BBC New has unveiled a refurbished London studio featuring a curved catwalk and more interactive screens. The revamped Studio B at Broadcasting House will be the new home of the News at Six and Ten, as well as London's regional bulletins and some politics shows.
It is the first major development of a BBC News studio in 10 years. Newsreader Huw Edwards will introduce viewers to the space during Monday’s News at Ten.
It features distinct areas such as a curved catwalk to help guide viewers through complex stories and link to regional BBC programmes. A new central tower will present graphics and visuals in a vertical format similar to that of a smartphone screen, while there will also be a bigger weather map to update viewers “dynamically”.
A robotic camera system with tracks embedded in the floor will allow the presenter to move around more safely, the BBC said, and the space can also be reconfigured for special occasions such as elections. The set also uses less power than the previous studio by replacing its lights with LEDs.
Edwards said: “This is going to be our home for daily news, big events and everything in between. It gives us a platform which allows us to tell stories in a much more vibrant, creative and impactful way that will make a real difference to our audience. We’re really proud of it and I can’t wait to share it with our viewers.”
Jonathan Munro, interim director of news, said: “Bringing greater value to our audiences has been at the core of this project and we’re so excited to finally bring the newly refurbished studio to viewers at home. It really puts them at the heart of our reporting while also highlighting the great variety of what BBC News has got to offer.
“As the first major refurbishment our news studios have seen in a decade, it is a real blueprint for how we move forward in future-proofing our news output.”
