BBC News and Current Affairs
At the heart of the organisation’s output, the BBC?News and Current Affairs department is responsible for news gathering and the production of national daily, business and political news and current affairs programmes for BBC Television, Radio and Online.
It is the largest broadcast news operation in the world, producing about 120 hours of output a day (44,000 hours a year), with more than 2,000 journalists.
Based at the News Centre at BBC Television Centre in London, BBC News has regional offices across the UK, as well as news-gathering bureaux around the world.
Related
BBC World and BBC World Service are funded by commercial income and Foreign Office grants respectively, not by the licence fee.
Management – overall
Mark Byford Deputy director general of the BBC and head of all its journalism. As chairman of the BBC Journalism Board, has overall responsibility for the news and current affairs operation.
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Helen Boaden Director, News. Responsible to the director general for all output and operation of BBC News and Current Affairs and its development. Member of BBC Executive Direction Group and Journalism Board.
Adrian Van Klaveren Deputy director, BBC News and controller, News Production. Deputises for Helen Boaden on editorial and managerial issues, including long-term editorial projects.
Sue Inglish Head of Political Programmes, Analysis and Research. Responsible for editorial leadership and overall management strategy of political programmes.
Fran Unsworth Head of news gathering. Responsible for the Newsgathering operation around the world and in the UK providing video, audio and text material for all BBC News programmes and services.
Management – television
Peter Horrocks, head of Television News. Responsible for BBC One bulletins at One, Six and Ten; Breakfast and News?night; BBC News 24; BBC World; BBC Parliament; and news services on BBC Three and BBC Four.
Karen O’Connor, acting head of Television Current Affairs. Responsible for editorial leadership and management of Current Affairs and Business Programmes across television.
Alison Ford UK news editor
James Buchanan deputy UK news editor
Gary Smith editor of political news
Jon Williams World news editor
Daniel Dodd editor of the business and economics unit
David Jordan controller, editorial policy
Richard Sambrook director, global news
TV
BBC Television News includes the main news bulletins on BBC One and BBC Two
Key programmes:
BBC Breakfast
Morning news programme on BBC News 24 and BBC One (current presenters: Dermot Murnaghan and Kate Silverton)
Editor: David Kermode
Deputy editor: Paul Royall
One O’Clock News
A round-up of national and international news, presented by Sophie Raworth, on BBC News 24 and BBC One.
Editor, Daytime news: Mark Popescu
Six O’Clock News
A round-up of national and international news, presented by George Alagiah and Natasha Kaplinsky, on BBC News 24 and BBC One.
Editor, Daytime news: Mark Popescu Assistant editor: Dan Kelly
Ten O’Clock News
A round-up of national and international news, presented by Huw Edwards and Fiona Bruce, on BBC News 24 and BBC One.
Editor: Craig Oliver
Deputy editor: Daniel Pearl
Question Time
British voters quiz top decision-makers on topical issues.
Executive editors: James Stephenson, Ric Bailey
Panorama
The longest-running investigative television news programme in the world.
Editor: Sandy Smith
Politics Show
Politicial reports and interviews.
Editor: Gareth Butler
Sunday AM
Political programme, presented by Andrew Marr.
Editor: Barney Jones
Newsround
Children’s news programme.
Editors: Tim Levell, Ian Prince
BBC Two
Newsnight
Late-night news and current affairs programme, presented by Jeremy Paxman (left), Kirsty Wark, Gavin Esler and Emily Maitlis.
Editor: Peter Barron
The Daily Politics
A look at the stories behind the stories, on BBC Two when Parliament is in session.
Editor Jamie Donald
BBC Three/BBC Four
Storyville
International documentaries.
The World
Daily news bulletin focusing on international news, presented by Lyse Doucet.
Editor: Colin Hancock
BBC World
Commercially funded, global 24-hour news channel. BBC TV News produces some programming for BBC World
Editor: Jeremy Hillman
Head of News: Richard Porter
BBC News 24
Launched in 1997 to deliver news and analysis all day, every day.
Controller: Kevin Bakhurst
Morning editor: Simon Waldman
Afternoon editor: Sue Nix
Evening editor: Sam Taylor
Key programmes:
Click
Technology lifestyle programme on BBC News 24, with shorter versions on BBC One and BBC Two.
