BBC News at Six

Infobox Television
show_name = BBC News at Six


format = News, Weather, Sport
camera =
picture_format =
audio_format =
runtime = 30 minutes
creator = BBC News
presenter = George Alagiah
Fiona Bruce Sian Williams
theme_music_composer = David Lowe
country = United Kingdom
location = London
language = English
network = BBC One
first_aired = 3 September, 1984
last_aired = present
preceded_by = "Sixty Minutes"
followed_by = "Current"
related = "BBC Breakfast",
"BBC News at One",
"BBC News at Ten" "BBC News (8pm summary)"
website = The "BBC News at Six" is the evening news programme broadcast daily on British television channel BBC One and the BBC News channel from 6:00pm until 6:30pm. It is currently presented by George Alagiah on Monday to Thursday and Sian Williams or Fiona Bruce on Fridays.

For a long period the "News at Six" was the most watched news programme in the UK but since 2006 it has been over taken by the "BBC News at Ten". On average it pulls in 4 million viewers. [ [http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/broadcastnowArticle.aspx?intStoryID=166186 News Viewing Figures] ]

History

The programme launched on 3 September, 1984, replacing early evening news magazine "Sixty Minutes" and was originally presented by Sue Lawley and Nicholas Witchell. Both presenters have since moved on to other positions within BBC News and the BBC itself. Jeremy Paxman, who went on to present "Newsnight" in 1989, was relief newsreader from 10 September. [Radio Times September 8 - 14, 1984]

In 1988, the wasterman studio was famously invaded during a live broadcast by a female group protesting against Britain's Section 28 (a law against the promotion of homosexuality in schools). Witchell famously grappled with the protesters and is said to have sat on one woman, provoking the memorable front-page headline in the "Daily Mirror", "Beeb man sits on lesbian".cite web | author=The Times | year=2005 | title= Witchell, the BBC man who 'sat on a lesbian' | format=html | url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-1548926,00.html| accessdate=2006-10-30]

In May 1999, the bulletin was relaunched, along with the rest of the BBC's television news programmes and the new presenter was Huw Edwards with Fiona Bruce as the deputy presenter. Both Huw and Fiona left the "Six O'Clock News" in January 2003 when they were moved to the "Ten O'Clock News".

On Monday 20 January 2003 as George Alagiah and Sophie Raworth took over, the bulletin was relaunched along with the rest of BBC One's news bulletins. During Raworth's first maternity leave in 2004, Sian Williams stood in for her for over the six months. However, during Raworth's second maternity leave at the end of 2005, Natasha Kaplinsky stood in, originally as a temporary measure. As part of a presenter reshuffle in April 2006, Kaplinsky was confirmed as the new full-time presenter. Sophie Raworth was later named as the main presenter of the "BBC News at One".

Since April 2005, the programme has formed the first half hour of the "Six O'Clock Newshour" on the BBC News Channel. The subsequent half hour consists of business and sport updates presented from within the News channel studio by one of the News Channel presenters. As before, the bulletin still completes at 18:30 before splitting off to regional news programmes on BBC One.

A 90-second update at 8:00pm is viewed on BBC One, Monday-Friday. This consists of 60 seconds on national and international news, followed by the other 30 seconds of the update focussing on regional news.

On 5 October 2007 it was announced that Natasha Kaplinsky was to leave the BBC to replace Kirsty Young on Five News, taking up her new role on Monday 18 February 2008 presenting two half-hour evening bulletins. She left at the end of the "Six O'Clock News" on the same day. [cite news
title = Kaplinsky quitting BBC for Five
publisher = BBC News
date = 5 October 2007
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7029902.stm
accessdate = 2007-10-05]

For a while Sian Williams filled in as co-presenter, but on 3 December 2007, the programme went single-headed, with George Alagiah as main presenter, and Sian Williams as deputy presenter, although Williams now shares the duty with BBC News at Ten presenter Fiona Bruce.

When Huw Edwards and Fiona Bruce, presenters of BBC News at Ten, are unavailable George Alagiah will stand in for them. This move also sees Sian Williams present the BBC News at Six.

In February 2008, the programme moved studios, from N6 to TC7, as part of a restructuring across BBC News. On 21 April 2008 the programme, along with the rest of BBC News, underwent a refresh, taking on new titles and a new set as well as being renamed the "BBC News at Six."

Presenters

On Monday to Thursday the "News at Six" is presented by:
*George Alagiah - presenter since January 2003, solo presenter since December 2007

On Friday and in George's absence the "News at Six" is presented by either;
*Fiona Bruce - deputy presenter 1999-2003 and 2008-
*Sian Williams - deputy presenter 2007-

Relief presentersOccasionally, the regular presenters will be replaced by another journalist from the BBC, the most regular being:
*Nicholas Owen - BBC News channel presenter
*Sophie Raworth - BBC News at One presenter
*Jon Sopel - BBC News channel presenter and The Politics Show presenter

Former presenters
*Jennie Bond - co-presenter 1990-1999
*Jill Dando - co-presenter 1991-1999
*Huw Edwards - main presenter 1999-2003
*Anna Ford - main and co-presenter 1987-1999
*Bill Turnbull - relief presenter 2003-2006
*Ben Brown - relief presenter 2006-2007
*Jon Sopel - relief presenter 2006-2007
*Jane Hill - relief presenter 2005-2007
*Andrew Harvey - main and co-presenter 1984-1996
*Philip Hayton - main and co-presenter 1987-1994
*Natasha Kaplinsky - co-presenter from 2005-October 2007
*Sue Lawley - main presenter 1984-1989
*Chris Lowe - co-presenter 1988-1994
*Martyn Lewis - main presenter 1994-1999
*Dermot Murnaghan - Friday/ Relief presenter 2004-2007
*Jeremy Paxman - relief presenter 1984-1989
*Sophie Raworth - co-presenter from 2003-2005, occasional relief presenter since 2008
*Peter Sissons - main presenter 1988-1994
*Moira Stuart - co-presenter 1986-1999
*Justin Webb - main and co-presenter 1992-1999
*Nicholas Witchell - main presenter 1984-1989

Presentation

As with the rest of BBC News bulletins on BBC One, the bulletin is based within studio TC7 of BBC Television Centre. The current design of set was introduced in May 2006, the latest design of titles in January 2007.

Within the last few minutes of each bulletin, a full national weather forecast is presented by Dan Corbett, Alex Deakin, Susan Powell, Carol Kirkwood or John Hammond of the BBC Weather Centre.

=Criticism= The bulletin has been accused of being an example of the BBC 'dumbing-down' with more consumer led reports and dynamic presentation. In particular, the Commons leader Jack Straw berated the shows presenters for "prancing around the studio" [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4994720.stm 'Prancing' BBC News hosts berated] BBC News Online; 18 May 2006]

The BBC defend the format as they believe that the body language and integration of presenter and graphics increases the viewer's understanding of the news. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/newswatch/ukfs/hi/default.stm Newswatch] BBC News]

The bulletin has also been accused of having an English perspective on the news in terms of items covered and priority each news item is given. There have been calls in Scotland for a separate 'Scottish Six' that would combine Scottish, British and international news items to create a news programme from a Scottish perspective. The idea was rejected by the BBC in 2003 after a series of public meetings and a poll showed that 38% favoured the idea, as opposed to the 45% that wanted no change. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/3327793.stm 'Scottish Six' idea rejected] ] However, the SNP have continued to call for the change. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/6731561.stm SNP call for 'Scottish Six'] ]

ee also

*"ITV Evening News"

References

External links

*bbc.co.uk|id=news|title=BBC News