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Newsnight

Newsnight
BBC Newsnight.png
Genre News and current affairs
Created by BBC News
Presented by Kirsty Wark
Emily Maitlis
Evan Davis
James O'Brien
Theme music composer George Fenton
Country of origin United Kingdom
Original language(s) English
Production
Producer(s) BBC News
Location(s) Studio B, Broadcasting House, London
Editor(s) Ian Katz
Running time 50 minutes
Release
Original network BBC Two
BBC HD (2012–13)
Picture format 576i (16:9 SDTV)
1080i (HDTV)
Original release 28 January 1980 (1980-01-28) – present
Chronology
Related shows Newsnight Scotland
The Review Show
External links
Website

Newsnight is a weekday BBC Television current affairs programme which specialises in analysis and often robust cross-examination of senior politicians. Jeremy Paxman was its main presenter for 25 years, until announcing in April 2014 that he was stepping down.

Several of the programme's editors over the years have gone on to senior positions within the BBC and elsewhere. The programme's regular presenters are currently Kirsty Wark,Emily Maitlis, and Evan Davis.

Newsnight has been broadcast on BBC2 since 1980. It goes out on weekday evenings between 10:30pm and 11:20pm. Occasionally it may have an extended edition if there is an especially significant event in the news – as happened on 7 July 2011, when closure of the News of the World led to a programme which continued until 11:35 pm. Recent editions are available to view and download for a limited time through the BBC iPlayer. A weekly 26-minute digest edition of Newsnight is screened on the corporation's international channel, BBC World News.

Newsnight began on 28 January 1980 at 10.45pm, although a short news bulletin using the same title had run on BBC2 during the 1970s. Its launch was delayed for four months by the Association of Broadcasting Staff, at the time the main BBC trade union.Newsnight was the first programme to be made by means of a direct collaboration between BBC News, then at Television Centre, and the current affairs department, based a short distance away at the now defunct Lime Grove Studios. Staff feared job cuts. The newscast also served as a replacement for the current affairs programme Tonight.

Former presenters include Peter Snow, a regular for 17 years, Donald MacCormick, Charles Wheeler, Adam Raphael and John Tusa, later boss of the BBC World Service. In the early days each edition had an 'auxiliary presenter', a phenomenon pejoratively known at the time as the "Newsnight's wife syndrome". Usually a woman, it was her job to read the news headlines and to introduce minor items. Olivia O'Leary in 1985 became the first principal female presenter; the programme has had a single presenter since 1987.Newsnight is now wholly managed by BBC News.


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