BBC Breakfast
BBC Breakfast is a British television breakfast news programme, produced by BBC News and broadcast on BBC One and the BBC News channel every morning from 6:00am. The simulcast is presented live, originally from the BBC Television Centre, London before moving in 2012 to MediaCityUK in Salford, Greater Manchester.[1] The programme is broadcast daily and contains a mixture of news, sport, weather, business and feature items.
BBC Breakfast
Breakfast
United Kingdom
English
- BBC Television Centre (2000–2012)
- BBC Quay House, MediaCityUK (2012–)
- 210 minutes (weekdays) (2024-)
- 240 minutes (Saturdays)
- 180 minutes (Sundays)
2 October 2000 –
present
Pre-BBC Breakfast history[edit]
Breakfast Time was the first BBC breakfast programme, with Ron Neil as producer. It was conceived in response to the plans of the commercial television company TV-am to introduce a breakfast television show. Breakfast Time's first broadcast was on 17 January 1983,[2] and was presented by Frank Bough, Selina Scott and Nick Ross.
The atmosphere of the set was intended to encourage a relaxed informality; the set mimicked a living-room rather than a studio, with red leather sofas, and Bough and Ross wearing jumpers and open-necked shirts. Ron Neil sought to make it part of the viewers' morning routine, with cookery, exercises, and (to some controversy) an astrologer Russell Grant.[3] Breakfast Time lasted 150 minutes, initially being transmitted between 6:30 am and 9:00 am, before moving to a 6:50 am to 9:20 am slot on 18 February 1985.
Ron Neil departed from the programme[4] and on 10 November 1986 a more conventional news focus was introduced featuring a news desk, presenters in suits and a shortened broadcast that began at 7:00 am and ended any time between 8:30 am and 8:55 am.[3] Presenters included Kirsty Wark, John Stapleton, Jeremy Paxman and Sally Magnusson.
On 2 October 1989, the programme was renamed BBC Breakfast News and followed a more authoritative tone with a set modelled on the conventional desk style of news bulletins, starting at 6:30 am. The programme had been planned to start in September but was postponed due to delays with the set. The first edition was presented by Nicholas Witchell and Jill Dando.[5]
The business news coverage extended to an hour-long programme in its own right called "Business Breakfast" in January 1993, beginning at 6:00 am, while BBC Breakfast News started at 7:00 am. In April 1993, both programmes moved to the then sixth floor N2 studio in a set used for the One, Six and Nine O'Clock News, using the new computer generated virtual set.[5] Composer George Fenton reworked the theme tune for the Silicon Graphics CGI, title sequences were designed in-house by the BBC and the set was built by Television Production Design Ltd. A further revamp occurred in June 1997, when the programme was renamed simply Breakfast News.[5]
Editorial team[edit]
Richard Frediani is the current editor of BBC Breakfast. He took on the role in September 2019 after being appointed in July 2019.[69] He replaced Adam Bullimore, who had held the role since 2013. Bullimore was previously the deputy editor for five years.[70] Alison Ford, previously the UK Editor for BBC Newsgathering, was the editor of the programme until her death in July 2013.[71] Her appointment followed the departure of David Kermode to 5 News.[72]
BBC Breakfast has a regular panel of experts who appear to provide specialist insight or analysis into news stories when they are required. In addition, the newspaper review on the weekends have a regular guest to provide commentary.
Video podcast[edit]
In September 2006, Breakfast launched its own video podcast called the Breakfast Takeaway. BBC News had already launched three other services: Newsnight, the Ten O'Clock News and STORYFix (also previously shown on television at weekends on News 24).[83] The Breakfast Takeaway was available Monday to Friday in MP4 format where it could be downloaded and viewed from a home or office computer.
The video podcasts were a one-year trial. After the BBC reviewed the trial, the podcasts were discontinued in July 2007.
In 2003, the Breakfast production team was commissioned by BBC One to make a week long series called The Day Team From Chatsworth, presented by Nicki Chapman and presenter of the BBC's Countryfile programme, John Craven. It took a behind-the-scenes look at the stately home Chatsworth House,[84] and was broadcast separately on BBC One at 10:30 am.
A number of other guests or celebrity presenters have been used on Breakfast to present themed days or weeks, even though some have never been mainstream news reporters or presenters. Many of these have seen the programme extended to 9:30 am.