News Broadcasting
BBC launches vertical video news product; plans BBC stories
MUMBAI: BBC has launched a new vertical video experience in its News app. Users can swipe through a curated list of videos of the day, to get an up-to-date summary of news in an easy-to-consume and engaging format.
All the videos are created specifically with smartphone users in mind: the videos are succinct and sharply edited, designed to be viewed vertically in full screen, and have subtitles. In addition, the app will debut new vertical interstitial ad formats.
BBC News digital development director James Montgomery said, “Video remains the medium in which much of our best journalism is told, but the storytelling needs to be re-thought for mobile.The key to success is the combination of relevance and reward: videos that are not only great to watch, but which are offered in formats that are optimised for smartphones. We know that mobile users check their phones frequently but don’t have time to stay for long. In many cases, this is on their morning commute and again at home in the evening when they want to catch up on the day. The new index helps them find the best videos quickly, and presents it to them in a digestible and finite package.”
The new vertical experience was designed in-house in partnership with the New York agency Code & Theory.
The upgrade is one of the fruits of Project Newstream, an initiative to adapt BBC video journalism to the mobile era. The same content is also published to the web, and to social, with a consistent look and feel in design.
This release will be followed by further enhancements, including improvements to image quality and social sharing functionality. A second vertical video index, BBC Stories will come out in early December. It will focus on current affairs with more personal and immersive human interest videos.
Montgomery added, “Being good at delivering news to mobiles is particularly important for younger audiences, for whom the smartphone is the primary, or possibly only, source of news.”
The international BBC News app now claims to have 7.2 million unique users each month, with almost a quarter watching video each week, and video views have almost doubled in the past year.
In 2013 the BBC announced a long-term goal to increase cross-platform weekly reach to 500 million people by 2022. It is recognised that News will account for the vast majority of this audience, and that digital is the fastest-growing, though not necessarily single largest, platform. By 2020, it’s thought that another billion people will be online and, as handsets, network speeds and data charges improve across the world, the majority of these are likely be connected via mobile phone, particularly in Africa and Asia.
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to host Fury in the Gulf conclave on West Asia crisis
Three-hour summit to unpack geopolitical fallout and impact on India
MUMBAI: CNN-News18 is set to host a special three-hour broadcast, Fury in the Gulf – War Conclave, on April 7, aiming to decode the escalating West Asia crisis and its far-reaching implications for India.
Scheduled from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM, the conclave comes at a time when tensions between Iran and the United States are reshaping global geopolitics and triggering economic uncertainty. With India’s deep energy ties, trade links and large diaspora in the Gulf, the developments carry significant domestic relevance.
Built around the theme ‘Conflict, Consequences, and The Future,’ the programme will feature six curated sessions combining one-on-one interviews and panel discussions. The focus is to cut through the clutter and offer viewers a clearer understanding of the fast-evolving situation.
Key sessions include ‘Diplomacy in Times of War’ featuring Shashi Tharoor, and ‘World After the Iran Conflict’ with voices such as Ram Madhav, Reuven Azar, representatives from the European Union and the Iranian Deputy Envoy. Another session titled ‘Another Dunkirk?’ will bring together K. J. S. Dhillon and Jitin Prasada among others.
CNN-News18 editorial affairs director Rahul Shivshankar said, “In times of war, clarity becomes the most powerful tool. Fury in the Gulf – War Conclave brings together credible voices to address the questions and confusion that arise amid an overwhelming influx of information.”
He added that the initiative is aimed at delivering “facts, perspective, and insight” at a time when misinformation can easily cloud public understanding.
Echoing the sentiment, CNN-News18 CEO– English and business news Smriti Mehra said the conflict marks a defining global moment, with consequences that extend well beyond the region. She noted that the conclave seeks to present the crisis with “depth, nuance and responsibility” so audiences can better grasp its real-world impact.
As geopolitical tensions continue to dominate headlines, the conclave positions itself as an attempt to bring order to the noise, offering viewers a structured, insight-led look at a complex and rapidly shifting global situation.
