The development of the BBC’s forthcoming sports news programme has stepped up a gear with the announcement that Gabby Logan will present the show.
The rest of the team is currently being recruited by the programme’s editor, Amanda Farnsworth, who was previously editor of the BBC’s daytime news.
BBC director general, Mark Thomson said earlier this year that the new flagship sports programme would offer ‘high quality weekly journalism”.
The BBC declined to confirm or deny any details about the programme but it has been rumoured that the programme will go out live on Mondays after the Ten O’ Clock News on BBC1 and will feature investigations and interviews.
Farnsworth, who joined the BBC in 1988, has been a producer on Newsnight, bureau producer in Washington DC, launch editor of BBC News 24, editor of News 24’s daily Breakfast News and deputy editor of Newsnight.
Former Commonwealth gymnast Logan decided to switch channels after complaining at being sidelined by ITV Sport bosses during the World Cup.
Logan told the Daily Mail: ‘I interviewed David Beckham but I didn’t see a single game. It dented my confidence and made me question my abilities. If you’ve got ambition and you want to do well, it’s obviously disappointing.’BBC director of sport Roger Mosey said: ‘Gabby has an impressive background in sports broadcasting and she’ll be a fantastic addition to the BBC Sports team.’As part of its Creative Futures review, ‘portfolio’sports programmes such as Grandstand – described as ‘a brand which no longer has impact’– have been phased out in favour of BBC Sport-branded live events and highlights.
As part of its new approach to sport, the BBC has appointed former Daily Telegraph journalist Mihir Bose as overall sports editor with the same specialist status as the corporation’s political, economics and business editors.
The BBC also intends to create a sport broadband portal with live video and audio, journalism, specialist sports and interactive comment reflecting the range of sport in the UK and allowing users to access more on-demand sport video and audio.
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