BBC News | |
---|---|
Launched | 9 November 1997 |
Network | BBC Television |
Owned by | BBC |
Picture format |
576i (16:9 SDTV) 1080i (HDTV) |
Audience share | 1.04% (September 2015BARB) | ,
Slogan |
"Britain's most watched news channel" "Whenever you need to know" "Live The Story" "The World's Newsroom" "Breaking news, developing stories" |
Country | United Kingdom |
Language | English |
Broadcast area | United Kingdom and Ireland |
Headquarters |
BBC Television Centre (1997–2013) Broadcasting House (2013–present) |
Formerly called | BBC News 24 (1997–2008) |
Sister channel(s) |
BBC One BBC Two BBC Four BBC Parliament CBBC CBeebies |
Website | www |
Availability
|
|
Terrestrial | |
Freeview | Channel 107 (HD) Channel 130 |
Satellite | |
Freesat | Channel 200 (SD/HD) Channel 212 (SD) |
Sky | Channel 503 (SD/HD) Channel 570 (SD/HD) |
Astra 2E | 10818 V 22000 5/6 |
Astra 2F | 11024 H 23000 2/3 (HD) |
Cable | |
Virgin Media | Channel 601 Channel 604 (HD) |
Virgin Media Ireland | Channel 201 |
Naxoo | Channel 216 |
WightFibre | Channel 25 |
IPTV | |
BT TV | Channel 107 (HD) |
SwisscomTV (Switzerland) |
Channel arbitrary |
meo (Portugal) |
Channel 204 |
Streaming media | |
BBC iPlayer | Watch live (UK only) |
BBC News Online | Watch live (UK only) |
TVPlayer | Watch live (UK only) |
FilmOn | Watch live (Worldwide access is available) |
BBC News (also referred to as the BBC News Channel) is the BBC's 24-hour rolling news television network in the United Kingdom. The channel launched as BBC News 24 on 9 November 1997 at 17:30 as part of the BBC's foray into digital domestic television channels, becoming the first competitor to Sky News, which had been running since 1989. For a time, looped news, sport and weather bulletins were available to view via BBC Red Button.
On 22 February 2006, the channel was named News Channel of the Year at the Royal Television Society Television Journalism Awards for the first time in its history. The judges remarked that this was the year that the channel had "really come into its own."
From May 2007, UK viewers could watch the channel via the BBC News website. In April 2008, the channel was renamed BBC News as part of a £550,000 rebranding of the BBC's news output, complete with a new studio and presentation. Its sister service, BBC World was also renamed BBC World News while the national news bulletins became BBC News at One, BBC News at Six and BBC News at Ten. Across the day the channel averages about twice the audience of Sky News.
As a major part of the BBC News department, the channel is based at and broadcast from Broadcasting House in Central London.
It was named RTS News Channel of the Year again in 2009.
BBC News 24 was originally available to digital terrestrial, satellite and cable television subscribers. To this day, it and BBC Parliament remain the only BBC "digital" channels which are made available to analogue cable subscribers. This coverage was improved in 1998 with the advent of digital television in the United Kingdom allowing satellite and digital terrestrial television viewers to also view the service. Initially it was difficult to obtain a digital satellite or terrestrial receiver without a subscription to Sky or ONdigital respectively, but now the channel forms an important part of the Freeview and Freesat channel packages.