BBC Broadcasts World News Progamme in US
(EUNN) London - The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is going to give Americans a taste of world news and show the American network news publishers how its done by launching a morning one-hour BBC World News programme on U.S. cablestations that was announced Thursday.
The one-hour programme, World News Today, is to air live at 7am ET fromthe BBC's studio in London beginning July 3.British Broadcasting executives said the news show is deliberately being aired at that hour to compete with the American morning news shows head-on. The BBC's World News Today will air international news stories rather than the American version of international news which tends to focus on U.S. political perspectives.
The BBC said that World News Today will be anchored by George Alagiah, who hosts the BBC's top-rated Six O'Clock News.
The BBC believes it has an edge on U.S. network news organizations that it claims have had to cutback on international correspondents due to cost constraints and as a result there isn't as much in depth international news being televised.
The BBC carries an edge over competitors due to the fact that it employs three-times the staff globally than America's CNN. A BBC spokesperson said that American morning news programs like the Today Show, Good Morning America and Fox and Friends don't report news in a serious manner, instead they offer what he called "fluff".
Jeremy Hillman, a BBC World editor, said the BBC's news reporting is "globally responsible and impartial", inferring that the U.S. news is influenced by political favouritism or ad dollars.
The newscast will air on the BBC World News channel as well as the net's flagship entertainment channel, BBC America.
The BBC gained access to the American news-viewing audience in April when it entered into an agreement with Cablevision Systems to air its international news in New York-area markets. The BBC hopes to enter into contracts with other cable providers across the United States in coming months.
BBC World Newsalready has partnerships for its news reports to be seen on ABC News, several PBS affiliates and National Public Radio as well.