BBC News (UK TV channel)

"BBC News 24" redirects here. For the BBC department of the same name, see BBC News. For other uses, see BBC News (disambiguation).
This article is about the UK feed of the BBC's TV news channel. For the global feed of the BBC's News Channel which has separated programmings from the domestic channel, see BBC News (international TV channel).

BBC News
Logo used since 2023
CountryUnited Kingdom
Broadcast areaUnited Kingdom
HeadquartersBBC Television Centre (1997–2013)
Broadcasting House (2013–present)
Programming
Language(s)English
Picture format1080i[a] HDTV
(downscaled to 16:9 576i for the SDTV feed)
Ownership
OwnerBBC
ParentBBC (domestic)
BBC Studios (overseas)
Sister channelsBBC One
BBC Two
BBC Three
BBC Four
BBC Parliament
CBBC
CBeebies
BBC Scotland
BBC Alba
History
Launched9 November 1997; 27 years ago (1997-11-09)
Former namesBBC News 24 (1997–2008)
Links
Websitebbc.co.uk/news
Availability
Terrestrial
FreeviewChannel 231 (SD)
Streaming media
BBC iPlayerWatch live (UK only)
BBC News OnlineWatch live (UK only)
BBC News (TV channel)Watch live (Worldwide access is available)

The BBC News channel is a British free-to-air[1] public broadcast television news channel owned and operated by the BBC. The channel is based at and broadcasts from Broadcasting House in the West End of London from which it is anchored during British daytime, with overnight broadcasts anchored from Washington, D.C. and Singapore.[2] It was 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.[3]

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.[4] The judges remarked that this was the year that the channel had "really come into its own."[5] The channel won the accolade for a second time in 2017.[6] From May 2007, viewers in the UK 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.

The channel's international counterpart, formerly known as BBC World News, initially operated as a counterpart carrying international news, as well as selected programmes from the domestic service. Unlike BBC News in the UK, which is a free-to-air channel funded by the licence fee, the world feed is a pay television service distributed by BBC Studios and funded by advertising. Some of its programmes had been simulcast by the domestic BBC News channel, especially in the overnight hours.

In 2022, the BBC announced that it would further consolidate the programming and talent of the BBC News and World News channels as a cost-cutting move; these changes took place on 3 April 2023, when BBC World News was renamed "BBC News". The UK feed occasionally opts out when it airs UK-specific content not deemed significant enough to the global audience.


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  1. ^ "BBC News Channel". BBC News. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
  2. ^ "BBC unveils presenter line-up for news channel". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 1 September 2023.[permanent dead link]
  3. ^ About BBC News 24 TV Home
  4. ^ BBC winners at TV journalism awards Archived 15 October 2015 at the Wayback Machine Dave West; Digital Spy, 23 February 2006
  5. ^ News 24 wins news channel of the year Newswatch – BBC News Online, 23 February 2006
  6. ^ "Television Journalism Awards 2017". Royal Television Society. 1 March 2017. Archived from the original on 4 April 2019. Retrieved 19 July 2023.