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BBC could lose plum 10 O’Clock News slot

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By John Glenday, Reporter

September 17, 2015 | 2 min read

The BBC could be forced to relinquish its cherished 10 O’Clock News slot to prevent it from overlapping with ITV’s flagship News at ten bulletin, as part of a fresh review of the public service broadcasters impact on competitors.

BBC News

Culture secretary John Whittingdale has said that the BBC needs to ensure its programming is sufficiently distinct commercial networks and reduce duplication and repetition.

In an address The Royal television Society in Cambridge Whittingdale said: “[It is] important to look at the impact the BBC has on its commercial rivals. To give just one example, whether it is sensible for its main evening news bulletin to go out at the same time as ITV’s.

“So I can confirm that my department is commissioning independent research into some of the BBC’s impact on the market and on its commercial competitors and this report will feed into the evidence base for charter review.”

The BBC’s main evening news broadcast was scheduled at 21:00 until 2000, when ITV moved its own News at Ten bulletin to a later slot. That decision was reversed in 2002 but the BBC has not followed suit, leaving the schedule clash in place.

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