:''For the BBC radio network, see
BBC World Service.''
'BBC World' is the
BBC's international news and current affairs television channel. It has the biggest audience of any
BBC channel. Launched in 1991 as
BBC World Service Television, BBC World broadcasts for 24 hours with programming including
BBC News bulletins, documentaries, lifestyle programmes and interviews. Its main global competitor is
CNN International, though it also competes with other major news broadcasting companies. It is considered to be the most watched news channel beating
CNN and
Al Jazeera English.
The channel is transmitted by
Red Bee Media from their network centre at the Broadcast Centre, part of the
BBC Media Village in
White City, west
London. All news output originates from the nearby
Television Centre where BBC World has a newsroom and studio separate from the rest of BBC News. This newsroom provides output from 0500-0030 British Time each weekday and from 0600-0030 each weekend. The news output from 0100-0500 is from the studio of the
UK domestic channel
BBC News 24.
Although the BBC World News studio produces output in
SDTV in line with the rest of BBC News, the channel is transmitted in . The news output is converted into a frame for both digital and analogue broadcasting, resulting in black bands at the top and bottom of the screen.
BBC World was named ''Best International News Channel'' at the AIB Awards in November 2006.
[1]
History
The channel is transmitted from the BBC Media Village.
The channel originally launched as
BBC World Service Television, though unlike
BBC World Service radio which has always been government funded, the British government refused to extend the
Foreign Office grant-in-aid.
BBC World itself launched in 1995 with the split of BBC World Service Television into two stations:
BBC Prime - an encrypted entertainment channel requiring subscription, and the free to air BBC World.
Throughout the past eleven years, the service has gone through several branding changes. From 1995 to 1997, the channel used few graphics to display the name of the channel, with the actual news studio modelled on that used for BBC News in the United Kingdom.
As part of the major relaunch of the image of the BBC including a new logo for the corporation in 1997, the channel received its first main refresh. Various fictional flags with some real were used. The idents were computer generated and developed by the
Lambie-Nairn design agency.
The largest relaunch for BBC News came in 1999 with all output, both in the UK and for BBC World globally having a uniform look made up of red and cream. Music based on a style described as 'drums and beeps' was introduced, composed by
David Lowe, a departure from the general orchestral versions of other news programmes.
In 2003 and 2004 a second makeover, using the same 'drums and beeps' style music but new graphics took place, although on a much smaller scale to that of 1999. The music was changed slightly while the main colour scheme became black and red, with studios using a frosted glass, white and red design for colourings. Later in 2004 the channel's slogan became ''Putting News First'', replacing ''Demand a Broader View''.
Distribution
BBC World is most commonly watched as a FTA Channel. The channel is available
free-to-air in
Italy via
digital terrestrial television, and in all parts of Europe and many parts of the world FTA via satellite. (It was also available via terrestrial FTA in
Berlin from c. 2000 to March 2007). Although not officially available in the UK it is available to people who point their satellite dishes at Astra 1, Hotbird and Thor. In most of the world, it is carried on nearly all satellite and cable platforms.
It is also available globally online through the website of ''
Dong-a Ilbo'', a Korean newspaper
[2] and
RealPlayer Plus. In
Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates it is additionally available as a subscription
mobile phone service, having also been available as a terrestrial channel.
A daily version of its news bulletins are also rebroadcast on many FTA terrestrial channels like in
New Zealand, where it is carried overnight on
TV ONE, and in
Trinidad and Tobago where it is carried overnight on
TV6.
In Europe, analogue satellite broadcasting via
Hot Bird 6 ceased on
18 April 2006 at midday, although its digital free-to-air signal is replicated on Hot Bird 6, Hot Bird 7A, Thor 2 and on
Astra 1KR.
It is also available 24/7 in
Australia on
Foxtel,
Austar and
Optus TV as well as the
3 mobile phone network. In New Zealand, it is also broadcast via
satellite on
SKY Network Television and via
cable on
TelstraClear.
In
Asia, it was originally carried on
Star TV, the pan-Asian
satellite television service based in
Hong Kong, which was later acquired by
Rupert Murdoch, but switched to
Panamsat in
1996. It is also available on
Astro in
Malaysia. In India it was
FTA till
15 June 2006 but is now a
pay channel.
