Here's a reasonable outside bet. BBC News (the new, merged Proudly British, Uniquely Global channel) will fall below Sky News in monthly reach before the end of the year.
Newswatch this week noticed how many times the channel has been showing a half hour special on guide dogs over recent weeks. This week, a half hour special on The Changing Face of Hollywood, gets outings at 0230, 1130 and 1630 today, 1330, 1730 and 0130 Sunday, 2030 Monday and 0230 Wednesday. Not far behind - an edition of Witness History, on today 1330, 2030 and 0030, then 1030 and 1630 Sunday, and then 0130 Wednesday. Is interim channel editor Paul Royall busy on something else ?
Internally, head of digital journalism Naja Nielsen insists to staff that this is a merger, not a takeover of News Channel by BBC World. But News Channel presenters are already using World-speak, e.g. "the ruling Conservative Party". The proof of the pudding will be whether the promised UK 'opts' - ie provision of a separate stream when there is breaking UK news - actually materialise, and what content they provide. After all, they can't keep a whole UK-only studio on ice just in case.
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