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BBC News has a new home, look


skbl17

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Today, the BBC took the wraps off of (New) Broadcasting House in Central London, marking the beginning of the end of decades of broadcasting from the BBC Television Centre. A new countdown and set of graphics also came with the new set (at least for GMT; I don't know about the other programs or bulletins).

 

Any other thoughts?

 

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Oooooh, forgot about this!

 

...but of course, for the overnight hours, since BBC News domestic hasn't moved to Broadcasting House yet, they've reverted to the older stuff. Quite clever, actually.

 

From what I'm seeing, this is pretty damn nice. A good mix of the 2008 design with the one they were using a few years prior to that. Takes away a lot of the clunkiness and plainness that the old graphics had. Set looks absolutely stunning.

 

And the new countdown... mmmm. Have I said the BBC News theme is the best news theme ever? Because the BBC News theme is the best news theme ever. :p

 

On the other side, ITV relaunched today as well! I'll try and get a post up...

 

EDIT: And reading now that the new music cuts HAVE ORCHESTRAL MIXES... :drool:

 

JUST PLUG IT INTO MY BRAIIIIINS

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I'm really mixed on this look. The countdown is fantastic, and the new/revised title sequences are pretty good. The sets are also nice, but they feel a little cold and sterile compared to what they had before, and I think it's a shame that everything but the News Channel studio is moving away from a live newsroom backdrop.

 

The only thing I absolutely don't like are the bug and lower thirds. I can understand why they would want a more television-friendly typeface than Gill Sans, but using the former for branding and Helvetica for everything else looks a little messy. I think reworking Gill Sans to fix its legibility issues on-screen or using a similar typeface (say, Whitney) would have been a better solution. The ticker is weird in mixed case, and what's with the weird tracking in "WORLD NEWS" in the bug?

 

But I digress. I'm just a typography nerd.

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A quick check of BBC News's website revealed this video and article.

 

WOW. I love the new newsroom. It's huge! The sets do feel rather sterile, but I've seen that style in videos of other European news programs, so I think it's the trend over there.

 

Does anyone know if BBC World News is available in HD here in the states? I only get the SD version. (Something tells me I shouldn't hold my breath on this.)

 

I have a friend who just started a job for Lonely Planet. I wonder if she's in the same building...

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A quick check of BBC News's website revealed this video and article.

 

WOW. I love the new newsroom. It's huge! The sets do feel rather sterile, but I've seen that style in videos of other European news programs, so I think it's the trend over there.

 

Does anyone know if BBC World News is available in HD here in the states? I only get the SD version. (Something tells me I shouldn't hold my breath on this.)

 

I have a friend who just started a job for Lonely Planet. I wonder if she's in the same building...

There IS an HD version available, but the method for viewing is via homemade satellite (Galaxy 13 offers BBC World News in HD). No cable/satellite providers carry the channel in HD.

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Directv Carries BBC world news in HD on BBC America HD.

I don't think that's true. Comcast also carries BBC America HD, and whenever I've watched the simulcast, it was 14:9 pillar boxed (and possibly upscaled, though it definitely wasn't full HD).

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I don't think that's true. Comcast also carries BBC America HD, and whenever I've watched the simulcast, it was 14:9 pillar boxed (and possibly upscaled, though it definitely wasn't full HD).

It just happens to be that BBC America is showing BBC World News right now. I just turned on BBC America HD on Time Warner, and they are indeed showing BBC World News in HD as well.
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I checked the simulcast out this morning, and it's still 14x9 pillarboxed and definitely upconverted. Looks nicer than the standard def experience at any rate.

 

I was going to tape the whole two hours and do an overview before I saw the sting leading into the simulcast, which uses something that is decidedly British but not BBC. I captured it and quickly edited it into this clip (watch the whole thing):

 

 

I'm pretty sure it's the first time I've had to use that certain image of a certain Philly anchor in a video (though I paired him off with someone else so it could "play" better to other people).

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  • 1 month later...

Sorry to resurrect this old thread, but BBC News joined their World Service friends at Broadcasting House today. The last Television Centre bulletins aired this morning (GMT).

 

Here's the intro to BBC News Channel's 14:00 bulletin. You may notice that the intro has changed somewhat; the globe sequence has been shortened and scenes from Broadcasting House have been added. I'm not sure if this is permanent, though:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPw8rlbFW-4

 

And here's an 85 second ( :o ) countdown:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2BCL-VszJU

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