BBC World has been available in
Africa on
DStv since late
1995, and its bulletins have also been rebroadcast on
SABC's terrestrial channels in
South Africa. In
1996, it became available in
Latin America and the
Caribbean.
In
Canada, the channel is available on
Bell ExpressVu and
StarChoice satellite services, as well as on most
digital cable services.
Shaw Cable and
Rogers Cable carry the channel as part of their analogue basic cable packages.
[3] Most of the US can receive both satellite signals. The signal is
encrypted, and will not work on a legal
Free To Air receiver. It is, however,
FTA on Galaxy 13
C-Band at 127 W.
Programming
Live News Programmes:
★ ''
BBC News'' For most of the day the channel produces 26 minute bulletins of international news beginning at the top of each hour. Each contain two breaks which are either filled by advertising or by continuing news depending on the region. The programmes at 2300 and 0000 UK time are presented from Washington and London and are rebroadcast via
PBS stations in the
USA. The 2300 UK time edition is also broadcast on
BBC America and
CBC Newsworld in
Canada. Weekday presenters of BBC World News include
Martine Dennis,
David Eades,
Nisha Pillai,
Nik Gowing,
Jonathan Charles,
Mike Embley,
Katty Kay,
Lyse Doucet and
Mishal Hussain. Each day during the overnight hours in the UK (0100-0500 local time), twenty-five minute news bulletins from the top of each hour on the channel are produced by and simulcast on BBC News 24, when they are simply identified as "BBC News" with no reference to any channel. During these overnight hours, the bulletins are usually presented from their studio (although the 'World' studio is sometimes utilised). The overnight bulletins are usually presented by Alastair Yates, Martine Croxall and Karin Giannone.
★ ''
The World Today'' Transmitted at 0500 UK time, an hour of News, Business and sport, which is also transmitted on the main domestic BBC network
BBC One via a simulcast with BBC News 24. The bulletin is hosted by
Lucy Hockings,
Martine Dennis,
Jamie Robertson and
Sally Bundock.
★ ''
World News Today'' Transmitted at 1200 and 1900 UK time with an Asia edition at 1600GMT. Launched in July 2006, to coincide with the launch of BBC World as an independent channel in the United States, the 1200 UK time (0700 ET) edition was launched to appeal to the breakfast audience in the country and is presented by
George Alagiah. The 1900 edition is aimed at European audiences and launched on the
29 May 2007. It is presented by
Zeinab Badawi. It replaced the 2100 edition which had run since
18 September 2006. The first half hour is broadcast on the BBC's domestic channel
BBC Four. The 1600 Asia Edition is presented by
Nik Gowing. All editions of World News Today include a short version of ''World Business Report.'' An additional edition of World News Today is planned for 0300 UK Time.
Business Programmes
★ ''
World Business Report'' International Business news. Live editions throughout the day between 0530 and 2300 UK Time. The 2230 edition is presented from London and New York. This edition is repeated several times between 2330 and 0500 UK time and the repeats can also be seen in the UK via BBC News 24 at separate times.
★ ''
Asia Business Report'' Broadcast live from Singapore and only seen on the Asia feeds of BBC World.
★ ''
Middle East Business Report'' is pre recorded and broadcast at the weekend.
★ ''
India Business Report'' is pre recorded and broadcast at the weekend.
Other live programmes
★ ''
Asia Today'' - Asia-specific news broadcast from the main World Newsroom.. Transmitted live twice each day. The last edition is repeated at various times on the Asia feeds.
★ ''
Sport Today'' – International Sport news. Transmitted five times each day with one repeat.
★ ''Have Your Say'' - A weekly programme that allows viewers to share their thoughts and questions with guests. Also simulcasted on
BBC World Service Radio.
Pre recorded programmes include:
★ ''
HARDtalk'' - individual interviews
★ ''
Click'' - technology
★ ''
Fast Track'' - travel
★ ''
Talking Movies'' - films (mainly from
Hollywood)
★ ''
This Week'' - analysis of news from the past week
In addition, a special half hour version of the popular
BBC Two programme ''
Top Gear'' airs on weekends, and other BBC documentaries such as ''
Holidays in the Danger Zone'' air from time to time.
