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| '''BBC News and Current Affairs''' (sometimes abbreviated '''BBC NCA''') is a major arm of the ] responsible for the corporation's news gathering and production of news programmes on BBC television, radio and online. | '''BBC News and Current Affairs''' (sometimes abbreviated '''BBC NCA''') is a major arm of the ] responsible for the corporation's news gathering and production of news programmes on BBC television, radio and online. | ||
Revision as of 20:16, 5 March 2005
BBC News and Current Affairs (sometimes abbreviated BBC NCA) is a major arm of the BBC responsible for the corporation's news gathering and production of news programmes on BBC television, radio and online.
Introduction
BBC News carries out a key objective of the BBC's Royal Charter, to "collect news and information in any part of the world and in any manner that may be thought fit".
BBC News is based at the News Centre at Television Centre (TVC) but operates regional centres across the UK and bureaux around the world. Political coverage is based at Millbank Studios in Westminster. The News Centre brought radio and TV news operations together for the first time and produces almost 100 hours of output every day.
BBC News claims the BBC's output is widely respected across the world. Within the UK BBC News faces stiff competition from Sky News and ITN however research has shown that viewers turn to the BBC for coverage of major events, e.g. Iraq war, September 11th attacks.
The distinctive music of BBC News introduced in 1999 was composed by David Lowe. With the common visual branding of BBC Television News which commenced in 1999 variations of this theme extended from its original use on BBC One and BBC Two to News 24, BBC World and local news in BBC nations and regions. Lowe was also responsible for the music on Radio One's "Newsbeat".
Television news
BBC Television News is responsible for network news bulletins on BBC One and BBC Two, news output on BBC Three and BBC Four and the news networks BBC News 24, BBC World, BBC Parliament, the BBC News website and Ceefax.
Radio news
BBC Radio News produces bulletins for BBC national radio and provides content for local BBC radio stations via the General News Service (GNS). BBC News does not produce the BBC's regional news bulletins, these are produced by the BBC nations and regions.
History
A relaunch of BBC television news output in 1993 saw the abolition of the large variation in sets, titles and music in favour of a single set with a common theme. The new set was a small one which took of advantage of computer graphics to create a virtual studio which appeared to be huge. The titles commenced with the BBC News logo imposed on a spinning globe, this shot then widened to reveal a glass sculpture of the BBC crest (again computer generated) in front of a panoramic view of the studio. The colour of the sets varied, getting progressively darker throughout the day. Likewise the style of the theme changed; from a bright and driving theme for Breakfast News to an authoritive and more sombre version for the Nine O'Clock News. In 1997 the programmes were altered to incorporate the new corporate logo and in 1999 all BBC News output was relaunched, with BBC World, BBC News 24 and network news adopting a common style. Perhaps most significantly BBC regional news programmes adopted the new corporate image for the first time, giving a common style across local, national and international BBC television news.
In 1998 most of BBC Radio News joined BBC Television News at TVC in the new "News Centre" complex at the front of the building. In 2008 all BBC News, national radio and BBC World Service broadcasts will be moved to Broadcasting House in central London. The building is planned to have the largest live newsroom in the world.
The then British Broadcasting Company broadcast its first radio bulletin on November 14 1922. On July 5 2004 the BBC celebrated 50 years of television news, the first bulletin was broadcast on that day in 1954.