The BBC News Theme

[Jess 1110]

This is just me musing, but does anyone else think that the BBC news theme is one of the most brilliant pieces of music, let alone news music, ever?

 

It's the latest iteration of the package that got me thinking about this. The motif has been in use since 1999, but every refresh of the brand has seen an evolution of the music, and there are clear differences between the original 1999 versions and the more recent iterations.

 

I still think the original cuts are the very finest. The original countdown is all but perfect in the way that it slowly introduces elements and builds up tension to the final second. The cues used for the BBC World breakfillers are, in their own way, just as majestic as The Mission. I also like the unique percussion that's absent from subsequent mixes.

 

However, I'd put the current version of the theme as a very, very close second. The addition of real instrumentation alongside the drum and bass was the logical next step, but I don't think anyone knew how well it'd work. It feels "naked" without the strings now:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BQ2fJca2Go

 

I think what makes it work is that it takes a different viewpoint from what we consider news music. This interview with David Lowe shines a lot of light on the thought process, particularly his view that news themes "should be neutral":

 

[C Block 1488]

I agree. I've always been a big fan of Lowe's work. The 1999 themes were the best, and then they lost their way a little bit after that, but the 2008 refresh and this year's refresh have been excellent. His idents for the BBC World Service radio are also really good but unique in their own way.

 

I've always hoped that a U.S. television network would create a top-down identity that's as cohesive as the BBC's where everything, including the network programming, national news, and local affiliates all had one unified identity. NBC has come the closest to this, but if CBS were to ever think about a rebranding, they should really look at the BBC (David Lowe, Lambie-Nairn, Simon Jago) to do it.

[Samantha 2878]

Not happening. The US has a big difference from the rest of the world:

 

We have a network model in which affiliate stations are built around defined blocks of network programming.

 

Everyone else built the reverse, in which networks build in regional opt-outs — making it easier to have one unified brand.

 

To implement one graphics and music and logo package across the 200 or so affiliates of any given network would be a massive process that might be impossible to achieve.

[24994J 5276]

Not happening. The US has a big difference from the rest of the world:

 

We have a network model in which affiliate stations are built around defined blocks of network programming.

 

Everyone else built the reverse, in which networks build in regional opt-outs — making it easier to have one unified brand.

 

To implement one graphics and music and logo package across the 200 or so affiliates of any given network would be a massive process that might be impossible to achieve.

Obviously they couldn't get anything across ALL of it's affiliates, but I could definitely see a network like CBS rolling something out for the O&O's and 'Evening News'.

[C Block 1488]

Obviously they couldn't get anything across ALL of it's affiliates, but I could definitely see a network like CBS rolling something out for the O&O's and 'Evening News'.

That's exactly all that I would realistically expect. They clearly wouldn't be able to get one look deployed in all 200 markets, but networks and affiliate stations groups have shown in recent years that implementing a single group image can be profoundly cost-effective. We've seen CBS do this as a network, and they've even offered its look at a discount (free?) to other affiliates. I think it would be really smart for them (or ABC or any other network, for that matter) from a branding and cost perspective to have a unified look for the affiliates and the network.

[lukenews 1]

This is just me musing, but does anyone else think that the BBC news theme is one of the most brilliant pieces of music, let alone news music, ever?

 

It's the latest iteration of the package that got me thinking about this. The motif has been in use since 1999, but every refresh of the brand has seen an evolution of the music, and there are clear differences between the original 1999 versions and the more recent iterations.

 

I still think the original cuts are the very finest. The original countdown is all but perfect in the way that it slowly introduces elements and builds up tension to the final second. The cues used for the BBC World breakfillers are, in their own way, just as majestic as The Mission. I also like the unique percussion that's absent from subsequent mixes.

 

However, I'd put the current version of the theme as a very, very close second. The addition of real instrumentation alongside the drum and bass was the logical next step, but I don't think anyone knew how well it'd work. It feels "naked" without the strings now:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BQ2fJca2Go

 

I think what makes it work is that it takes a different viewpoint from what we consider news music. This interview with David Lowe shines a lot of light on the thought process, particularly his view that news themes "should be neutral":

 

Hi Hulkie

 

Thanks for your thoughtful and reflective comments about David Lowe's work.

 

The BBC News theme music (opens and countdowns) is indeed one of the brilliant pieces of music and news music in particular. An online user on another site once described it as "raw" news music without flourishes, etc. It's stripped to the bare essentials. Now of course it does have a style (electronica) however the music and beat speaks to anyone, regardless of cultrual background, including those who aren not Anglophones like us. This is because David Lowe is one of those rare composers is just not a composer who has been asked to write a news theme by a network, but a musical genius who understands news theme music. He has helped develop the theoretical framework for how a news theme is meant to 'be'. He's worked out a formula, as it were, and his compositions are purposefully aimed at only adding in sound elements at just the right moment, for the right purpose. And nothing more that would be extraneous. Examples would be a cymbal crash or fat analogue bass synth placed in the composition at the right place.

 

When David Lowe said in that video that news music was "quite a neutral thing" I believe, based on his previous explanations elsewhere, that what he means is that one day you could lead the bulletin (newscast in US) with a major event, while other days it might not be just every-day run-of-the-mill news. The music has to be flexible enough to be used everday and fit to the picture. With film scoring, the composer will know what emotions they are trying to convey to fit it to what is on screen; but with news music, you don't know what it is that you helping to support (musically). Of course, there are emotive opens such as sombre, etc which are specially designed for a particular emotive state, that broadcasters can use if the 'everyday' theme doesn't suit.

 

As you point out, the compositional work has evolved and refined. I believe these refinements have been improvements, as well as emphasising in subtle ways changes in emphasis every few years as to whether there bass or harder-sounding hits (seriousness/authority), versus more percussion (lightness and freshness). cf. 2007 compared with 2013. The latter being the contemporary fad.

 

Lowe has also been masterful and composing themes for BBC News and Current Affairs shows, which. As mentioned by Charles he also wrote the theme for BBC World Radio, which utilises a sonic branding approach, where he has certain 3 notes (a lot like NBC) that are branded across the various opens. http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/media/news/a76310/new-musical-identity-for-bbc-world-service.html

 

Outside of the U.K., and Europe in general, I think his BBC News work is often not given the attention it deserves.

 

Luke

New Zealand