In
India, many programmes tailor-made for a local audience are shown , including ''
Question Time India'', quiz show ''
University Challenge India'', ''
India Business Report'', ''
IT India Tomorrow'', ''
Face to Face'' and motor show ''
Wheels''.
BBC World programming in the United States
In the
United States, selected BBC World bulletins are rebroadcast on PBS affiliates and
BBC America.
Since BBC World's inception in 1995, the BBC sought carriage for the channel on US cable and satellite systems. Due to Americans' perceived lack of interest in international news, it took 11 years for a US distribution deal to be signed, a deal with
Discovery Communications that was announced on
25 January 2006. As of
September 2006,
Cablevision in the
New York City metropolitan area has agreed to retransmit the channel (commercial free) and is broadcast on channel 104 for digital subscribers. Ironically, Cablevision, however, does not carry
BBC America, while
Time Warner Cable, which serves non-Cablevision territory in the New York metro area does have BBC America on its lineup, but lacks BBC World. Additionally, digital cable subscribers belonging to
Cox Communications in Northern Virginia can view the channel 24/7 on channel 252 (starting August 1, 2007) as part of their digital sport and information tier.
As of
April 2007 the channel is also carried by
Verizon on most of their
FiOS cable TV systems, including those serving areas of California, Delaware, Florida, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Texas and Virginia. BBC World appears on FiOS channel 92.
BBC World programming in the United Kingdom
It is not officially available as a stand-alone, full-time channel in the
United Kingdom, on the grounds that it carries and is funded by
advertising (BBC's domestic channels are funded by a
television licence fee which households and establishments with equipment capable of receiving television broadcast signals must pay), although it can be easily received due to its free-to-air status on many European satellites.
However there is a simulcast of "
The World Today from BBC News" on BBC One and BBC News 24. It carries a twenty-five minute news bulletin, followed by an edition of World Business Report. Both half hours of "The World Today" include a quick UK news update (general news at approximately 0515 UK time and business news at approximately 0545 UK time) while international viewers take a commercial break.
On weekdays BBC World also produces a version of
World News Today at 1900 British Time. The first half hour of this programme can be seen in the UK on
BBC Four. The edition of the programme replaced ''The World'', which had been broadcast as a simulcast on the channel between 2002 and 2007.
A special unique edition of BBC World News was a regular feature six days a week at 0930 on BBC News 24 but following changes to the domestic channel's schedule, this edition is now seen only on Sundays at the same time.
Reputation and Criticisms
BBC World poster 2007.
The BBC has a reputation amongst many for independent and accurate reporting of news and current affairs
[4]. Unlike other parts of the Corporation, BBC World is funded by commercial sponsors which has raised questions about its ability to report impartially. However BBC World Ltd, which runs the channel is a different company than BBC News which supplies the Bulletins.
BBC World has occasionally made mistakes, as in the incident where on the twentieth anniversary of the
Bhopal disaster,
3 December 2004, BBC World was duped into broadcasting an interview with a hoaxer (later revealed to have been
Andy Bichlbaum, a member of
The Yes Men) claiming to be a representative of
Dow Chemical offering a
US$12,000,000,000 settlement to the 120,000 surviving victims of the
Bhopal disaster.
[5] Upon discovery of the hoax, the BBC's Press Office immediately put out a statement regarding what had happened and the story was dropped from subsequent BBC World News bulletins and those on the 24 hour UK news channel
BBC News 24.
[6]
Censorships
BBC News has been banned in several countries primarily for unbiased reporting which has been unfavourable to the ruling government. Most notable examples have been in
Uzbekistan,
[7]
Zimbabwe and
China.
[8]
Variation
The breakfiller in 2007.
BBC World is, for the most part, the same channel all over the world — except for the commercials. However, there are some regional programming variations. For example, a number of programmes are made exclusively for regional viewings, such as Indian feeds, and ''The Record Europe'', which can only be viewed in
Europe. In addition, the ''Asia Business Report'' from
Singapore is only aired in Asia, Australia, New Zealand and the Middle East. The rest of the world sees the ''World Business Report'' (World Business Report is showed in Asia, Australia, New Zealand and the Middle East, but are on at different times depending on the country.)
