 Extra goes online-only.

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