8. (Electronic) News

I logged the July 23, 2010 BBC World News program from 5:30-6:00 pm as it aired on KQED (my local PBS affiliate):

5:30:00-31:00 / Introduction to program; teasers of news stories to come.

31:00-33:15 / Results from independent auditor's 'stress tests' presented positively; only seven European Union banks fail (out of 91).

33:15-36:25 / Research by BBC Urdu has found "missile attacks by US drones in Pakistan's tribal areas have more than trebled under the Obama administration"; violence disrupts Taliban activities but also lives of civilians.

36:25-36:40 / plug for BBC News website

36:40-39:25 / Coming tropical storm will disrupt BP oil clean-up operations in the Gulf, as workers/boats must evacuate for at least two, if not several, days.

39:25-41:25 / Company Trafigura convicted of dumping toxic waste in Ivory Coast in 2006 and fined

41:25-42:50 / Quick headline news reports: Chinese oil spill clean-up continues; Kosovo bank chief taken into custody; Backed by French, Mauritanian troops raid al-Queda; Canadian prison riot.

42:55-44:50 / Scots turn down invitation to Washington to be questioned under suspicions BP lobbied UK to release Lockerbie bomber to secure Libyan oil deal.

45:25-46:50 / More on EU bank stress tests; critics skeptical.

46:55-49:50 / Infamous child-killer Jon Venables re-jailed over child pornography.

50:00-53:15 / Builders of (UNESCO Heritage) Sagrada Familia church (work-in-progress for 128 yrs) concerned due to new construction of nearby high-speed train tunnel.

53:15-53:55 / North Korea offended by planned S.Korea/US joint military exercises.

53:55-55:50 / World's largest flower, Titan arum blooms in Tokyo; is large tourist attraction.

55:50-56:45 / second plug for BBC News website, reading of Sponsors ("brought to you by")

56:45-59:59 / Commercials:
15 secs each for Union Bank, Clark Pest Control, Oakland Airpost, xfinity from Comcast
30 secs each for Wells Fargo and Subaru Legacy
35 secs for PBS network
15 secs total for KQED (local affiliate)

Omitting introductions, repetitions, transitions, and plugs; the total news time on the program was 23 minutes and 45 seconds (compared to ad time of 3 minutes and 15 seconds). The anchor was very brisk (and professional), often jumping into the next story at the very second right before the correspondent pieces ended. His authoritatively fast speaking seemed to fit the rest of the program, which overall seemed to try and hit many major headlines within the small time allotted. The correspondent pieces were all either clearly pre-taped or often from a previous live broadcast- leaving no "banter". The lead story was of the EU banks, clearly chosen for it's implications across many countries (rather than just two or three) and was the only story with any significant interaction between correspondent and anchor. They also discussed its role within the larger financial crisis and what this means for the future- interpretation that wasn't really present in any other stories. My overall impression is of a program with broad international appeal: providing the bare stories without much interpretation, if needing viewers who are already well informed on current events (and are willing to look up further information).