On most feeds of BBC World, commercials are inserted by the cable or satellite provider similar to other channels. When a cable or satellite provider does not insert commercials, the "Breakfiller" (see right) shows promotions for upcoming programmes on the channel. During BBC News, a news story that has not been promoted airs during what would be the commercial break. This is the case on the broadband versions of BBC World, and on versions of BBC World aired in the United States on PBS. However, there are some global commercials and sponsorships which air throughout the network.
BBC World News
Half-hour ''BBC World News'' bulletins are made available to
PBS stations in the
United States through
WLIW in
New York. 80 to 90% of Americans are able to receive them, though broadcast times vary between different localities, with it airing on several PBS stations in markets such as
New York City and
Washington, DC.
On PBS stations, ''BBC World News'' does not appear with commercials (the breaks are replaced with news stories) but omits the
Met Office international weather forecast at the end, replacing it with underwriting announcements. The PBS airings are tape-delayed on some stations.
''BBC World News'' bulletins are also available on
BBC America in the U.S. The network airs three bulletins on weekday mornings (as part of a 3-hour block of BBC World coverage), plus one in the evening. One bulletin airs daily on the weekends (in the morning).
Met Office forecasts are removed, but commercials are included.
The bulletins also appear on
CBC Newsworld in
Canada, and
Access 31 in
Perth,
Australia.
Travellers on the
Heathrow Express rail service from
London Paddington to
London Heathrow Airport are also treated to a specially-recorded BBC World bulletin - introduced with a namecheck of "Welcome to BBC World News onboard the Heathrow Express" - during the fifteen minute journey. This short bulletin is updated twice a day, and is shown in both classes on LCD televisions throughout the train.
Many airlines from across the world also play pre-recorded extracts of the BBC World News, have text headlines from it or have a full bulletin available on the in-flight entertainment systems. Airlines with BBC World include
Emirates,
Singapore Airlines,
Cathay Pacific,
Qatar Airways,
Etihad and
United Airlines. Travellers can watch the bulletins on Channel 1 shortly after take-off on
British Airways flights from the
United Kingdom.
The hourly countdown
The countdown since 2005 has shown the elements involved in bringing news stories to air.
Since its inception, and more so since its extensive association with
BBC News 24, the countdown to the hourly news bulletin has been a feature of the channel. With music composed by
David Lowe, it has changed several times over the decade.
A 'ribbon-around-the-world' countdown was used starting in
February 2003, when a large scale rebranding was brought out on both BBC World and BBC News 24. However, the countdowns in the latter featured some stunning visuals of the world and the UK in the background as the countdown proceeded, while the former merely had the usual 'world-spinning' image.
A new international version of the BBC World countdown was introduced on
5 September 2005, using many clips featured in the News 24 countdown. Content featured includes reporters and technical staff working in the field while unlike that of News 24, the countdown will end in an international location rather than a view of
Television Centre. A week prior to the change, the channel's well established break-filler also switched to a new musical arrangement, without a change in its visuals.
The countdown received a new musical composition on
22 January 2007 as part of a wider refresh of BBC News bulletin titles though the visuals remained the same.
Listen
References
1. Key Dates BBC World
2. Online broadcast of BBC World - Dong-a Ilbo
3. http://www.rogers.com/channelchange
4. One World Media Awards - BBC Press Office
5. BBC Press Office release regarding the hoax - BBC Press Office
6. Bhopal blunder hurts BBC - The Age
7. Uzbeks banish BBC after massacre reports - Monica Whitlock, BBC News
8. BBC banned in China - asiamedia.ucla.edu
See also
★
BBC News 24
★
International broadcasting
★
Al Jazeera English
★
CCTV-9
★
CBC Newsworld
★
CNN International
★
Deutsche Welle
★
EuroNews
★
France 24
★
Russia Today
External links
★
BBCWorld.com
★
Demand BBC World site - ''Setup by BBC World for American Audience''
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