HARDtalk
A daily current affairs interview programme on BBC News 24 and BBC World.
Newswatch
Represents viewers, to get answers to their criticisms of BBC News. On BBC News 24.
BBC Parliament
The only UK channel dedicated to the coverage of politics. Broadcasts debates and committees from Westminster, programmes that explore the politics behind the debates, and historic programming from the BBC archive. Controller: Peter Knowles
Radio
BBC Radio News produces bulletins for the BBC’s national radio stations.
Stephen Mitchell is head of Radio News, responsible for daily news output on Radios 1, 2, 3, 4 and Five Live, and in English on World Service radio and for all associated online activity. Also responsible for: current affairs programming on World Service; General News Service to the Nations and Regions; launch of news output on proposed digital radio services.
Nicola Meyrick Head of Radio Current Affairs. Responsible for editorial leadership and management of current affairs and business programmes across radio.
Editor, radio newsroom: Richard Clark
BBC World Service produces global news in 33 languages on radio and internet.
Editor, BBC World Service news programmes: Liliane Landor
On-air editor, BBC World Service: Steve Martin
Radio 4
Six O’Clock News
Editor: Tim Bailey
File on 4
Investigative series. Editor: David Ross
PM
Early-evening news, presented by Eddie Mair and Carolyn Quinn
Editor: Peter Rippon
Today
News and current affairs.
Editor: Ceri Thomas
Deputy editor: Gavin Allen
Assistant editors: Jamie Angus, Roger Hermiston, Nicholas Stewart, Miranda Holt
The World At One
Leading political programme.
Editor: Colin Hancock
World Tonight
National and international news and analysis.
Editor Alistair Burnett
Online
Pete Clifton is head of BBC News Interactive. Responsible for new media services and developments for BBC News, including BBC News online, Digital Text, Ceefax and interactive television.
The BBC News website is the most popular news site in the UK. It contains coverage of local, national and international news, as well as political, sport, entertainment, business, education, health, technology and science/nature news.
Some BBC TV and radio news and current affairs programmes are available to listen or watch again online.
UK editor, BBC News website: Gary Duffy
Editor, BBC News website: Steve Herrmann
Deputy editor, BBC News website: Paul Brannan
Other operations
BBC Nations and Regions
Director: Pat Loughrey
Comprises BBC English regions, BBC Northern Ireland, BBC Cymru Wales, BBC Scotland.
BBC College of Journalism
Editor: Kevin Marsh
Launched in June 2005. Covers journalists working in the news division, World Service, Nations and Regions.
BBC Trust
Chairman: Sir Michael Lyons
Governs and sets the strategic direction of the BBC, with duty to represent the interests of licence fee payers. The Trust sets purpose remits, issues service licences and holds the Executive Board to account.
BBC Worldwide
Chief executive: John Smith
BBC Worldwide generates profits that are returned to the BBC for investment in new programming and services. Includes BBC Magazines. Profits in 2006/07 were £111m.
BBC News in London
BBC London: 35c Marylebone High Street
Home to BBC London 94.9FM and BBC London TV
BBC Broadcasting House
Portland Place, London W1
Centre of BBC News operations
Bush House, The Strand, London WC2B
Home to BBC World Service
Media Village (including Media Centre and Television Centre)
201 Wood Lane, London, W12
Main broadcasting and production centre
Western House
99 Great Portland Street, London W1A
Home to Radio 2 and 6 Music
Yalding House
152-156 Great Portland Street, London W1A
Home to Radio 1
Monthly licence fee breakdown
£10.96 per month per household:
£7.54 on eight national TV channels and regional programming
£1.17 on 10 national radio stations
£1.01 on cost of broadcasting all TV and radio output plus cost of licence collection
75p on 40 local radio stations
49p on bbc.co.uk – about 240 websites
Income
UK Public Service Broadcasting (PSB) Group £3386.8m
BBC World Service and BBC Monitoring £271.1m
Commercial Businesses £974.2m
Total £4632.1m
Staff wages: £969m in 2007
Value for Money (VFM) Programme
A three-year programme implemented by director general Mark Thompson to try to make £355m in ongoing yearly cash savings by the end of 2008.
£119.1m spent in redundancy costs in 2006.
£11.2m spent in redundancy costs in 2007.
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